A Brighter Web | Grow your business with digital marketing

Nonprofits are unique organizations for many reasons, including how they approach marketing. This can be both a benefit and a challenge for the professionals marketing for nonprofits. Let’s take a look at what makes charities different and how they can make the most of their digital marketing. What makes nonprofit marketing different? Your organization has a mission Closely tied with fundraising....

When it comes to WordPress plugins, less is more. You don’t want to bog down your site with too many plugins, but you also need a few to help with your site’s functionality. Here are 10 of our favorite plugins to help your WordPress site operate smoothly. Security and Spam Content wins, and just producing solid content and keeping your site safe is the key. Akismet : filter for spam comments BlogV...

We encounter so much information daily—it’s easy to get lost or confused. One of the best ways to combat this is to have a good note-taking approach. But how do you take effective notes and keep them organized enough to be useful? Why is it valuable to take notes? Our brains are quite fallible. We work hard to keep it strong, and you can still forget things. Notes are a great way to know what was...

The best marketers are constant learners. We must keep up with plenty of trends to remain relevant. To help with that, let’s take a look at the six most popular ways to stay on top of digital marketing professional development. Why is learning important for marketers? It’s always changing. There are no experts. It keeps you sharp and curious. You can be more well-rounded. 1. Books Books are underv...

Did you create a strategy before building your business website? Perhaps you skipped this step to save time or because you weren’t sure why it was needed. However, creating a website without a strategy can leave it aimless and ineffective. Let’s talk about why you need a website strategy and what it should look like. Why is it important to have a strategy before building a website? So you build th...

What are your business goals in the new year? You don’t have to wait until January to set new goals—but you should take the time to make sure these goals are effective. Join us as we examine the best way to set goals for your marketing this year. Why is proving ROI in marketing so difficult? It can be hard to follow multiple visits all the way down to your bottom line. Increasing likes and followe...

Why is email underrated? People take email for granted. It’s kind of boring and reliable. It’s been around forever and most people have it. There are plenty of people who do email poorly. We talked about spammy email in a previous episode. Why is email so valuable? You own your list. Not the platform it’s on. Deliverability is high. Assuming you do email the right way. Open rates are much higher t...

What is the magic email ? It’s a way to get people’s attention in their inbox, but it’s kind of a last resort. I (Mickey) heard about it from Blair Enns ( 2Bobs podcast ). The email is simply this: “Since I have not heard from you on this, I have to assume your priorities have changed.” When do you use it? When all else has failed. This is your Hail Mary. After you’ve tried connecting with the per...

Why is it important to know your audience? Why waste time communicating with someone else? Talk to people who you’re relevant to Every business exists to serve people; even if you’re B2B What are mistakes businesses make with their audience? Thinking everyone is their audience; the more focused, the better Not fully understanding their audience; don’t make dumb assumptions Not staying focused on t...

Quick—describe Twitter in less than 140 characters. It’s not easy to be succinct, but that brevity is one of the major advantages of Tweeting. Twitter might be great for influencers or debating politics, but does it have a place in business marketing? #GoodQuestion How is Twitter different from other social platforms? It’s more short form, micro posts with limited characters It’s more focused on t...

If you’ve ever built a website before, you’ve probably heard about sitemaps and wireframes. But perhaps you’re not familiar with either, or why they’re important for custom website development. Let’s unpack the role sitemaps and wireframes play in creating websites and why to consider using both. What is a sitemap? A sitemap is a flowchart depicting the pages that need to be created for your site....

Storytelling is a term plenty of business leaders use—but are they actually prepared to tell stories? Finding the right stories in your company is one of the biggest challenges. In this episode, we’ll discuss what business storytelling looks like and where you can begin. Why is storytelling worth it for businesses? Stories are far more captivating than data or information They create an emotionall...

