What Younger Generations Care About Financially — And What That Means for Marketing Financial Services
Remember the new world of financial opportunity that opened the day you turned 18? You could apply for a credit card. You could be approved
Off the Radar.
We like to learn things about the ever-changing marketing world. We also like to share what we’ve learned. And while the main purposes of our blog are to keep us sharp and (let’s be honest here) attract new clients, we’re confident even the casual reader will get something out of it. So, skim away! And if you see something you think is cool or want to learn more about, let us know.
The Dating Game: An Analogy for Different Media Strategies Based on Market Maturity
Marketing to a new audience is like trying to find that special someone. Or, if you’ve already forged a lasting bond with a partner, marketing
The Hard-Nosed Numbers Behind Media Buying and Brand Awareness
Right now, your business is waging a multi-front battle: Against your competitors. Against your marketing budget. And most importantly, for a share of your target
6 Not So Obvious Ways A Media Buying Strategy Benefits Your Business
Let’s say you just invented something that puts sliced bread to shame. Something that will improve lives by the million. You have a website and
5 Marketing Myths, Busted by the Pros
There are all sorts of crazy marketing myths swirling around that might make you question advertising’s effectiveness. And we have to admit: You can’t believe
Business Owners: If Your Website Developer Isn’t Following These Steps, RUN!
In case you missed the news—you’ve got to adapt or die in this Digital Age. And for brand managers and business owners alike, building a
Spring Cleaning: Marketing Edition
There are two phrases we hear around this time: “April showers bring May flowers” and “Spring Cleaning.” No surprise, because according to Statista, 78% of
4 Things You Should Be Doing on Social Media
Can you believe how many changes the social media world has seen lately? Neither can we. That makes now as good a time as any
Right or Wrong, Here Are Our Advertising Predictions for 2023
David Ogilvy concluded his book Ogilvy On Advertising with 13 predictions. Many of them were flat out misses (billboards are just as prevalent as ever,
Are You Coming to the (First) Party?
Have you ever collected a name, address, phone number or email address from your customers? If so, you’ve already gotten the party started. But it’s
What is a Brand Voice and Why do I Need One?
While there are plenty of tools necessary to build a strong brand presence, there’s one that everyone needs: A brand voice. You might not think
These Trends in Packaging Design Are Making Registers Ring
You know the saying “It’s what’s on the inside that counts?” That’s far from the whole story, at least when it comes to packaging design.
How to Talk to HENRYs
What The Next Wave of Investors Wants From Their of Financial Advisor Money. Youth. Room for growth. HENRYs (High Earners, Not Rich Yet) have all
America’s Passive Job Seekers Are Ejecting to Greener Pastures
There has been a change in staffing patterns in reaction to the economic recession due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but today’s labor market feels much
Digital Marketing: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure
One huge advantage of digital marketing is that real-time data is available to show you how effectively your campaign is engaging your audience. Another advantage
How Internal Communication Benefits Your Organization’s Most Important Resource: Your People.
Maybe your company has its external, customer-facing communication dialed in to a T. You’re seeing results. Sales are up. That’s great! But have you been
Attention CVBs: NOW is the Time to Advertise!
As the US literally blossoms back to life around us, leisure travel is quickly picking up steam. With each passing day, more and more people
Reaching Holiday Shoppers in a Season of Change
It’s no secret that the holiday retail season has been in flux the past few years. For decades, Black Friday was THE shopping day of
Social Distancing: The Next Big Thing in Advertising
Like most small businesses in the US, Stealth is adjusting to the new normal of social distancing. We’re working from home, taking guitar lessons on
Heads in Beds: The Stealth Way
Though the world continues to change around us, convincing travelers to spend time in our own little slice of it remains a top objective and
6 Reasons Your Company Should Use Direct Mail
These days, a lot of emphasis is placed on leveraging digital and social media marketing. And while we agree those two disciplines should be part
Use Different Media to Hit All Three Learning Types: Visual, Auditory and Tactile
Did you know that we all learn a little differently? That’s why it’s important to vary your marketing media to ensure all types of learners
To Meet or Not to Meet?
