The following is an excerpt from Melissa’s article in MEETING Magazine originally published in the May/June 2012 issue. We’ve all been there before: Sitting in our car or flipping through the channels on the TV only to come across a catchy jingle or catch-phrase. And hours later, for whatever reason, that dang tune is still […]
Design your personal brand
Brands surround us. Our world is filled with products and services created by millions of brands from Nike to Target to our neighborhood Hardware Hank. Athletes carry a brand. Companies create brands. It’s an identity. Brands project an image, create a presence, demonstrate confidence. They invite members, clients, businesses, and consumers to engage. Good brands foster relationships. […]
5 ways using video can help your small business
Video Killed the Radio Star. A new era for music: the visual dimension. Flashback to early 80s – MTV’s debut. Thousands of viewers glued to their TVs to catch that favorite video. (Who can forget Thriller??) Professional productions or home-made reels, video captures audiences for simple instructional how-to demos, sports replays, news snip-its, topics of interest. It’s a great […]
All I really need to know about marketing I learned from my mom
My mom always told me (and still does!) to follow my dreams. That’s not just some pretty plaque I hang on my wall; I take that to heart. I take a lot of her other advice really seriously too. From chewing my food with my mouth closed to being a loyal friend to ironing my […]
The importance of a small business brand statement
Small business branding is never an easy task and, for many of us, it’s easy to put on the back burner when more pressing issues seem to arise (customers, clients, paying our employees). However, at the rate social media and online community engagement has taken off, small businesses can no longer make excuses for a […]
Grow your small business using Facebook Timeline
I’m a creature of habit. Each day, I realize more and more how my days mirror one another. The time I wake up seems to get earlier to capture “quiet” time and organize my day. Then, I’m off and running: Exercise, kids on the bus, work (at which the hours seem to disappear into minutes), back home to make dinner, activities, […]
How a content marketing consultant can benefit your small businesses
It starts with an idea, a need. Products and services satisfy needs. Clients begin identifying brands with their need. The Challenge: reaching consumers and convincing them that it’s YOUR product or service they need. What strategy should small businesses use? In-house experts and staff? A content marketing consultant? It’s a great question. I recently read Walter Isaacson’s […]
Graphic design: When to splurge and when to save
A graphic design project can be exciting and daunting at the same time. You love the idea of a new, fresh look, but you’re not entirely sure if it will fit with your company’s budget. Here’s the secret: Not all graphic design work needs to cost you an arm and a leg. There are certain […]
Marathon training calendar, meet social media content calendar
Racking my brain trying to think of a social media content calendar metaphor, it came to me…oddly enough, on one of my training runs. My husband and I are training for a marathon so running is taking up a lot of my time. And, that’s when it hit me. A social media content calendar is […]
Website design: Make it remarkable
Plotting out a website that is responsive, compelling and engaging – that’s the goal. Whether you are making updates to your website or creating it from scratch, keeping your clients coming back is the ultimate success. Dave Yankowiak, Web designer and owner of Lift Development, gives us his advice on the design and must-have’s to build […]
What is content marketing? 6 questions and answers revealed
You’ve heard a lot about content marketing, but what is it? Allée founder and CEO Melissa Harrison recently presented a webinar on content marketing to Minnesota Women in Marketing and Communication (MWMC). If you missed her presentation, no worries, we broke it down into a short, 6-question Q&A for you: What is content marketing? Content […]
It’s not just nice, it’s legal: Creative Commons License
Copy and paste, it’s easy online with images, videos, article posts, but are you infringing on someone’s copyright? Copyright laws were established long before we were sharing “freely” online, but that doesn’t mean that creative work isn’t protected. In the late 1980s a law went into affect making all works copyrighted the moment they were […]
Optimize your website for mobile marketing
Mobile marketing is soaring. Smartphones. iPads. Tablets. Laptops and computers are quickly being set aside for smaller, more convenient, easy-to-take-with you devices. Even the Kindle downloads apps for games, shopping and managing your stocks. Being connected throughout the day has become a way of society — an expectation, an addiction, a need. The convenience is […]
What color says about your brand identity
Color and brand identity can say a lot about a company. The coolest logos are worn proudly on the shirts, jackets and hats of millions of people on a daily basis. Chances are that if you look at yourself at any given time, you’ll be wearing a logo of some sort. So this small symbol […]
A new spin on an old tune: covering marketing ideas
Most of my friends know that I have an unhealthy obsession with cover songs. You know what a cover song is right? It’s just a new take on an old song. A pepped up version of a classic like The Ataris cover of Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” gives you a great appreciation for […]
Green marketing: Sustainable print marketing ideas
At some point, whether on a continuous basis or as a one-off project, you’ll have (or already have) a need for printed marketing materials. Maybe your message warrants print. Maybe your audience prefers it. Maybe you have a lot of technical information to relay. Whatever the reason, you need print. But, you’re also mindful of […]
Membership marketing: Facebook isn’t money in the bank
When I meet with prospective membership marketing clients, I have a laundry list of questions that help me get acquainted with the organization’s current marketing plan and initiatives. There are always a few questions about social media. Quite often, the conversation goes a little like this: Me: Are you active on social media? Potential Client: […]
5 marketing predictions for 2012: Who will survive?
The year 2012 will prove big for businesses that embrace a mix of both new and traditional marketing strategies. Social media still remains a large part of an organization’s success as does content, authenticity and the ability to take risks. How will businesses fare in the coming year? What marketing trends will move organizations to […]
