From SEO to PPC, digital marketing terms can look like alphabet soup to the untrained eye. However, search engines, like Google, are where people turn for information in our digital age, so it’s important to understand how they work, and how to use them to your advantage.
A successful marketing strategy employs a variety of media––including paid, earned, owned and shared––in a combination that drives the results you want. At Market Mentors, we can help design, develop and deploy the best plan for your business.
Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday conceived by American Express Corporation as a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday as a means to stimulate local economies, initiatives and organizations. We hope to give you some food for thought before you make that online or big box store purchase.
All too often, businesses adopt the belief that “if you build it, they will come.” The truth is, all products and services, no matter how good, will go unused if no one knows about them. Don’t be the best-kept secret.
When meeting the team at Market Mentors, no spin around the office is complete without stopping by the audio studio. If you have ever felt intimidated by a studio setting, consider our recording space the antidote to the cold, dark environs you may have visited in your travels.
Confidence is good. Giving it your all to get the desired end result is admirable. Who needs a professional when you can do it yourself? Well in the case of the desired cake image above, it may have been best left in the hands of the professional.
Got a claim? Be sure to back it up! One of my favorite scenes in the movie “Elf” is the one in the coffee shop. "World’s best cup of coffee!" Wow! This scene is hilarious, but it illustrates a trap that is all too common in advertising. While your parents may believe you are the best, the rest of us need proof.
Clients often ask us for professional headshots to use in various marketing materials and for PR purposes. If you’re like me, most people hate getting their photo taken. However, it’s easy to get the most out of your headshot and reduce some of the stress that comes along with showing us your pearly whites.
One of the most powerful sales tools marketing can provide is a case study. While case studies can take many forms, from feature articles to testimonial ads and videos, they are one of the most valued marketing investments. Maybe you’re interested in supporting your sales team but you don’t know exactly what a case study is, or perhaps you just need the right pitch to make sure your business earmarks part of the marketing budget to develop your story.
Have you ever been walking down the street and seen a logo on someone’s clothing and been able to identify the brand at first glance? Chances are you just answered “yes.” Company logos are essential in building brand awareness and in giving you an edge in the marketplace. Studies show that 65% of the population are visual learners, so it would behoove companies to use this as a competitive advantage. The key is to make the logo stand out above... Read More
As a “full-service” marketing agency, Market Mentors provides a variety of services including advertising, branding, media buying, graphic design, public relations and event planning. Although many of our clients work with us for just a few of our services, we strive to deliver the best results by providing “added value.” Added value is another impression we can create for our client to let them know “we’re here for you”. In addition, this little “something extra” is a great way for our clients to try a service that they may not have considered before, to strengthen their campaigns.
Take a moment to watch one of these TV spots or two (they’re pretty entertaining; you might find yourself watching all three). What makes these ads so great? Hefty took a risk. While it can be intimidating to bring a creative, “out-of-the-box” idea to a board of directors, a safe approach doesn’t always make an impact. In this party mom campaign, skeptics would say that Hefty ran the risk of alienating some more traditional consumers. However, by... Read More
In today’s environment, budgets are limited, and companies are being forced to do a lot more with a lot less. This is very evident in the world of advertising. Often, the best advertising campaign can be lost with an ineffective media buy. Intelligent media buying prevents the ‘throw it at the wall and see if it sticks’ trap that many businesses fall into. In a small market like Springfield, it’s unusual to have four major TV network (ABC, NBC, CBS... Read More
The world cup is in full swing and full of excitement. Surprising comebacks, inspiring underdog performances, and of course, the usual suspects. As the popularity of soccer in America grows so does our understanding of how the game is played, what it takes to win and what makes a remarkable team. In this way, advertising and the World Cup have a lot in common. The World Cup is a collection of the finest teams in the world all vying for... Read More
It’s fair to say that most companies are not shelling out the big bucks for custom photography every time they need a new flyer or print ad, which leaves them (or their marketing agencies) to purchase stock photography. There are two types of stock photography to choose from: rights-managed and royalty-free. A rights-managed photo is highly controlled by the stock house and licensed out on a very tight leash, so that anyone buying the use of that photo knows that... Read More
