Blog

With 2022 quickly approaching, it’s time to plan and finalize your budgets for the year. Use these recommendations to make smart marketing budget decisions.

Stand apart from the competition and connect with customers through a financial literacy program.

Before joining Social Assurance, I spent six years in financial marketing management at a bank. Part of my responsibility included vendor management of our marketing technology stack. I didn’t know it at the time, but my boss at the time helped me t ...

Here’s what your financial brand need to know from our 2021 Marketing & Compliance Survey results. Check it out, here!

Spammers are getting creative and have been recently hitting business Facebook review pages with spam reviews. Financial brands are a target.

A financial brand’s introduction to content marketing: types of content, how to use content, and how to implement a content strategy.

We saw the public reaction. We saw the industry reaction. We saw the memes that nurtured many reactions (well played Twitter universe).  And we too, at Social Assurance certainly, felt firsthand the impact of Facebook and Instagram going down, preve ...

Hello bank marketer friends! Last week the Social Assurance team attended the ABA Bank Marketing virtual conference at our headquarters in Lincoln, NE. For some of us, it was an opportunity to “meet” our full-time virtual coworkers in person for the ...

See how Community Heroes are making a difference at home.

TikTok released its user trends report and from it are insights that financial brands can use to start their TikTok content strategy.

With more of the world going online than ever before, here’s how you can use this vital communication resource effectively in your marketing strategy.

Launching your new branding is a big step – but we’ve put together these resources to help your Financial Brand succeed. Click here to learn more.

Local banks focus on things that are important, such as building a meaningful relationship with all their customers.

From improving SEO to generating more in-branch visits, learn why your financial brand should pay more attention to digital listings here.

Promoting Diversity in the financial services industry is a top priority for brands. See how empowering underrepresented groups is key for helping firms to better serve a diverse customer base.

Clubhouse just announced it’s no longer an exclusive, invite-only platform. Here’s what Financial Brands need to know about this new audio-only social platform.

Instagram’s changes to their algorithm has significant impacts on the financial services industry. Learn what they are – and how you can prepare – here.

Social media platforms are a goldmine for financial lenders to network and grow their audience. Here are best practices to keep in mind while you start prospecting.

How can you best engage with your customers? Through a combination of compliance, strategy, and communication. Learn more here.

To attract and retain Gen Zers, financial brands need to develop a marketing strategy that caters to this generation’s desire to learn, connect, and start conversations.

Social Assurance, a software and marketing solutions leader in the financial services industry, has announced that Jaime Falkner, CFMP, has joined its team as their Client Growth Manager.

From Reels to Stories and Feeds, see how you can use Instagram's algorithm to boost your social media performance.

Read about the important things we can all learn to better serve our local communities and build stronger relationships.

Looking for ways to strengthen your online presence? Look no further than your digital listings. Here are a few ways you get can started managing your reputation.

LinkedIn expands marketing and social selling tools for business pages.

See how Dean Bank made a remarkable impact on their community. Read their story here.

See how United Bank of Iowa made a remarkable impact on their community. Read their story here.

CNB Bank was a hero in their community. Read about their impact and the spark they created.

Designing the perfect social media image starts with the right dimensions. Learn how to format your designs exactly right for each platform.

Financial Banking community leaders connected to discuss the challenges and wins of this past year. Catch their insights about the future of our communities and banking.

Artificial Intelligence looks to play a larger role in the financial services industry in the coming years. From financial habits to corporate compliance, see what’s in store here.

Learn how to optimize your social selling campaigns to generate remarkable first connections online by reading our latest post.

Our annual Marketing and Compliance Report is now available. Catch some key takeaways – and download the report – here!

Building a brand is a challenge for most – but a great way to improve it is by knowing what to remove. Here are a few tips for clarifying your brand.

The ICBA Connect conference provided community bankers the opportunity to (virtually) come together, connect, and celebrate the achievements of the past year.

Think this social platform isn’t applicable for your financial brand? Think again. Here is what financial brands need to know.

Creating a positive customer experience online requires consistency and clear communication. Explore best practices on how to effectively communicate online.

2021 is said to be different for many reasons. Social Media is no exception. These social media trends should be on your radar.

