Document Remdediation Quoting Checklist
Earlier this month I was asked to quote a document accessibility project for a state agency. The job was to make two research reports accessible, build a design template, and review a few Word templates. I went through every file, found more than the request covered, and sent back a long list of thoughtful questions. The agency decided to regroup. That quote taught me a lot about which [...]
Disneyland Shoe Marketing
Your marketing strategy should be built for Disneyland walking. Most businesses are trying to walk through Disneyland in adorable heels that pinch toes. Eventually, you're limping by hour three and ready to go home. Just like your feet after walking through Disneyland in your heels from dinner the night before, your marketing is bound to suffer without the right plan of attack. This requires research and strategy. Just [...]
Protect Your Digital Property
Your domain is digital property. If you remember anything from this, it's that digital creations are more physical than you may realize. Too many business owners hand control of it to someone else without realizing the risk until something breaks, expires, or disappears. So this is a reminder: understanding your domain isn't optional if your business depends on being online. You've built something real; here's how you keep [...]
Who Actually Bought Something? Measuring Media That Matters
Your Ad Report Says People Clicked. Did Anyone Buy? If you run ads for your business or nonprofit, you've probably looked at a report full of clicks, impressions, and cost-per-click and wondered what any of it means for your bottom line. You're not alone. On a recent Leader Generation episode, Alia Lamborghini, SVP of Global Revenue at Yahoo DSP, said the advertisers she works with are moving away [...]
You Don’t Have To Give In To the AI Slop Online
AI is everywhere today. Whether you want to use it or not, that's up to you, but creating a business involves confronting AI. AI-generated content is everywhere right now. The problem? Most of it sounds exactly the same. Readers are scrolling past generic posts faster than ever because they can instantly tell when content lacks personality, experience, or an actual point of view. You've built something real; here's how [...]
You May Be Wasting Money Without Realizing
Budgets can be stressful, and knowing that isn't your biggest problem...also stressful. The goal here is to keep the money you spend within that budget and keep tabs on what you are putting your money towards. You've built something real; here's how you keep it So, what is the biggest problem in your media strategy, if it isn't your budget? It's the money you're wasting without realizing it. [...]
Your Website Is Not A “Set It and Forget It” Project
Imagine you invest time and money into setting up a restaurant, let's say. It's open and running, and everything you dreamed of. Then you leave, move, or start a different project. The restaurant is bound to fail because you left it to fend for itself. It's over as soon as it started. Building a business online is the same; just because the business isn't physical doesn't mean it [...]
Digital Transformation Isn’t All About the Technology
Let me tell you the version I hear from small and mid-sized businesses almost every week. "We implemented [new platform]. It's not really being used." "We bought [software]. The team isn't trained on it." "We're trying to get everyone onto [tool]. There's a lot of resistance." And then, almost universally: "What should we do next?" Bottom line: your digital transformation is not failing because of the technology I [...]
Your Leadership Changed Again, Who Kept Tabs?
Successful companies go through professional leadership changes often; it happens. Yet when no one stays, no one is there to support the fresh set of eyes. New leadership goes through months of redoing what already existed. If your company is prepared for these annual changes, the projected year will be a year of progress, not pulling hair. You've built something real; here's how you keep it. When leadership [...]
Your Company Name Is Not the Place to DIY
Working with many clients who are always trying to DIY as much as they can in marketing, I regularly run across people who obviously didn't think through their branding, or the logic behind it, for long. Some relied on AI or Fiverr to generate their logo, company name, and tagline in one sitting. This post is going to focus on two of those pieces, your company name and [...]
Odds Are Your Pilot Didn’t Fail Because of Poor Results
Pilots are crucial. You test out your vision and watch it come to life, but not without trial and error. Those pilots often fail, but not for reasons you might think. Here's another way to look at it. You've built something real; now here's how you keep it. Most pilots don't fail because the results were bad. They fail because no one can tell whether the results mean [...]
What 17 Years Of Client Relationships Have Taught Susan Finch
You cannot automate trust. Like all parts of your business, you have to work for it (surprise!). Putting client relationships on the front burner really pays off, because trust is built and protection is key. You've built something real; now here's how you keep it. Susan Finch herself was invited to join Mark Adams on The Unforget Yourself Show to talk about what it actually takes to build [...]