Personality tests are more than just Buzzfeed time-wasters. They can be tools for understanding coworkers, building better teams, and becoming more self-aware. So which personality assessments are the most helpful and how do they apply to marketing? Show Notes What are some of the personality assessments out there? Myers Briggs : 16 personalities with 4 different categories Enneagram : 9 personali...

Remote work has been around for decades, but a global pandemic and booming technology have allowed for working from home to become more commonplace. But is this practice a fad or the future of work? How do businesses handle this changing landscape of work? Is this the desirable benefit some people think it is? Is it the future or a fad? Depends largely on the industry. Some businesses are able to...

There are two basic approaches to business marketing: inbound and outbound. Outbound means going to your audience, while inbound refers to attracting your audience to your brand. There are pros and cons to each approach, but the best marketers use a blend of both. What’s the Difference Between Inbound vs Outbound Marketing? Outbound is essentially pushing marketing messages out to an audience. Thi...

Google Analytics is among the most useful free tools in digital marketing. But as of 2022, businesses must transition to the newest update—Google Analytics 4. Here’s how you can handle this change and make the most of it for your marketing. What is Google Analytics 4 and why do we need to move to it? 1995 - Urchin created 2005 - Purchased by Google, becoming Google Analytics. 2011 - New version 20...

Self-care is frequently discussed, but too often overlooked, especially when it comes to marketing professionals. To start off a new year, let’s examine why self-care is as important as ever and why it’s needed for every marketer. Do yourself a favor and listen to this episode. 3 reasons why self-care is important for marketers You do better work when you’re your best self Reduce stress and anxiet...

The only thing we love more than digital marketing tools is sharing them with others. They won’t replace your work, but they might just make it easier or save you time. We’ve compiled a list of our dozen favorite digital marketing tools that you should check out today! Tool recommendations are like the dessert of any conference presentation. So this episode is basically just a sugar rush of fun in...

Podcasts are popular. The fact that you’re reading this or listening to this episode proves it. They’re not just for entertainment either. Podcasts can be great sources of information and building a brand. But not every business needs a podcast. Here are a few things to consider if you’re thinking about starting a podcast for your business. Show Notes Why are podcasts so popular? Podcasts are wher...

Digital marketing is constantly evolving and there’s always something new to learn. How do you keep up with the latest trends and news? It’s a neverending task that you’ll never fully tackle, but you can certainly still be more informed—even without overwhelming yourself. Here are five ways we like to stay up to date and in the know. First, let’s split out interesting news versus useful informatio...

Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok might be the trendiest social media platforms (for now). But LinkedIn has been around longer than all of them and is a more reliable medium for B2B marketers. We’ve got some advice for how you can leverage LinkedIn for networking, learning, and growing your business. Why should companies, especially B2B companies, use LinkedIn? It’s the most prominent professional s...

If you do anything online, there’s always some risk that your privacy or data could be compromised. Hackers are a real thing, and so is identity theft. Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your business online. Why does this matter? What’s the worst that can happen? Identity fraud Account hacked, like Facebook Hacked ≠ Cloned Credit card information stolen W...

Not everyone enjoys writing. However, it’s a crucial skill for anyone who works in marketing or hopes to grow as a business leader. Writing is central to clear communication and persuasion. Lucky for you, we have a few easily applicable tips for how to become a better writer. Why is writing important for marketing? Here are four reasons why writers make good marketers. Clear communication. It forc...

The work on your beautiful company website doesn’t end once you launch it. There’s still a lot of work that comes with maintaining the technical and content elements. However, this effort is well worth it to ensure your website is secure and represents your business well. Show Notes What happens if you don’t keep your website secure? It can get hacked... and you might not even know it It can crash...

What are email automations? Automated workflows that communicate with your audience They're triggered based on pre-set criteria Used in most email marketing platforms like Mailchimp & Active Campaign Sometimes called a customer journey, because that's what they follow Why use email automations? Help you scale your work: setup one time and then optimize over time They personalize the experience for...