Social media is a great resource to cultivate leads and boost your sales. For details on how to get started, check out our resource here.

Your brand is what makes you different from your competitor down the street. Learn how you can craft a unique story that connects with your customers here.

What search trends will impact Financial Brands the most this year? The answer could surprise you. Find critical marketing insights with our latest post.

The app that everyone is seemingly on – see what your financial brand should know about this popular app and what it means for your content strategy.

With significant changes to users and platforms, see what Digital Marketers need to know about the social trends surrounding recent political events.

Ephemeral content, LinkedIn Events, Facebook Pay and more, there are numerous new social trends for 2021. Make sure you’re caught up with our latest post.

Catch insights from Social Assurance’s conversation with Charles LeFevre on how your compliance teams can get ready for next year.

Social Assurance. The perfect holiday gift to grow and connect your financial brand. Learn how our marketing tools can help your brand stand apart in 2021.

Engaging in holiday marketing gives your brand the potential to stand out, reach new customers, and leave your mark on this crazy year.

The trending number one most downloaded app, Parler, has significant implications for your financial brand. Learn what these are - and how you can prepare - here.

Financial brands are turning to new strategies to reach their target audience – see how social influencers can help.

Catch our key takeaways from this year’s ABA Unconventional Conference and how you can best prepare and adjust to the new normal.

Social Assurance is ending support for IE 11 – see what this means for you and how you can start to prepare.

Make sure you are involving your employees in your social strategy! Review these insights to learn how you can product better, and more engaging, content.

Learn more about our graphics and brand manager- Sarah! She has been with our team since 2016 and is our featured #SASpotlight this month.

Access our free Content Starter Kit to help your financial brand successfully market Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

See how Community Spark helps banks and credit unions spark community involvement and foster employee engagement.

Catch the upcoming trends and best practices to ensure the growth of your financial brand on LinkedIn for 2020 and 2021

See the difference made by the winners and finalists of our annual Community Spark Award and what we could all learn from their examples.

See how MSUFCU helped local businesses and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and won the annual Social Assurance Community Spark Award.

Learn how Drake Bank helped its local community throughout the hardships of 2020 and won the Social Assurance Community Spark Award.

See how Facebook advertising has changed in 2020 and what your financial brand should do to prepare and capitalize on these emerging trends.

During a pandemic, marketing tactics change. From SEO optimizations to communication strategies, learn how to support your community and grow your following on LinkedIn as a Loan Officer.

Jody Guetter begins her new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Social Assurance. Learn more about her history and the future of Social Assurance by reading more here.

If you’re looking for some fun ways to spice up your social content, we’ve got you covered. Learn how joining fun and dynamic social conversations helps grow your following and boost employee engagement.

Community Partners are a vital connection for community banks. From donations and investments to service hours opportunities for employees, see why forming these partnerships should be a priority for your brand.

Meet our graphic design intern, Anna Lee! As a key member of the marketing team, she contributes to critical projects. Learn more about her – and her cat Apollo – in our latest Employee Spotlight.

With the final rule on CRA released by the OCC, compliance deadlines are fast approaching. Make sure your brand is prepared by reading more about what’s required and how your organization can prepare.

The OCC has released its final rule and it has significant updates the Community Reinvestment Act’s framework. Learn the changes, and how you can prepare, here.

Community Banks form the fabric of their communities. Whether it’s organizing volunteer efforts or donating to local events, see how you spark real change in your community with these ideas.

More brands are taking a stance on issues important to their customers. Here are a few takeaways to consider when engaging in social activism as a financial brand.

Digital marketing is the key for financial brands to reach new customers. See the benefits of utilizing this tool and how it could provide greater returns on your investment.

As I began my morning routine on Monday, I wanted to go back to bed. I was scheduled to lecture for two hours about crisis leadership for banking school– and I had nothing to offer – or so I thought. I began my lecture by sharing the heartbreak I exp ...

The new Compose feature enables financial brands to collaborate on marketing materials faster and easier. Created with both timelines and compliance in mind, we've made it easy for banks and credit unions to achieve their business goals. Our team con ...

