THE WHITLATCH WEEKLY

I had the privilege of having a very smart and witty Grandmother, God rest her soul.   Man, was she a hoot.    Betty would do anything for anyone at anytime. I learned quite a bit from her. Lessons I still use to this day. This woman did a Crossword Puzzle every single morning for decades; she knew her stuff needless to say. She loved her family and friends very much and expressed that in countless ways.  I would always receive a card from my Grandma each year for my Birthday, as would the rest of the family. I can still picture one of her bright envelopes and that unique cursive (what's that) handwriting of hers. Growing up she had a Dog named Sadie. Each of her cards would always come with paw print stamps next to her signature giving it an extra special touch. I miss those cards. Direct Mail Marketing has a bad rep. Quite a few people I run into assume Direct Mail or Postal Marketing is a way of the past. I disagree. Don't get me wron...

By now, I hope you have figured out who has gradually taken over the throne in Social Media Marketing the last few years.  You guessed it, the CUSTOMER.  By the end of 2016, 89% of Companies expect to compete mainly on the basis of CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE compared to only 36% only four years ago.  Just as Marketing and Advertising on Social Media began to get a little ridiculous, the CUSTOMER stepped in right in time.   Don't get me wrong, Marketing and Advertising are at an all-time high via Social Media and I don't see that changing anytime soon.  However, WHO - WHAT - WHEN - WHERE - WHY and HOW this Marketing and Advertising ends up in the CUSTOMER'S hands is no accident. WHO Defining and Identifying your CUSTOMER (Target Audience) is priority number one.  If you don't know what pond to fish in, how do you expect to catch any fish?  Knowing WHO your CUSTOMER is will help you know where to hang out - Facebook , Twitter Chat, Blog...

For every MARKETING or ADVERTISING strategy lies a TARGET AUDIENCE . At some point in time, that TARGET AUDIENCE will have a decision to make. Your PITCH, IDEA or OFFER was a SUCCESS or it was not a SUCCESS. Simple as that. For the majority of MARKETING or ADVERTISING professionals, I'm sure you can remember a time where it seemed as if your AUDIENCE was seconds away from buying-in to your IDEA, PITCH or OFFER then all of a sudden, they didn't.  They balked. Your AUDIENCE (for whatever reason) decided not to buy-in to your BRAND, PRODUCT or SERVICE. But why?

THE TOP 5 REASONS WHY BEACONS ARE A MARKETER'S NEW BEST FRIEND Picture this... You're walking through the Mall and suddenly, an advertisement, contest, or even a coupon pops up on your phone. Conveniently enough, that notification is from the same store you're currently browsing this very minute. Creepy right? Well, to marketers and advertisers across the globe, it's not creepy one bit. In fact, beacon marketing (or proximity marketing) is going to explode in 2016. I bet you think your smartphone is pretty smart right now. You haven't seen anything yet. Let's revisit that little scenario I mentioned previously. The lead-off batter in today's Top 5 list: 1.) Proximity Marketing   Whether the grocery store, your favorite restaurant, or even the mall, your location says so much about yourself.  Especially if there is a trend or pattern to that location. Proximity Marketing not only enhances the experience and convenience for the consu...

What makes you open an email? Is it the subject ? Maybe the font or color ? What ever the case may be, there are several factors that determine the outcome of that email becoming a success or a complete flop. Deleted. Denied. Another email finding its way into the spam or trash folder.  But not so fast. You can't give up yet.  Email Marketing can be one of the most cost effective methods of marketing, but that is easier said than done. Like any marketing, it takes a certain skill. A certain touch. A certain art. Let's go ahead and clear one thing up. Email marketing will never be perfected. A campaign with promise of success could flop, as easy as a campaign expected to flop can be a success. Some elements are uncontrollable as a marketing professional and solely up to your target customer opening the email.  Here are some things you CAN control: IN YOUR HANDS -Avoid using large images. If your message has a low ratio of text to image, the message...

This will be the year marketing changes.  I mean really changes.  The year where the modern consumer jumps on the bandwagon.  The Millennial bandwagon that is.  Millennials are considered to be anyone born around 1980-2000, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have the “Millennial Mindset.”  Brands no longer target a certain age group, but rather those who have adopted the modernized way of marketing and being reached via marketing.  So sit back, relax, and let me tell you why Millennials will shape the new era of marketing... you just might like it. Making up a quarter of the United States, Millennials remind me of that friend we all have.  You know the one.  If you meet them once, you probably won’t really like them to be honest.  But after a few more hang-outs and convos, they begin to grow on you.  No more do you just see the headphones, the cell phone, text this, tweet that.  You finally see something more.  Somethin...

Nobody really likes Mondays.  Am I right?  Especially the Monday that falls after a long weekend filled with turkey, football, and finding that unbeatable price on Black Friday, only to see that it is even cheaper on "Cyber Monday."  It's a beautiful thing isn't it?   Now back to reality... Back to emails, meetings, phone calls, and your fellow employee who always has to use the microwave right when you need to.  I don't like Mondays anymore than you do, but that doesn't mean they have to go to waste!  The Monday segment of my blog will focus on the "Must-Do's" to grow your business via Social Media.  So cheer up... snap out of that food coma, and let's make something of our favorite day of the week! Mr. Hundred Dollar Bill himself, Benjamin Franklin, once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."  This applies to Social Media, especially Social Media Marketing, in many ways. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN OR STRATEGY...