That is the question… Ah, meetings – often, a necessary evil. And when handled properly, they can be extremely effective in accomplishing business objectives, moving projects
Agriculture: Marketing Your Grain Marketers
The agriculture sector across the U.S. can be described as anemic at best thanks to the muddled political world that anyone working in Ag is
Insurance: 6 Ways to Make This Year’s Enrollment the Best Yet
Did you know that 96% of employees who are happy with their benefits are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs? So, how do
Gain Crucial Business Insights With High-Impact, Low-Cost Research
Understanding your target audience – and more importantly, what they’re looking for from your company is an important first step in any marketing efforts you
Be The Difference For Your Marketing Efforts
Our leadership team at Stealth often shares thoughts, ideas, encouragement and more with our entire team as a way to keep us focused on ways
To V or Not to V: Should Your Business Join the Virtual Commerce Craze?
To V, or not to V, that is the question. If you’re a brick-and-mortar business, the news has been rather grim lately. Chain after chain
Social Media Best Practices by Platform
Recently we shared how social media is quite different than traditional marketing. This marketing effort is intended to build awareness, drive engagement, develop loyal brand
Emoji Your Way To Effective Communication
You know what they say, an emoji a day keeps the doctor away. Well, there aren’t any emoji prescriptions just yet, but symbols are enhancing
Social Media Transcends Traditional Marketing
Social media is quite different than traditional marketing. It’s intent isn’t to drive sales – at least not directly – but instead to build awareness, drive
What You Need to Know About Internet Culture
Have you ever showed up to a party and immediately felt out of place? We’ve all been there, and no matter how much you try
Preparation: The Difference Between Success and Failure
We’ve all experienced it: Attending – or worse yet, leading – a meeting where the parties are unprepared or under-prepared. It’s a disaster for you, your
SEO in the Age of Voldemort: Rethinking Analytics in an Anti-SEO World
Run for the hills, You-Know-Who is upon us! Heralded by an army of data-eaters, Lord Voldemort has entered the world of marketing to do what
5 Ways to Kickstart Your Marketing in the New Year
The last of the figgy pudding is long gone, and the smoke from the last fireworks has cleared. You know what that means. It’s time
6 Steps to Assess Your Marketing ROI
Ah, ROI. It’s the ultimate KPI. And one of the most vexing to figure out. Sure, the equation is easy: The benefit (or return) of
The Great Migration: Where to Focus in a Post-Facebook World
If your business has a social media strategy that includes Facebook, you may want to consider scaling way back or even bailing on the platform
3 Ways to ‘Roast’ the Competition With a Great Thanksgiving Video
“It’s time to ‘gobble’ up savings with these great Black Friday deals! You don’t want to be caught ‘winging’ it this Thanksgiving!”
Social Media on a Budget: The Right Post Rises (in the Newsfeed)
We’ve heard the legend countless times: The lone social media marketer, tapping away at their phone keyboard deep into the night. They are essential, but
The 4 Best Ways to Prepare for Next Year – Today
Well, it’s that time of year again: Fourth quarter marketing audit time. A time of extra coffee, the pulling of proverbial teeth, and long nights
How to Be a Social Media Socialite
With nearly 4 billion active users on social media, not having a presence is like conducting a conference call with a bag phone.
The 5 Best Times to Do a Marketing Audit
If you looked up “Marketing Audit” in the dictionary, you may see a description like: “See ‘pulling your hair out.’”
The Ides of MarTech: Keeping Up With Digital Marketing Trends
Keeping a constant eye on the world of marketing technologies, or MarTech for short, can be a never-ending task. Every business is looking for ways
Web Part 2: Traffic (The Good Kind)
You’re great! No really, you are. We know it; you know it; but if people aren’t visiting your website, how will they know it?
Web Part 1: Uncorking the Web-Design Bottleneck
Web design is the Netscape of the digital world.
Conversion Part 2: 4 Unique Ways to Boost Conversion Rates
Now that you have a better idea of where in the consumer journey your clients are losing interest (hint-hint, it’s in Part 1), it’s time
Conversion Part 1: Staying in Touch with Your Touchpoints
Every business struggles with converting leads into customers to a certain extent. And unless you’re the exception to the rule, we want to explain why
Re-thinking PR in a World of Weakened Media Influence
The New York Times CEO Mark Thompson made a shocking announcement this past February: In the face of economic adversity, the print edition of The
Brand Fatigue Part 2: The Customer’s Perspective
Now that we’ve covered your perspective on fatigue with your own brand and materials, it’s time to dive into the mind of your customer.
