Cookies: What They Are & Why We Use Them
Have you ever had a pop-up from a website talking about cookies? Unfortunately, they’re not offering you free chocolate chip cookies. These pop-up messages often include a disclaimer about not selling your data, but why? What are cookies, and why do so many websites...
Who Are Micro-Influencers & What Do They Do?
In the world of social media, influencers (and people who call themselves influencers) are everywhere. Typically, influencers are regarded in a similar way to celebrities: they show up at events, are sponsored by brands, and live luxurious lives. However, there is a...
Battle Of The Social Media Stories
Lately, social media stories seem to be the craze amongst the most popular platforms. Pioneered by Snapchat back in 2013, stories are full-screen, vertical pictures and videos outside of the regular feed which only last 24 hours before disappearing. They provide a...
How Social Media Marketing Changed In 2020
2020 is finally almost over - did you think we’d make it this far?! This past year changed practically everything about the way all of us were used to living. Social media marketing is no exception - 2020 impacted the digital landscape tremendously, and it’s left a...
Sales Strategy Going Into 2021: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! To round out 2020, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Blackwood’s CEO, Kyle Johnson, about what lies ahead for sales in 2021. A lot has changed over the last 365 days,...
2021 Social Media Marketing Trends: What Lies Ahead?
So, 2020...happened. While we can’t say it’s been an easy year, it certainly has been an exciting year, at least as far as social media marketing is concerned. We were already a very digital society, but as we’ve been inside so often this year, we’ve somehow shifted...
B2B Marketing & Brand Equity: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s Note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Zachary Conover, a Digital Marketing Specialist at Life Safety Services. The pair discuss the long game that is B2B...
Your Business’s Tone On Social Media
It’s no secret that deciphering the tone of written words can be difficult. How many times have we all misinterpreted someone’s text message? Social media copy works the same way. It can be really difficult to determine what some brands are saying if they aren’t being...
Marketing in Higher Education: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Terry Linhart, the Executive Director of Extension Studies at Bethel University, about the long game of building business...
10 Website Metrics You Must Be Measuring
When you’re looking at reports of the traffic you’ve seen on your website during the last period of time, it’s important that you know what you’re looking at! Each different number is an incredibly valuable metric and insight into your audience. Every little bit of...
Copywriting, Blogs, & The Power of Words: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Dan Marzullo, founder and CEO of Marzullo & Associates, a content agency in Colorado Springs, CO, as well as one of...
Your Business’s Privacy On Social Media
With the recent release of Netflix’s “The Social Dilemma,” data privacy is something on the forefront of everyone’s minds, and business owners are no exception. Now that the spotlight is shining bright on privacy (or lack thereof), it’s important to make sure you’re...
Video Marketing For Your Brand: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Zac Nelson, who currently works for Transpo, but has been doing video work since the early days of YouTube. If you’d...
Emojis: Their Impact On Engagement & Marketing Strategy
Emojis are the most entertaining way to let people know how you’re feeling. Since iPhones began supporting them in late 2008, emojis have become a staple in most forms of online communication. They’ve even begun infiltrating the captions and descriptions of social...
Four Tips For Stellar Customer Service On Social Media
Along with the growth of the internet, customer service has taken on a new form. Gone are the days of relying solely on 800 numbers for help - now you can type a quick email or DM to a company, and you’ve got assistance in a snap. In fact, nowadays 80% of consumers...
Best Practices for Facebook: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Blackwood Creative’s Content Creator, Karli Saner, about the expansive world of Facebook. If you’d prefer to listen to...
Evergreen Content: It’s Not Just For Trees
The holiday season may be approaching faster than any of us are ready for, but today, we’re not talking about evergreen trees. You may have heard the term “evergreen content” before; it’s something that many content writers and content creators strive for constantly,...
Should You Be Automating Email Campaigns?
As technology has changed and evolved, so have our methods of marketing. Email marketing has been around since the 1970s, and it has certainly changed a lot since then. When automating email campaigns became possible, it was like a whole new world had been opened up...
All Things Podcasting: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Michael Yoder of Truth Work Media about the very activity they were engaged in: podcasting. If you’d prefer to listen to...
Why Blog Formatting Is So Important
As you read more and more blogs, you’ll probably start to notice patterns in formatting. Not only have certain formatting practices become the standard because it’s easier for anyone to read, but blog formatting actually plays a very important role in your SEO...
What Is Company Culture & Why Should You Care?
In the business world, it’s relatively common to hear conversations come up surrounding “company culture.” Often, it’s a factor that can make or break a prospective employee’s decision to accept a job offer - so it’s majorly important. What is company culture, and how...
Everything You Need To Know About A/B Testing
On social media, your audience can make or break you. One of the most surefire ways to grow your business is to know what your audience likes to see! But how do you even figure it out? If only there was a way to just ask them what they want. Lucky for us, there’s sort...
Social Talks – LinkedIn: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast calledThe Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, actually became the guest. If you’d prefer to listen to the episode where Ryan & Anna Letens, former Blackwood executive...
Hiring Freelancers vs. Hiring A Marketing Agency
Whether you’re just starting your business or simply vamping up your marketing strategy, you may find yourself in a bit of a pickle. Perhaps you have ideas for how you want to market your business, but no idea how to use Facebook Ads; you are faced with the decision...
Tweet Like A Pro: Twitter For Your Business
https://giphy.com/gifs/twitter-E9LqBgLJazAw8 GIPHY Because of its reputation as a place for political information and memes, Twitter may be one of the last social media platforms you think about incorporating into your business. However, with its business tools,...
Marketing to Businesses vs. Marketing to Consumers
As we’ve mentioned in the past, the world of marketing is chock-full of acronyms. Perhaps two of the most common are B2B and B2C, and because they’re so widely used, it’s important to know what they stand for and how they differ from one another. Let’s look at 3...
Brand Strategy: The Big Brand Theory
Editor’s note: Hey, hey! Our team at Blackwood has launched a podcast called The Big Brand Theory! This episode, our host, Ryan Zerfas, spoke with Matt Esau from The University of Notre Dame about the impact of perception and positioning in your brand strategy. If...
6 Ways To Maximize Conversions & Drive Website Clicks
One of the main benefits to having a website for your business is your ability to gain more customers through organic online traffic. But what happens when your website stops doing that for you? It’s probably time to go in and rework some things to make sure you’re...
Should Your Business Go Live?: Benefits of Live Streaming
Shockingly, live streaming has been around longer than you may think - the first live stream occurred in 1993, and it has been evolving ever since! As far as social media goes, live streaming capabilities are a bit newer; Facebook Live came out in 2016, with Instagram...
Is Boosting Facebook Posts Worth Your While?
We talk a lot about Facebook ads and how great of an option they are for expanding the reach of your business. But what about that little “Boost” button you often see hovering over your posts? In a way, boosting Facebook posts is like the Lite version of advertising;...
