Promotional products were a $20 billion dollar industry by 2014, with brands appearing on  everything from award plaques to watches. By dollar volume of sales, wearables and writing instruments are the largest categories. Most companies use promotional items at some time, and your strategy is important because promotional items will represent your brand.

There are over 1 billion people around the world with disabilities, who have a combined spending power of approximately $6 trillion. This includes conditions we don’t necessarily think of as a disability, such as dyslexia, arthritis or chronic back pain. To exclude these people from your products or services due to a lack of usability in your website is financially unwise, plus has multiple flow on effects you may not have considered. Here are some compelling reasons to get on board with accessibility, and tools that can simplify the process.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “7.1 million openings were available in February 2019, but only 5.7 million hires were made.” When there are more jobs available than there are workers, companies have to use effective marketing strategies like inbound recruitment to sell your employer's brand to a job seeker. Applying for and accepting a job is a big decision, so nurturing leads who are interested in your firm is paramount.

More and more companies are wrestling with the questions: Should your brand take a stand? What are the potential benefits? What are the risks? How do you decide? In this blog post we'll look at these questions.

A company blog helps you connect with customers and prospects by providing useful content that can be found through search and promotion. Its many content marketing benefits include increasing your online presence and engagement with an ROI better than online advertising. Let's look at why (and how) to blog.

How can you quickly and safely create the images you need for your blogging and social media efforts and avoid common copyright risks? Unless your talents include professional photography or graphic design, it can feel like a daunting task to create a steady stream of appealing, relevant images. Yet using visuals someone else made creates a significant risk for marketers because it exposes you to copyright infringement lawsuits and fines. Let’s look at how you can meet the constant demand for fresh, engaging visuals quickly and safely while avoiding common copyright risks.

Consistency is king when it comes to using your branding colors across all mediums, including your website. But designing for legibility and readability across all mediums can be a neglected or unexpected challenge. Have you ever tested your color usage for an acceptable contrast rating for accessibility? Let's look at how to do this, plus some simple steps to ensure your color contrast ratio will always meet accessibility standards.

Consistent values-based communication. I believe everyone benefits when a mission-driven business or nonprofit focuses on words, messages, issues, and strategies that emphasize shared values. So when my 14-year old grandniece asked me “Why?” -- the question brought me up short.

When you think branding, what comes to mind? Logos, colors, the name of your company, your company tagline — but how about sound or audio? As the popularity of Alexa and Google Home help drive the increasing use of voice and audio streaming, sonic branding is becoming more important. It's an often overlooked part of your business identity and an opportunity to reinforce and extend your brand.

As the website owner, you want to be sure your investment in developing a new website is going to improve your brand awareness and return on your investment. You don't have to be a tech guru yourself to pay attention and ask your website developer questions. Here are seven important steps you can take with your developer to ensure success.

The current wave of infographic usage is only gaining momentum. From social media to corporate reports and even the evening news, you’re seeing these information graphics everywhere. They are a visually appealing package of pictures, numbers and words that can tell us the all-important facts in an instant. It’s the perfect content condiment to spice up your message and help your audience digest the data.

Images, videos, sound bites, and other media are great ways to cut through the clutter online for small businesses or nonprofits. But a common mishap we often see with our clients is that all of those assets are only stored on social media where they were first used. On the surface, it may not seem like that big of a deal, but in reality, you’re severely restricting your ability to repurpose that content in the future. You never know when a certain photo could be useful for another medium or campaign — and your mantra is to make the most of your limited resources!