Financial brands like you are leading the charge to help communities during the COVID-19 pandemic – and your customers are noticing. In times of crisis, the way brands and customers change the way they interact with each other significantly. While re ...

From news on increasing unemployment claims to extended social distancing precautions, communities are continuing to be challenged in new and dramatic ways during COVID-19. As a community bank, more people are looking to you not only for help financi ...

With changing services and hours of operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s crucial to keep your customers informed. While you may not be able to see most of them in person, it’s possible to provide value and connect with them online. Here are ...

In times of crisis, we are all looking for inspiration from leaders who can rally others and provide a vision of hope to serve their communities. Few do this better than Jill Castilla, President and CEO of Citizens Bank of Edmond. Throughout the COVI ...

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Say hello to Adam Cook, our senior software developer! He's been with the Social Assurance team since 2015 and is currently remodeling his home with his wife. Learn more about him below. What is your role at Social Assurance and what do you like most ...

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Say hello to Ben Pankonin, our cofounder and CEO! He once water skied behind a tractor and attends almost every Nebraska basketball game. Learn more about him below. What made you want to start a company like Social Assurance? "I actually saw a need ...

Today, the big headlines in financial services are often dominated by Fintechs. The most recent announcement is Visa's acquisition of Plaid for $5.3 Billion. There's no question that a lot of the work that these Fintechs do helps us both as consumers ...

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Happy Holidays from Alexander Lahargoue, our content and marketing strategist! Alexander has been with the Social Assurance team since 2016 and is currently basking in the joy of his favorite holiday season. Learn more about him below! What is your f ...

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The holiday season is a great reminder of how important it is to show your customers and communities appreciation. After all, who matters more in your community than the people who make it what it is? Just like the in-person connections you’re making ...

Say hello to Jordyn Swanson, our marketing specialist! Jordyn has been with the Social Assurance team since March and is currently planning her travel list for 2020. Learn more about her below! Where are you planning to visit next? “My husband and I ...

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As a financial loan officer, utilizing social media as a tool in your sales funnel can be both challenging and rewarding. The financial industry is competitive, and your customers’ attention spans are shorter than ever, so it’s important to cut throu ...

Say hello to Courtney Haggart, our content and client specialist! Courtney has been with the Social Assurance team for just over a year and was very excited to be featured as our October/Halloween spotlight. Learn more about her below! What do you lo ...

Tik Tok Trick: Keep it Simple Most videos on TikTok are 15 seconds or less — which means it's important to get right to the point. Ditch the filler copy in product posts. Tell them the important facts and benefits, then link to your website so that t ...

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Over the course of my life, my family has always been involved in banking. My dad has spent his career working at several banks throughout Iowa and Nebraska. Just over a decade ago, our family settled in York, Nebraska, where my dad became the CFO of ...

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While what's trending on Twitter usually makes great social conversations, it can be tough for financials brands to break through the noise and grow a loyal following. As this social network relies heavily on user to user interactions, it can be chal ...

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The trend is clear – if your financial brand isn’t on Facebook, it’s time to put a process change in place to make it happen. In fact, according to our 2018 Marketing and Compliance report, 95% of financial brands maintain a presence on Facebook with ...

Great marketing has always been defined by great storytelling. The characters, the setting and the struggle — when mixed with the right amount of interest — can captivate any audience. But we know that the balance of these elements is delicate. In to ...

Today, I spoke with a group of marketers and I asked them, “what do you think is the most popular show on Netflix this week?” The room took some time, but soon agreed on one answer: “Stranger Things.” They were right. I followed up my question and as ...

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When we write, it's natural to think that the shelf-life of a particular piece of content is shorter than it really is. Because of this, we're constantly pushing ourselves to create new pieces rather than repurposing or reimagining content that has p ...

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While we all know that social media presents so many great opportunities for business growth, we often don't think about how we can use negative comments to our advantage. If you plan ahead and know how you will engage with these types of posts, you' ...

It's that time of year where we're all asking how to maximize our marketing tactics for growth. The good news is that you and your team have a growing list of cost-effective and creative marketing tools at your disposal. Below are five tactics to con ...

