Pinch. Tap-tap. Swipe. Spread. Tap. A new take on Morse code? A video game character’s ultimate move sequence? Slightly naughty dance moves? Nope. Just some typical user behavior when interacting with a mobile version of a website. Over 60% of searches happen on a smartphone, which is why Google switched to mobile-first in 2016. As nanotechnology and responsive artificial intelligence continue to advance, the proportion of desktop searches is flatlining while searches from mobile continue to rise. So, how mobile-friendly is your website? In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll reveal six ways to future-proof your website and enhance user experience (UX) with mobile SEO.

Just when we thought there were enough social media platforms (or maybe it’s just me), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg rolled out “Threads,” a new text-based app that was likely intended to give the very similar Twitter (now known as “X”) and its CEO, Elon Musk, a run for their money. A spinoff from social media giant Instagram, Threads has taken the same Instagram fan base that is accustomed to sharing videos and photos, giving them a platform to have more authentic conversations. But is it time just yet for your company to add Threads to your overall social media strategy? In this edition of Plain Talk, we’re exploring the possibilities of a Threads social media strategy. We’ll break down what to expect with Threads, what’s on the horizon with advertising, and whether it really is the missing thread you’re looking for to help your brand stand out.

“No-code” WordPress website builder plugins have gained popularity in the past decade. Their shiny promise of simplicity and ease in creating decent-looking websites without the need for coding knowledge is enticing. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll delve deeper into the world of no-code WordPress builder plugins. We’ll reveal the hidden truths, costs, and considerations that businesses and website owners should be aware of before choosing the proverbial easy button. By understanding their limitations, challenges, and potential drawbacks, we hope you can make more informed decisions about whether these plugins are the right choice for your needs.

This year at Google’s I/O 2023 conference, Google unveiled a host of new products and features. Unsurprisingly, the focus was on efforts and advancements made by leveraging artificial intelligence (or “AI”). It was so important to Google to establish expertise, authority, and trust (sound familiar?) in all things AI that Google execs used the phrase “AI” more than 100 times during the two-hour keynote. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss what we know (and what we don’t) about the future of generative AI in search. We’ll also share what you can do now to ensure you are capturing low-hanging fruit.

In this issue of Plain Talk, we’ll build on past articles and discuss how the convergence of digital and traditional media and the increase in on-screen time have evolved media expectations, particularly for young people. We’ll then discuss how technological advancements and generational preferences have evolved to better support this digital marketing dinosaur. In doing so, we’ll argue that in this blended digital world we live in, YouTube banner ads should be viewed as online billboards, and thus they should be bought and measured primarily as top-of-funnel awareness tools… just like roadside billboards.

In healthcare, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff had no choice but to be present on the frontlines 24/7 during the pandemic, leaving them exhausted, in a state of burnout, and feeling under-appreciated. Healthcare workers left in droves, only worsening existing staffing issues caused by an aging patient population and healthcare retirements. In the healthcare industry, it is more important than ever before to retain these medical professionals, which is where internal marketing can be crucial. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll explain how a plan for better employee engagement in healthcare could lead to a happier workforce and possibly greater retention.

The doofus dad stereotype, which was a negative and inadvertent byproduct of the explosion in social change in the late 20th century, saw dads in not just ads but all media slide from their status as head of the household to the bumbling dads in popular TV series and commercials beginning in the mid-50s with Ralph Kramden. Just like purchasing a bad tie from Amazon or a bottle of cheap cologne, people only write about the doofus dad topic in the second and third weeks of June to commend Father’s Day every year. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll try to do something different. Instead of just complaining, we’ll discuss fathers in advertising and the shifts we see happening.

When you think of Gen Z (age group 11-26) and media, a litany of words come to mind: social media, influencer, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, video games, Netflix, podcast, livestream, etc. But as far back as early 2017, research by Kantar Millward Brown found that 55% of Generation Z respondents view out-of-home (OOH) positively. This is consistent with their view of all traditional media (cinema 53%, magazines 51%). It’s also a whole 20 points higher than any online option (desktop display 32%, search 32%, and mobile display 30%). In 2018, AdAge/UNiDAYS affirmed this when they found “84 percent of Gen Zers surveyed said they pay attention to digital out-of-home ads in familiar media placements such as trains, malls, airports and taxis.” In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss why out-of-home (OOH) media is one of the most surprising Gen Z media trends and how to leverage it to reach this audience.

Happy Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and an estimated 84% of U.S. adults will be celebrating this year. This day can bring a variety of emotions, and it can mean different things to different people, but at its core, it’s a day to celebrate the motherly figures in our lives and share our appreciation for all of the work, both visible and invisible, that they do every day.

As frontline healthcare professionals, nurses play a critical role in our society. They provide essential care and support to patients in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. Every year, National Nurses Week begins May 6th in the United States. This week is an opportunity for healthcare organizations and the general public to recognize nurses’ contributions and vital role in our healthcare system. In this edition of Plain Talk, we’ll discuss the importance of recognizing National Nurses Week in healthcare recruiting.