If you read my post last month about volunteering at the Boston Marathon and have been following the news, you might understand why I don't feel like talking about marketing right now. It seems a bit trivial to me, even though it's part of my job (and something I love - I'm a self-proclaimed "marcom maven"). This is because I experienced the second explosion at the finish line from across the street - a blast that sent two of my friends to the hospital (I will not discuss the details, but it's been a tough few weeks, and everyone is ...» 0 Comments
The other day I realized that I'd slept through the 12th anniversary of my professional "Eureka!" moment: the day I realized I could make a living by sharing information with businesses and nonprofits on strategies for doing well by doing good together.» 0 Comments
In April, Grey Matter Research released the findings of a survey that asked a representative segment of the public what charities they could name. Bad news is, unless your cause is in the first percent of the first percent of the first percent, your charity wasn't one of them. But of the small number that were, most were active cause marketers.» 0 Comments
Cause-focused marketing is virtually everywhere. Consumers are inundated with brand messages promising positive societal impact across all consumer touchpoints, from print and TV (remember those heart-stirring cause-focused Jeep and Dodge Super Bowl ads?), to digital, on-pack, in-store, social media and even in-flight entertainment. It's what I like to call the causeification of marketing-the widespread integration of cause across the marketing mix.» 0 Comments
Like their for-profit counterparts, nonprofit marketers often get excited about the "shiny marketing objects of the year." This year social media continues to take on a huge share of interest at conferences such as NTEN's NTC (Non-Profit Technology Conference), and there's a whole separate conference that tours globally (Social Media For Nonprofits).» 0 Comments
So you've figured out Google Grants and paid search advertising - but have you balanced your overall search efforts, and looked into search engine optimization (SEO)? SEO is the non-paid, somewhat trickier side to search marketing, but it is equally (and some would say even more) important. Are you a complete newbie? Well, then welcome to SEO 101 - please make sure your cell phone is in the off position, and keep all hands and arms inside the cabin at all times.» 1 Comments
If you are reading this on Monday, April 15, I am volunteering at the Boston Marathon for the sixth consecutive year. This is something I look forward to each spring. When the time comes to register as a volunteer I don't think twice about it (even if it means using a vacation day). I've served at three different stations over the years: finish line Gatorade, mile 17 gel stop with my local running club (go Wicked!), and now at the race start in famed Hopkinton, Mass.» 0 Comments
With the arrival of spring comes another season of thon fundraising. From Portland, Maine, to Portland, Ore., good-hearted folks are once again hitting the roads and hitting up their friends for contributions to support good causes.» 0 Comments
It amazes me how many people have never used (or even heard of!) AdWords ad extensions. Most of them are free (or cost the same as a click), and they add a certain "pop" to your ads, that not only improve click-through-rates, but also help push your competitors farther down the page. A win-win! Last year, I covered the basics of ad extensions - ad sitelinks, call extensions, location extensions, and social extensions. There are many more extensions available, however, and several new ones, so I thought I'd write a part 2.» 0 Comments