Now that the first month of the year is over, it’s time to check in and see if you’re on track to meet your goals. The start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to gather your team (around coffee) to check in on and set resolutions for how you’l ...

Are you ready to pop the champagne and celebrate the start of 2019? Tonight you will hear — or sing if you’re brave — the familiar Happy New Year tune “Auld Lang Syne.” This song, meaning “time gone by,” has our team reflecting on some milestones tha ...

Click on the image above to listen to a recording of this webinar. We all know someone — or maybe are someone — who can quickly adapt to change. Change is often unexpected; those who confidently embrace it and relish the chance for their organizati ...

Success does not consist in never making mistakes, but in never making the same one a second time. – George Bernard Shaw Baseball season is officially underway! The start of a new season should herald that start of new things for your brand – particu ...

There are certain questions that you expect to receive as someone who helps brands with social media and none is bigger than the, "how frequently should I post?" question. I, like many others, have also struggled with this at times. Typical answers r ...

It's time to put the local into social! You may have read recently that Facebook is implementing a new system of pushing posts that will generate conversations and meaningful interactions between people to the top of feeds while distributing less con ...

A guide on building your relationships and growing engagement with customers The community bank series continues! Building upon what was already outlined with sponsorships and events, the next step towards further solidifying your position in the com ...

A guide on building your relationships and growing engagement with your customers Establishing yourself as the community bank is a process. It requires investment, commitment and dedication to building relationships and growing trust with your custom ...

A guide on building your relationships and growing engagement with your customers. The popular trend for banks these days is to market themselves as the “community” bank. It’s not at all a surprising move given the fierce competition in the financial ...

The skills every true marketer needs to hone in order to excel  Marketing is one of the fastest developing fields in business. With every new innovation, technology or otherwise, it is marketing that feels the burn. Social media is the latest case st ...

Social Assurance is always striving to be a mover and shaker within the community and although each week offers its dose of excitement, it's been pretty exciting around here as we embarked on new opportunities and celebrated milestones. Our New Offic ...

The path of destruction that Hurricane Harvey has left over the past week has left many homeless, numerous feeling helpless and others stepping up as heroes. For many businesses including brokers, banks, and any financial market, closing during incle ...

If you have been following financial news for any point in the last couple of years, you would know that banks are facing a huge problem: store branches are closing by the hundreds. What were once commonplace sites to see in local communities are dry ...

Everyone makes mistakes and businesses are no exception – especially on social media. Countless articles line the web about different social media fails from companies both large and small. Despite the hindrances, the benefits social platforms offer ...

LINCOLN, Neb.  (May 2017) – Ben Pankonin, CEO and co-founder of Lincoln-based Social Assurance, was recently named Silicon Prairie News 2017 Executive of the Year. Recognized for his role leading the Social Assurance team in providing fintech solutio ...

Great content does the work for you. It is like a loan that you can sit on and collect interest. You put it out there, and with some time, you see an ROI through engagement. Great banking content will foster relationships and tell a story. A story th ...

Public relations disasters are nothing new. However, thanks to social media, there are more avenues than ever to amplify any potential disaster. But with a proper crisis plan in place, speedy attention to the issue, any brand can manage these concern ...

The banking landscape is always changing – adding millennials into the formula can create an unexpected result. Considering recent events, we thought these few take-aways about the millennial approach to life can help banks and credit unions go a lon ...

What makes a good community? Learn key takeaways on how you can take the next step in building your community through social media.

Today is Small Business Saturday, that one time a year when underdog marketers try to turn the tables on the big boxes and encourage consumers to shop local. Sure, it's romantic to walk-in to your local boutique and if you met my friend Meghan at Sel ...

As I open my email every morning, I see dozens of emails that have inundated my inbox in the last twelve hours since my last check. I know every morning I will find some offer from Pottery Barn and other random marketing campaigns. Like most of the w ...

I grew up in a Hallmark store. You remember those cards people used to send by snail mail to show that they “cared the very best”? That was my family's business. It was exciting as a kid, mainly because there was always a holiday around the corner. A ...

First impressions are crucial for any company. It links a subconscious tone to who your brand is. Being a digitally driven society, you do not always have the opportunity to control that first impression and explain your business face-to-face. It is ...

