Ahmad Kareh

Getting a message out in the early days of agency marketing simply meant buying ad space in a magazine or mass media outlet. Today's world of marketing is a wholly different situation.

Expansion is one of the most exciting parts of business growth. However, new markets may be significantly culturally different from the company's traditional customer base. That's why a business should have a framework in place to gauge the response of the new audience before it releases its product or starts providing services in that market.

E-commerce platforms have been steadily gaining in online ad revenue share. Their importance has driven advertisers to look at them in a new light and seek to develop new promotional strategies, different from those typically used for social media platforms.

Sales and marketing are both members of the same family, but many companies run both departments independent of each other. Data collected from either group is kept separate, and any insight that might benefit the other department is never realized.

Videos are a common form of content these days, with "explainer" videos being particularly popular. While many of us like to think that it's a piece of cake to create good video content, it's just not that easy. Thought and planning need to go into explainer videos in order to make them most effective and to reach the right audience.

Have you ever found yourself in a job interview being asked the dreaded question, "What's your biggest weakness"? Why do employers ask this? Is it to see how people react when pushed out of their comfort zone? Possibly, but the answer also sheds light on an individual's self-awareness. People with a strong grasp on their strengths and weaknesses seem a little more objective and, from what I've seen, are usually more confident in situations and coachable in others. They're typically good at planning a few steps ahead by zooming out every once in a while to recognize opportunities and challenges in their ecosystems. The same applies to organizations.

Using an influencer to market their brand is a great way for a business to gain visibility with new customers. But how can businesses be sure that a potential influencer partner fits their brand—and is trustworthy?

For marketers, social media offers platform variety, audiences of billions and ease of use. Studies have shown that 40% of digital consumers use social media to research brands or products and that both Millennials and Generation-Z consider social media the most relevant ad channel. With staggering statistics like these, it’s no wonder many businesses have gone all-in on creating robust social media marketing campaigns.

Business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing may have similar elements, but there are many important differences that need to be considered to create successful campaigns. For example, with B2B marketing, there are often multiple perspectives to consider, and business clients may be more focused on the bottom line than on a unique experience.

For marketers, research is a foundation for sound decision making. Data that's gathered from research can provide direction for new product development, AI, big data and marketing strategies. Good research is designed to answer a single research question. But in order to get there, marketers must first determine the right question to ask.

In an era of frequent social media outrage, the people who are most often motivated to leave a review for a business are those who are dissatisfied. Satisfied customers, on the other hand, may not always think to share their appreciation publicly.

Agencies love to wow their clients. A delighted reaction is a sign of a job well-done—and as smart professionals know, delighted clients often give referrals that lead to future opportunities.

Customer reviews are among consumers’ most trusted ways to vet a product or service, with 84% saying they trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations. Carrying such high trust and being publicly available around the clock, positive online reviews can clearly be a powerful part of a business’ marketing toolbox.

As consumers are more and more tied to online technologies, business websites are playing an ever-growing role in the customer-company relationship. Yet, creating an online space that grabs customer attention is only half the battle. It’s vital to success that websites also drive sales.

Conferences are an excellent opportunity to meet fellow professionals while learning about the upcoming trends within your industry. The best conferences offer a variety of invaluable experiences: High-profile speakers review new ideas or offer insights to learn from, new products and innovations are unveiled, and networking opportunities are plentiful.

Artificial intelligence can bring an efficiency boost to many industries through automated data analysis, fast and efficient processing, and predictive learning systems. There are already several instances of AI systems being implemented in agency spaces, from performance prediction to targeted marketing efforts to better personalization and more.

Every business has its problems, but no leader wants their private business woes to tarnish their public reputation. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for companies—especially larger, industry-leading firms—to have their internal issues leaked to the rest of the world.

In today’s digital world, most consumers form their first impressions of a company based on its website. Even businesses with physical locations are often first judged by their online presence. Many consumers won’t even bother with a business whose website is dull, confusing or uninviting.

Content marketing is a great way for modern businesses to attract and retain customers. To truly reap the benefits, you’ll need to produce content that is relevant and helpful to your target consumers. Otherwise, you’ll only be wasting your time and resources on content that no one will read.

Reliable marketing data is crucial for agencies looking to gain a more complete picture of consumers in a particular area. While marketing research can be quite expensive, there are free online resources that detail the characteristics of people living within a defined zip code, providing statistics on consumer spending, demographics, lifestyle and behavioral trends—all of which can help an agency better address their clients’ target audiences.