As we head into 2022, it’s time to refresh your social media strategy and make sure you are up to date on the latest social media development and management trends. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’re diving into five popular and influential social media trends in 2022 to consider including in your New Year’s plans.

There’s no question that maximizing your email marketing as part of a robust performance marketing program is one of the smartest and most cost-effective things you can do to help boost your marketing horsepower. In fact, we’ve got a great article stuffed with tips for high-ROI email campaigns if you’d like to check it out. In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll assume you already know how critical email marketing can be. Instead, we’ll delve right into nine email marketing mistakes that are killing your lead gen efforts. Learn what you should say and what you shouldn’t say in your emails if you are looking for meaningful long-term success.

Unfortunately, many companies are focused on the immediate success of digital performance-based tactics while neglecting the brand identity that they worked so hard to build. This imbalance of focus means that many businesses risk damaging or even losing their brand identity. In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll discuss performance marketing vs. brand marketing. We’ll look at ways to strike the right balance between the short-term benefits of performance marketing and the long game—building a brand that will endure.

Several years ago, a marketing professional from a large company told me trade media simply wasn’t worthy of their marketing plan. Talking about their product in trade media before it was available to consumers didn’t make sense to them. They had a sales team to handle getting the word out. No offense to their team, but I’m sure they could use a little help. Trade media should be an ally and resource in your B2B communications mix. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll talk through the reasons that trade media relationships are a critical component of any marketing plan.

Now that TikTok has had time to prove that it’s in the game to stay, other social media channels are ready to compete in short-form video content—especially Instagram. In August 2020, the Facebook-owned social media app rolled out a new feature—Instagram Reels. Similar to TikTok, Instagram users can now create short-form, vertical videos to share on the platform. TikTok is starting to feel the heat. But are Instagram’s efforts enough to deter users away from TikTok? In today’s Plain Talk article, join us as we explore TikTok vs. Instagram. We’ll start reeling in how these two channels differ and how best to keep your head above water.

Recruiting applicants should be an easy process. You post a job listing, you send it out on all the major job platforms, maybe have your employees share it on social media, and you’re done. Right? Well, not exactly. As many business owners have experienced in 2021, hiring quality applicants is getting harder and harder. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll look at how to implement a great recruitment marketing strategy. Learn about the current landscape, what’s changed, and how you can fill the empty positions that are hurting your bottom line.

f you are like many companies, a return to normal means staffing up to pre-pandemic levels as we bounce back. However, in many business verticals, something’s different. People aren’t clamoring to take that job you have advertised on Indeed or LinkedIn. Recruiters are having challenges finding just the right candidate for you, and when they do find the right person, the candidate may have different expectations than what you are offering. If you are having trouble filling critical roles, from production and service jobs to executive roles, it might be time to ask if your company’s approach to recruiting is part of the problem. In today’s Plain Talk newsletter, we’ll talk about poor employer branding and recruitment marketing practices that are slowly starving businesses across the country and how to avoid them.

In today’s Plain Talk, we’ll look at the ensuing panic this faux statistic created and then separate fact from myth to get to the bottom of just how important optimizing for voice search is to your business.

Over the past 18 months, an entire industry built on convenience had to work diligently to make itself even more convenient­­—practically overnight. The addition of delivery services, click and collect, curbside pickup, and changes in store formats, websites, and loyalty programs all had to be executed in months rather than years, and all under steadily decreasing traffic for fuel. Many of the conveniences created and habits formed are expected to stick as increasingly, consumers are expecting brands to operate seamlessly across all retail channels. In today’s edition of Plain Talk, we’ll talk through the role evolving convenience store channels should play in your brand’s omnichannel marketing plan.

For traditional banks and credit unions that enjoy strong name recognition, the value of their name carries equity. For many years, this has been a fixed dynamic that isn’t lost upon anyone in the industry. Over the last few years, traditional institutions have had to compete more and more for customers with non-traditional entrants to the industry. Conventional wisdom has been that this disruption means that traditional institutions should begin investing more in technology. But what should it mean for their marketing investment? In today’s edition of our Compound Interest newsletter, we’ll look at the value of financial services branding for traditional banks and credit unions. We’ll explore why your focus on innovation can’t come at the expense of your brand.