Fall is one of the busiest times of year for those in the agricultural industry. Farmers are out in their fields way before sun up and well after the sun has set. With so much work to be done  during harvesting, you might think that this is one of th ...

Southwest Airlines faced every businesses worst fear yesterday, their systems crashed. Not just for a little bit, but for hours and hours. Passengers were left stranded with nothing to do but sit on their phones, pout and voice their frustrations on ...

It began with a soft launch, very few people were paying attention. My wife and I were taking our usual walk at the local park near our house a week ago, noticing an abnormal amount of nerds looking at their phones while walking. These were not the n ...

I get it, I really do. Millennials are known for being this young and reckless generation who have no idea how to handle their finances. I constantly see online articles talking about how millennials have no money saved for retirement or how fewer mi ...

It's rare that in our industry we experience a lot of firsts. We quickly forget how exhilarating it is to experiment. But this year my friend, John Siracusa tried. His vision to bring together banks and credit unions to talk about the challenges we f ...

Around the corner from our office sits a quaint little cafe. With daily deal specials and a wonderful salad bar with all the fixins', business is steady. Despite the delicious food and soup, some days I pass right on by and head to another local eate ...

Today you will see plenty of ads for beer, Doritos and yes, financial companies. Wait, Financial Companies? Why? Their marketing budgets have determined that now is the time to strike, to get consumers to shift. So how do you compete without dropping ...

Graduation season is upon us. Itchy gowns, uncomfortable mortarboards, and seemingly endless graduation parties. Whether graduating from college or high school, students are facing a plethora of financial decisions and looking for guidance, good advi ...

With 4,000 in attendance at this year's Fiserv Forum, "Life" seemed to be an appropriate theme. The theme was captured best through social media with the thoughts of my fellow attendees. From the opening sequence to the closing breakout sessions, ban ...

Today my local coffeeshop, then one just bellow my office, had their Facebook account hacked. And, while my wife and I both enjoy grabbing coffee there, and I sympathize with their predicament of animated images of people doing improper acts on their ...

It's that time of year where brand new Peer to Peer payment systems are used for unsanctioned gambling in office pools and Americans lose millions of hours of productivity with employees checking basketball scores... and I love it. I'm a basketball f ...

I’m on my flight home from the annual ICBA Live Conference in Orlando this year and as I always do, I’m creating my list of follow-ups to complete when I get back to the office (and have reliable Internet). But I also spend time reflecting on the rel ...

  Tonight you may sing, or at least listen to the familiar New Year's Eve tune “Auld Lang Syne” meaning, “long long ago”. In this social media-driven world, just what is long long ago? What is important for social media marketers is the habits t ...

One of the most important aspects of navigating a social brand (and life) is learning how to say thanks and mean it.  I work with financial marketers, many of whom understand the importance of a thank you and I think Thanksgiving gives us an excellen ...

It's conference season for many of us in Financial Services and whether you are headed to your state conference or a multinational conference, you can get more out of it with social media. Here are a few tips from Social Assurance: No more Egg Profil ...

Many financial marketers head to conferences to learn the changing needs of financial services and how to appeal to a larger customer-base. One of the things I will be sharing at the ABA conference in Orlando is how to test with your customers. Digit ...

Social Media is no longer a person nor is it a department. In a time where branches are closing and many banks are moving to become more centralized, social media is decentralizing. This year’s ABA conference in Florida holds an opportunity for bank ...

There is a quote from Woody Allen where he says "80 percent of success is showing up". That quote may leave a sour taste in your mouth, as we grew up under the idea that you can't just show up to be successful.We recently did a study where we looked ...

After getting a presence on social media, the first question I hear from many financial institutions is, “how do we get our customers to just share this with others.”  I spoke with a banker recently who is connected to me on social and he says, “you ...

This past week in Southern California, a clever storeowner decided to open a coffee shop to compete with Starbucks, calling it "Dumb Starbucks." While social media sites were amused and people approaching the store were confused of its intent, "Dumb ...

Since the preliminary guidance was released in January of 2013, Banks, Credit Unions and the third-parties who support them have been waiting for final guidance. “The Guidance do not contain exceptions regarding the use of social media” but helps to ...

