Virtual Office Benefits
“Virtual office” are two words that might have sounded strange only a couple of years ago, but this is now our new reality because, as we’ve recently noticed, plenty of companies don’t need to have a fixed address to be able to function as providers of goods or services. In the past few years, businesses don’t have to operate from traditional brick and mortar locations, mostly due to remote working and telecommuting’s skyrocketing popularity.
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Branded Text Messages
With 77% of consumers favoring texting over other messaging tools, marketers need to present their best face possible to remain ahead of their peers. That data comes from a January 2020 survey of 1,000 consumers and 1,6000 businesses in the U.S. by business texting software firm Zipwhip. Dependency on text is high. When asked how often they check their cell phones, 50% told Zipwhip they did so at least 11 to 20 times in a day, with 16% admitting to more than 50. 21% said they do so immediately after waking up, while another 29% did so within 5 minutes.
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Leadership During These Times
The pandemic with many employees either laid off or working remotely and various equity initiatives being called for and initiated by more companies has cast a wide net over the spectrum of leadership and CEOs expected these days. How and what might CEOs do to be better received and heard these days? Ambiguity is an essential trait today as no one expected a pandemic, and who knows what the future holds? That, plus the current recession and the capacity to adapt to change, are ever so important. In returning to a “new normal,” it’s likely that companies will see several changes over the coming years. Being agile and adaptable will be strong assets.
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The Value of Partnerships
“Keep on Going” is one of the most memorable Energizer Bunny quotes since the batteries were introduced to consumers 31 years ago. And today, it also seems appropriate for brands seeking a successful passageway out of two major events, COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter. For the latter and some folks in Philadelphia, that path was #BringabroomPHL, a volunteer group formed to clean up the mess from protests and riots over the death of George Floyd.
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Taking Care of Business (via Personalization)
This 1990 movie comedy that focused on an escaped criminal scoring big after stealing an advertising executive’s identity didn’t garner many laughs then and would likely get even less today based on the ad strategies employed. Jim Belushi played the convict and proceeded to beat a business prospect in a game of tennis and then criticize his line of food products. Today’s customers, on the other hand, yearn to be understood.
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Chatbot or Not?
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it seems chatbots are here to stay. In March, it was forecasted by Juniper Research that 2019 retail spending of $2.8 billion due to chatbots would shoot up to $142 billion in 2024. Even if the prediction is off by 25% or 50%, such an increase would still be astronomical and make it impossible for marketers to totally dismiss chatbots. To sustain the prediction, Heinz Marketing and chatbot manufacturer Drift teamed together on a study and reported that B2B customers increased their chatbot usage 92% from 2019 to 2020. Regardless of how one thinks about chatbots, it seems evident that chatbots will be with us indefinitely.
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Making the Most of Social Media Advertising
How vital is social media to marketers today? Perhaps the following data gathered earlier this year by a variety of sources might help. Here’s what they discovered. 3.484 billion people are active social media users (We Are Social).
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The Importance of Body Language in Communication
When it comes to message interpretation, more than half of what is perceived has more to do with what is seen rather than what is heard. That means body language is at least as important to how a message is received as the content of the message. So, if that’s the case, how should a communicator carry themselves so that their body language supports and complements their message? Here are a few suggestions to consider. When standing, exude a casual, comfortable confidence by maintaining good posture and keeping your hands at your sides with no more than one hand in your pocket at any given time. Both hands in the pockets is too casual and can appear closed off. Place…
Read MoreElaine Maimon: Profiled Executive of Month
Elaine Maimon represents Equity, Quality & Innovation in Higher Education With higher education under attack from multiple sources, it’s inspiring to consider Elaine Maimon’s 50-year (and counting) career as an example of how university and college leadership at its best is essential to democracy. From her start as a young, untenured faculty member at Beaver College (now Arcadia University), to heading public university campuses (Arizona State University-West, University of Alaska-Anchorage, Governors State University), Elaine Maimon has worked tirelessly for equity, quality, and innovation, always putting students first.
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Staying Ahead of the Pack
The idiom “ahead of the pack” has been around for decades, if not longer, but its meaning has endured and remained constant over time. The challenge of being better than the competition has also escalated since the pandemic, as brands incessantly seek to outperform the rest of the industry. 70% of consumers said they would be less likely to continue doing business with a brand after the pandemic after a bad experience. That was the finding of a May survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers by messaging platform firm Podium.
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