Mid-Missouri Marketing Resource Blog

If you haven’t started the process of reviewing this last year’s ROI and defining company goals for the next year, you soon will be. That process typically involves budget discussions and often the marketing budget is up for debate. Additionally, most marketing contracts are up for renewal toward the end of the year. Business owners and marketing professionals wrestle over whether or not to leave the marketing budget the same, increase it or even cut it back. To guide that discussion, we’ve identified the following important considerations to help you make the most of your advertising investment in the coming year.

A MOMENT OF TRUTH

Jan Carlzon, who is an author and marketing professional admired in the industry, explains that “any time a customer comes into contact with any aspect of your business, however remote, they have an opportunity to form an impression.” This means every interaction and/or contact you have between yourself and your customers will leave an impression, which is explained by Carlzon as simply the “moment of truth.”

Looking for your next opportunity? You’re in luck: with unemployment at an all-time low of just 3.7%, it’s a job seeker’s market right now. With an increased playing field of potential employers, job seekers have more choices than ever when it comes to pursuing a new career, whether that’s in the same industry or a new one. When deciding where to take your career in 2019, there are a few things to consider as you navigate the job market. Check out our list of do’s and don’ts of a job seeker’s market:

When looking for a new professional opportunity, there are plenty of things to consider, from salary and benefits to commute time and growth opportunities. Yet in recent years, company culture has become an increasingly important point of consideration for employees: a Glassdoor survey found that 56% of employees prioritized company culture over salary. This is especially important, as job hopping has nearly doubled over the last twenty years. How do you ensure that your company culture is one that will attract and retain team members? Check out our five keys to a positive company culture below:

After numerous phone calls, plenty of questions and countless applications, you’re finally here: your new hire’s start date is just around the corner. You have the date marked down and you have their training materials ready to go. You run through a mental list of first day onboarding, but you still have your own responsibilities to cover and you start to feel overwhelmed.

When you hear the words “marketing budget” do you cringe? Do you immediately imagine your bank account running dry? At least you’re budgeting for marketing, right? You throw a few leftover dollars into that category and cross your fingers and hope your return will be high. What’s wrong with that, you may be asking? Everything! Marketing is an asset, not an expense.

Yes, it's August, but any smart business owner will tell you that it's already time to start making preparations for next year! As we inch closer and closer to the year 2020, we're sure that you'll hear the word “renew” get tossed around frequently in the business world. Unfortunately, after years of being used so often, the spark these words once ignited begins to dim. The implications behind them lose their power, causing their true meanings to become hazy.

If you're a business owner or a company leader, you know this dilemma all too well: You have new hires ready to join your team and excel in their new role, but the environment around the office isn’t where it should be. Your current team members aren’t engaged and turnover has created a revolving door of talent. This creates obstacles for leadership as they strive to not only bring in new talent, but retain their current team members. How do you grow your business if you are constantly working to maintain a consistent workforce?

As your business grows and evolves, so do business and marketing trends. What was once a best practice can change quickly these days due to technology and new research. Meanwhile, some philosophies and strategies manage to stand the test of time.

What thoughts run through your mind when you’re deciding whether or not to purchase something? Even something simple, like a loaf of bread from the grocery store? You likely consider the quality, the cost, the expiration date, the ingredients, the nutritional facts, and the other options on nearby shelves. Even if this decision is a quick one, there’s a psychological process that occurs: You feel the desire to take multiple things into account because obviously, you want to purchase something that makes the most sense for you!