Financial sales professionals often forget that the best sales tactics are often the ones that are the most ingrained in our psyche...  the ones we grew up forming. Let's take a moment this Halloween to consider how our marketing and sales prowess wa ...

Banksy, the London-based graffiti-artist who is currently one of the most famous living artists has been sharing a new piece of art every day on the streets of New York City. The growing popularity has been fueled by Mayor Bloomberg's calls to arrest ...

This year's Fiserv Forum could be summed up by the person of their keynote. Colin Powell's statesman demeanor was often overshadowed by his surprisingly personable touch. At the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, the 1,500 in attendance were sure to experi ...

Fiserv, Social Assurance Partner to Offer Social Media Management and Compliance Solution to the Financial Industry Social Assurance offers leading social media management and compliance solution to banks, credit unions and investment advisors Partne ...

Never before have we seen new channels for communicating with your bank or credit union emerge as quickly as we have in recent years. We've begun to even migrate terms from multi-channel management to "Omni-channel management" indicating the industry ...

The lines are blurring for many between work and home. Not only are mobile devices making it easier to keep up with data on the move, but your customers are operating businesses from the home. In fact in the US over 53% of businesses are run from the ...

Social networking is dynamic. We can't get away from hearing buzz online and offline about the next BIG social network. This often leads businesses and brands searching and wondering what is next, and what can I do to become a superstar on this platf ...

The Great Gatsby showed us a few things about partying like the roaring twenties. It shows us the lengths Gatsby went to attract his sweetheart. While his methods were certainly flawed, there are some lessons that we can learn about customer interact ...

As was the case with Newtown, the world paused today as the Boston Marathon was finishing. We were struck with another national tragedy after two bombs detonated by the finish line. Moments like these are tough for people to understand. For brands on ...

I read a lot of social media blogs, articles and posts. I am amazed at the frequency in which I hear, "the first thing you need to do is create a plan." I agree. BUT, this is the same advice I would give if you were headed to the grocery store, takin ...

Yesterday I went through the top 500 banks & credit unions by likes on Facebook.  There was a huge disparity in number of likes, quality of content, and asset size. But one thing was the same. Bank customers want to have an intimate relationship ...

As a branch manager you are used to juggling many different tasks.  I want to share how you can more effectively use social media in parallel with your processes. Hiring: Prospecting LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter for good leads will go a long way ...

Many social platforms have made their value based on the amount of time users are logged in to their systems. Platforms like Pinterest claim nearly 16 minutes of time on their site per login. But what about LinkedIn where the average user spends less ...

The history of banking goes back a few thousand years to grain loans in ancient Babylonia. But more recently banking has become a norm within common society. The evolution of technology has helped banks increase in size and geographic regions.  This ...

Last week the FFIEC issued new suggestions for Social Media and banking. This proposed guidance has implications for those with social media profiles and those who do not yet have profiles. This new guidance does not come as a surprise to the industr ...

We study nearly every interaction community banks and credit unions make in the US. We watch as some make progress and others struggle to gain enough traction to be relevant. The truth is, many of these lessons my niece understands when she makes gin ...

“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” ~ Alvin Toffler Often we lose sight of the big things as we are executing day-to-day in social media, especially if we don ...

The holiday season has brought difficulty for marketers for generations as the US culture becomes more diverse. How does your social media reflect your beliefs? And should it? Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are working with your socia ...

Searching for the right method to reach investors... is social media a good idea? The key question many investment advisors are asking is: "How do I bring on assets when social media is targeted to the younger crowd?" It's impossible and unfair to di ...

The broker-dealer and Registered Investment Advisor communities have been rocked with the changes in social media. The speed of communication, need for responsiveness and content creation are paired with the same SEC and FINRA guidelines that apply t ...

Often overlooked amongst the writers and strategists of social media are the air traffic controllers; your very own Chief Compliance Officers. The role of a compliance officer is becoming more complex as Social Media dramatically increases the amount ...

One of the biggest tragedies I continue to see in businesses is the divide between sales and marketing. Almost every company I have worked in or consulted with struggles with this tension. Not only does it create frustrations and typically turf wars, ...