Blog

Hopefully you’ve read a few of my blog posts, and maybe have even noticed lately that I’ve been posting more often. This may have lead you to wonder: Why does Jim devote so much time to blogging? Is it really that important? Should I have my own blog?

Let me answer that right out of the gate: YES! 
Blogging is an incredible tool that allows you to reach your target market in a new and exciting way. There are blogs from all kinds of different people: from pop stars, to large corporations, to me! Blogging is such a unique tool that most people and companies are jumping on board. 

Too often leadership is thought to be simply the position or title someone holds or how many people they manage. I don’t believe that this is an accurate definition of leadership. Leadership is not just the position you hold, but it’s about helping others become the best versions of themselves. Leadership may not always be in a formal position – someone at the lowest level in a company can be a leader if he or she helps those around them to become better people just by interacting with them. 

During my time on this earth, I’ve seen an incredible advancement of technology. The technology market has grown at an extremely rapid rate and, for some people it’s hard to keep up. It can be easy to dislike the new technologies that are released seemingly every day, but I’ve done my best to maintain a different paradigm. I try to accept technology where it serves me best, and remain adaptable to a changing market. 

I often hear the phrase, “Sorry, I’m too busy” spoken throughout my day. Sometimes I say it, sometimes my colleagues say it, and sometimes my family says it or I overhear a stranger say it. Since this phrase is used so commonly, it got me to thinking:  Am I actually too busy? Am I too busy to spend time on my priorities in life? 

To give you peak ahead into this post: No, I am not too busy! It’s not about being busy, but rather about managing my time in a more effective way. Keep reading for how this practically plays out and how you can implement this in your own life.

I hope you have an exciting and wonderful weekend ahead of you! I want to welcome in the weekend by sharing with you three companies who I think are excellent at marketing. I believe you can look to them as great examples for developing relevant content, reaching their target market well, and delivering outstanding marketing overall.

There is no ignoring that millennials are important to driving your business — no matter what industry you are in — but they are often a confusing generation to understand and target. There is a lot of conversation on the Web about millennials, who they are and what they like, so it can be tough to understand what is really effective and true. In response, we’ve boiled down the wealth of information into a few crucial but simple points on how to attract millennials.

It’s clear that marketing no longer operates the same way it did 20 years ago, 10 years ago, or even a year ago. Think about the way you shopped 20 years ago versus the way you shop today: it’s significantly different isn’t it? The world of marketing is constantly changing and, for your company, that’s excellent news! 

The changing world of marketing constantly provides new ways to reach consumers, to deliver a relevant message, and to grow your business. The online environment provides brand new channels to speak with consumers (not just to consumers). Technology allows marketers to track the effectiveness of different marketing tools better, resulting in smarter spending for companies. Additionally, consumers can digest more information than ever before, making relevant content the perfect way to reach your customers. These changes can be intimidating, but they certainly don’t have to be. Each change in the marketing world is a new opportunity for your business to excel — if you have the right tools.

I’ve explored my generation and concluded Baby Boomers have experienced much, but we still have much to give. Now, I’ll look at the newest generation to enter the workforce: the Millennials.

Born roughly between the years 1980-2000, Millennials are the children of Late Boomers (like me) and Early Gen Xers. Technology and their parents have influenced them greatly. They’ve been called entitled, coddled by their parents, lazy, innovative, optimistic and comfortable with technology. Are these characteristics true or just stereotypical? What do these young people have to offer society?

To help explore some of these questions, I’ve enlisted the help of Danielle Welling, a summer intern at Em-Media, for a Millennial perspective. For each topic, we’ll each give our opinion and discuss our impressions of Millennials. Along the way we’ll learn about each other and hopefully how we can all work toward better intergenerational communication.

Agency Shopping 101: What’s The Best Fit For Your Business?

Are you looking for an advertising and marketing agency and don’t know where to start? After more than 30 years in the advertising business, I’d like to offer some tips to help you begin your search:

1. First and foremost, look for an advertising agency with experience and knowledge of your service area. You want an agency that knows what it’s doing. Its employees should demonstrate excellent skills in advertising, marketing, communication, business and technology in order to help your business achieve its goals.