Brand Fatigue Part 1: The Client’s Perspective
Google “fatigue,” and you’ll find several meanings for the word: Exhaustion, extreme tiredness, reduced efficiency.
What in the World are Personas? And Why Do I Need Them?
During the past several years, the term ‘personas’ has undoubtedly popped up in your marketing- and sales-related conversations. But what in the world are personas?
6 Ways to Use Live Streaming for Businesses
You may have noticed how obsessed with real-time video content everyone is these days. The ability to simultaneously record content and broadcast it to viewers
Key Components to a Professionally Built Website
“Why should I pay $15k for a website when I can hire a freelance web designer to create one for a few thousand.”
Your Website IS Your Brand
Repeat this to yourself. Make it your mantra: “My website is my brand. My website IS my brand.” It’s the cornerstone of any brand’s identity.
6 Signs You Need to Redo Your Website
Your website needs work. There. We said it. Somebody had to. But here’s the thing: So does every website. Here are 6 Signs You Need
Making Your Business Social Media Strategy More…Personal!
Whether you’re marketing a super-exciting new product, or providing an essential, everyday service, a strong social media plan should be one of the fixtures of
5 Tips to Strengthen Your Business’s Social Media Game
Like it or not, an effective marketing plan is only complete with a well-thought-out social media plan.
5 Surefire Ways to Make Your Video Perform
We’ve already covered (and you’ve already read) why video content is a crucial component of any worthwhile marketing plan. So now that you’re taking the
6 Tips to Grow Your Business with Video
How much do we love watching videos? A lot. So much that videos comprise 82% of all internet traffic! No wonder that 91% of businesses use
Is Your Marketing Agency Any Good?
Here it is: the final segment of our Agency/Client relationship series. We’ll be covering the ever-crucial task of assessing your agency’s body of work. You
Maintaining Your Agency Relationship Mojo
Now that we’ve covered how to decide if you need an agency, and understand the questions to ask … what’s next?
Ask These Six Questions to Choose the Right Marketing Agency
Welcome to Part II of our Client/Agency Relationship series. We’ve already covered how to decide if you need an agency. Now let’s talk about how to
How You Can Use Surveys To Guide Your Brand Marketing Decisions
Every good marketer knows that they must look at industry trends and consumer insights to drive their brand research. However, the process of gathering data
The Surefire Way to Leave Sales on the Table
A few years ago, my marketing director and I had the opportunity to pitch the idea of social media to my then boss, who was
How to decide which makes more sense: hiring staff or a creative agency
So you have a marketing need. Now the big question: Does it make more sense to engage a creative agency to help with your marketing
Demystify the Largest Generation in the Workforce
Millennials. Those mystifying individuals born between 1980 and 1999. Once dismissed as a non-entity in the business world, Baby Boomers and Gen Xers have little
Video Strategy: Create a First-Rate Commercial with Any Budget
Your business might be drawn to the allure of promoting your services through TV commercials. But there’s probably one thing holding you back: the budget.
What Kind of E-Commerce Video Do You Need?
“I have a solid strategy and a quality product or service. I don’t need video to help sell it.” This is a common thought of
How to Get More Subscribers with a Smart Marketing Mix
What is your strategy for gaining more subscribers? If you don’t have a strategy, now’s the time to create one. It’s a crucial component for
If You Aren’t A/B Testing, You’ll C Worse Performance
Copywriters had it easy 40 years ago. An amazing turn of phrase? Run with it. A concept stoked in vanity that was kind of in
Millennial Marketing: 1,000,000,000,000 Reasons to Get it Right
Lazy. Entitled. Egotistic. Narcissistic. Those are some of the more positive words used to describe Millennials. Say what you will about them, but one thing
It’s 2016. Are You Still Using 2013 SEO Techniques?
