How has marketing changed?

In the last eighteen months, marketing has gone through quite an evolution. But then again, isn't it always changing?

Yes, marketing is always evolving in some way, but since the pandemic, marketing your products and services to your target audience has gotten more and more tricky.

It's also gotten more personal.

Sarah Stahl goes into fascinating detail about this in episode #6 of So, What Has Changed?, the Mitzi Jane Media Podcast.

Sarah's message to marketers is simple: Stop selling, and start storytelling.

People have made it pretty clear that they're tired of companies bombarding them to buy, buy, buy. The trust between business and consumers begins to crumble. Customers become tired of constant advertising. We see this in TV, with streaming services that eliminate commercials. We see this in electronic media sources, where you can purchase ad-free versions of apps, games, music, and videos. 

People don't want to hear your sales pitch.

What...

The real estate market made some drastic changes after the pandemic.

In many ways, we're still reeling from it. It's definitely a seller's market now, which allows people to sell their homes at a premium. Will it balance back out?

In episode #5 of So, What Has Changed?, the Mitzi Jane Media podcast, Mitzi interviews long-time friend Jason Stinson, who has many years experience in commercial real estate.

 Jason has an Undergrad in management and a Master's in business, which has served him well through his varied experience as a businessman. He obtained a broker license and earned a CCIM designation through National Association of Realtors. Backed by a high education, Jason's passion for real state came from a surprising career at a surprisingly young age.

Up to the age of 13, Jason enjoyed working for his father at his fireworks stand. At the ripe old age of 15, Jason started his first retail fireworks business. The fireworks business remained successful for the...

Business recruiting has faced bigger challenges post-pandemic than expected. 

Why? What can we do about it? In Episode #4 of So, What Has Changed?, the Mitzi Jane Media podcast, Mike Kozlik sheds some light on how business recruiting has changed.

Mike Kozlik is the president of Advantage Resources, Inc., a business services firm that provides individual consulting services to privately owned businesses.

Mike's background is varied, which gives him a broad view of business development. With 32 years in army, many years of which was spent as an army reserve officer simultaneously working in the commercial world. Mike now helps business owners create a unique growth and success plan customized to their individual needs.

According to Mike, the #1 biggest challenge businesses have today is recruitment. In the first part of 2020, suffering business had to lay off a large portion of their staff, and cut down to the bare minimum. Now, in 2021, as businesses are...

How has the hospitality industry changed?

In the latest episode of So, What Has Changed?, the new Mitzi Jane Media podcast, Tynette Lynch, the newly appointed Director of Hospitality and Tourism for the city of Hoover, tells us a few interesting and unexpected things about how the hospitality industry has changed. 

Tynette has over 30 years experience in the hotel management industry. In all her experience, however, the shifts she's witnessed have been both a sad and pleasant surprise.

The pandemic lockdown has created a ripple effect on America's economy and local businesses, but it also created positive changes at outdoor venues such as Aldridge Gardens. Tynette was thrilled to notice that the gorgeous gardens saw an explosion in the number of visitors. Their average number of visitors went from 85,000 - 90,000 per year to a whopping 150,000 per year. It made the perfect place for people to bring their families and feed their souls...

So, What Has Changed?

It was a pandemic that created a paradigm shift that rocked our world. The repercussions, however, varied for each person and each business. Some were forced to close their doors. Some discovered new ways to pivot. Some thrived and grew. In each scenario, something drastic changed, and with each change, we have something to learn.

"So, What Has Changed?" is both the theme question and the title for the brand new podcast by Mitzi Jane Media, a podcast that explores local perspectives on a global shift.

Every ripple matters.

Every life impact has value.

We're all in this together, so let's talk. Let's learn from each other and help each other grow. Let's connect and exchange stories. No two are the same, and every one of them has a purpose.

"... podcasting has experienced explosive growth ..."

"Entrepreneurship tends to flourish during downturns ..."

"... it forced so many people to change their day-to-day routines and encouraged them to try new things ... "

...

You have your website built. It is designed exactly as you like. You're pumping out content on the blog, but the traffic is still barely more than a trickle.

The problem may be as simple as weak SEO, and here are some tips for making it stronger.

With a few tweaks to your website or blogging habits, these tips are a sure-fire way to blast an uptick in your website traffic.

Make your visitors want to stick around.

The amount of time a visitor spends on your website matters. One way to make someone want to linger a little while longer is to make your content easy to read. If your website or blog is messy, cluttered, and annoying to navigate, the reader will click right back out and go find another website that doesn't stress them out. Don't underestimate the magic in bullet point lists in a blog post. It's clean and easy to read, which will make your visitor want to read a little more. There is also a special kind of magic in using plenty of subheadings, like the one just above...

Trying to maximize the benefits of social media content can be frustrating.

You spend hours every week posting on social media, but the likes and comments just aren't what you hoped they would be. It's almost unheard of these days for someone to not use some form of social media. It's a great way to connect with friends and long-distance family. It's also a great way to reach your ideal customer. However, you may not know which is the best social media platform to use in order to reach your ideal client. You may be torn about what you should post about. You may not be the best at taking and posting photos, and shy away from videos entirely. Also, it takes so. much. time. Is it worth it?

The short answer:  yes. 

The best marketing move you can make for your business is to incorporate social media as part of your marketing strategy. We'll give you a few tips to get you started, and you'll be well-prepared to move forward with a fresh outlook on...

What is strategic content marketing, anyway? Do I even need it?

If this is a question you've asked yourself at any point in your marketing journey, you're asking a very important one. If you've spent any time in marketing circles of any kind, you'll hear the term "content marketing" thrown about pretty regularly. What is it, anyway? Isn't it simply posting on social media and engaging with commenters?

That's part of it, but there are other important elements to keep in mind to prevent content marketing from being a giant time-vacuum yielding little result.

What is content marketing?

First of all, content marketing takes many different forms: podcasting, videos, blog posts, social media, and more. Whatever content you produce for readers/listeners to consume needs to be quality, helpful, and consistent information. In order to use this sales tool well, you'll need to think about the long run, and plan accordingly. You are an expert in your field, and there are many things that others...

The power of podcasting is an opportunity you can maximize for your business.

Not that long ago, few people had even heard about podcasts. Now, podcasting is on the rise, and there are many ways you can ride that wave of opportunity to benefit your business.

Here are a few ways your business can benefit from podcasting:

Every month, 116 million people listen to a podcast, according to data collected by a 2021 study called The Infinite Dial. Smart Speakers such as Google Home and Amazon's Echo Dot have contributed to this, and smartphones have contributed to this number even more so. Weekly podcast listeners consume 8 podcasts per week. Wouldn't it be great to be among the content consumed by these podcast devotees? This high level of engagement provides a smart opportunity to connect with listeners as a way to promote your business.

To get a strong start on your podcast, you'll need to:

Set a goal.

You'll want to ask yourself a few questions. How do you want to impact others...