A few years ago, “SoLoMo” was bandied about as the direction savvy SEOers should take. Fast forward to present day and it’s still the case,
Keep Your Business In Focus With Video
Stealth is excited to announce the addition of a new service for our clients. Over the summer, we designed and installed a new in-house video
The World Of Digital For A Midsize Telecommunications Operator
I would have a blast with telecommunications digital marketing if I owned a midsized telecom operation! The world would be my tomato, because local marketing
Small Business Success
“You manage things; you lead people.” ~ Grace Murray Hopper Many of my clients have asked me, how do you keep yourself and your business moving forward to
Client Review – Making The Grade
You may think that grades don’t matter once you are out of school, but this is not true. Recently, Stealth had a 60-day client review
Why Responsibility Matters In Success
“Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.” ~ Les Brown
Owned, Earned & Paid Media: A Good Mix is a Must
Back in the mid-1990s, very few companies had websites, let alone those that could be considered “decent.” Even though consumer-geared web browsers had hit the
The Challenge Of Managing Time
Have you heard the expression, “The good things in life are the enemy of the best things?” The principles found within this statement have application
Landing Clients With Old-Fashioned Caring
There are many new and innovative ideas for business that advertising agencies will take advantage of in the new year. But with technology dissemination and
Making Sure Your Message Is Heard
The above statement may seem a bit odd for an advertising agency to embrace. After all, the product of what an ad agency creates shines
Laughter As Medicine
It’s essential in business to relieve tension. Tension can crop up in many ways. It might show itself in the sales process, or in delivering
4 Reasons Marketing Fails
No one likes to contemplate the topic of failure, but understanding what contributes to failure can be a great way to steer clear of it.
Keyword Research Insights – Part 2
In the first installment of this article we tackled the questions that need to be answered to quickly assess a key phrase to determine whether
Keyword Research Insights for The Non-Professional Keyword Evaluator – Part 1
Have you ever wondered whether a keyword phrase might bring new prospects to your website, and whether it would be possible to achieve good search
Content Marketing 101 – Part 2
This is the continuation of our discussion on Content Marketing 101. In the prior post we explored the concept of content marketing, and outlined the
Content Marketing 101
Content Marketing isn’t a new marketing concept. The idea of marketing through great content that’s useful to your readers has been around for many years.
The (Business) Field of Dreams
I love the St. Louis Cardinals, and they are going to the World Series, again! That’s great news for a lot of us in the
Are You Analyzing Your Own Brand?
In my last blog, I talked about branding things! Things with which your customers interact. “Things” is a little vague; so let’s clarify. Your branded
(Not Provided) + Hummingbird = An Entirely New SEO Animal
One thing’s for certain: Google has a way of making the lives of SEOs more interesting. Deeming their 15 year anniversary week a way to
Step-by-Step Process to Media Buying
No matter how excellent your ad, if it’s not seen/heard/experienced, it’s not effective. Linking the ad to the audience is the business of media buying.
PR Hacking 101: Think Like an Editor
The way I learned PR (the way it was taught to me) is to think like an editor. This ‘hack’ may seem pretty easy, and
Telecommunications Marketing: Then and Now
My intent is to examine the history of telecommunications marketing in a blog series so we telecom marketers can all have an appreciation of the jobs
Why Isn’t Your PR Online Yet?
While press releases have been around since the Model A, there’s a quicker, smarter way to get your message to the masses while increasing your
Advertising to Cord Cutters
According to media research company, SNL Kagan , roughly 10% of cable TV viewers are expected to “cut the cord” by 2015. As a consumer,
Are You Making These 9 Direct Mail Mistakes?
Here are some pro-tips to help you avoid getting yourself or your direct mail program into hot water. Make sure to steer clear of these
Can Your Account Executives Really Talk Digital Marketing?
I find it increasingly important to have a basic understanding of digital marketing language. I’m not saying you have to know how to code using
Using LSI for Better Search Engine Placement
My first “real” job out of college was as a search engine copywriter (according to my parents, being a full-time cashier at what used to
What The Movies Teach Us About Advertising
I love movies. As a self-styled “cinemaniac,” I tend to see the world in a different way. For me, Steve Martin summed it up all
Why You Shouldn’t Downplay Display Advertising
In my experience as a PPC analyst, mentioning the words “display” and “content network” often induce (many times humorous) looks of cringe or disgust on
3 Reasons Why You Can’t Afford to Skimp on Professional Development
I call myself a Controller, not a CFO and not a money man. My kids think this fits me perfectly at work since they call