Blog

A Logo Is Not a Brand

February 11, 2015
6 min read

Casper, Wyoming, has “released a new brand” OilCityWyo.com announced last week. It would have been okay if it was just poor wording that a business or destination could release a new brand. But it was aided by the destination marketing professional when he stated, “This community has never had a brand and you get one shot.” Sorry, Aaron McCreight, but Casper has had a brand since the city was founded after the Fort closed. It may not have had a logo to communicate the brand, but it’s had and has a brand. This isn’t intended to pick on Casper and…

January 21, 2015
4 min read

Like Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of Summer, last night’s State of the Union Address by our President marks the unofficial start of Legislative sessions, not just in Washington D.C., but in capitals in every state. How are you engaging in the process? You cannot leave it to your state association to advocate for you. You have a responsibility as a business owner, industry leader, voter, to engage with your Legislator. I dusted off a piece How to Play a Key Role In Our Representative Form of Government. I did not pen it. I would freely give credit to…

January 7, 2015
3 min read

How’s that new year’s resolution going? Many of us are on our annual quests to better ourselves through resolutions. Seven days in… cut extra spending? Still exercising? Seven days without a cigarette? Keeping up with your read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year program? What about our business? While we’re spending time reflecting on how to turn over a new leaf personally, perhaps we spend time considering resolutions for our business. In 2015, how can our business: Lose Weight / Save Money… how can we run a more efficient operation? If there’s one way to trim the fat, perhaps that could mean cost savings. As the employees.…

December 10, 2014
3 min read

It’s the most wonderful time of year… for #trends. You know, the speculations and forecasts of initiatives one must undertake next year to keep up with the Joneses. There are marketing trends and social media trends; e-mail marketing trends, content marketing trends, website trends and even customer service trends. We were recently reminded that perhaps we need to not worry about the “next big thing” and get back to the basics. These 32 Marketing Tips are great, but what if we got back to the very basics of business, people relations, and simple kindness? Customers might find us and our businesses more…

December 10, 2014
3 min read

When it comes to email marketing, you know how valuable your email list can be. But coming up with new ways to get people to sign up for your emails isn’t always easy. That’s why I have put together a collection of list growth ideas! Here’s a dozen ideas to grow your list and take your email marketing to the next level! Whatever methods you use, be sure to start with a reason “why” someone should join your email list. What’s in it for them? This will make it more likely that people will say yes. Now to the list:…

December 10, 2014
3 min read

At a recent town hall meeting, Oklahoma Lt. Governor Todd Lamb made a pretty good case that the tourism industry is one of, if not the most undervalued industry. “Few grasp the tourism industry’s impact on Oklahoma. They don’t realize U.S. travelers spend $7.2 billion in Oklahoma in 2012 or tourism generated $385.3 million in state taxes – the third largest revenue stream in state government – and $188.5 million in local taxes that year.” Beyond the numbers are all of the issues destination marketing professionals have to deal with. I recently spoke to a Chamber Leadership Class about issues related to tourism. After I shared…

December 10, 2014
3 min read

Stephen Koranda, Back To You Marketing, Named a Constant Contact Certified Solution Provider Norman, Oklahoma, marketing expert to help small businesses and nonprofits achieve meaningful marketing results NORMAN, OK — October 1, 2014 – Stephen Koranda, Founder and President of Back to You Marketing, has been named a Certified Solution Provider by Constant Contact®, Inc., the trusted marketing advisor to more than 600,000 small organizations worldwide. As a Certified Solution Provider, Koranda has completed the Constant Contact Certification Program which provides training on the Constant Contact Toolkit™, marketing best practices, and business development. This training imparts industry-leading knowhow on marketing…

July 28, 2014
5 min read

“Social media” suggests that we are sociable with those that like us, follow us or connect with us. However, as we get busier and busier, we too often either use a social media management tool like Hootsuite, schedule our posts/tweets and never review them after they are posted. Or we quickly log on to Facebook, post and log off, never reviewing the interactions. Last month I shared a few ways to engage more through Twitter. As Facebook changes their algorithms and our posts appear in less and less news feeds, we focus on Facebook and – as our new definition…

A Logo Is Not a Brand

It’s Legislative Season – How to Play a Role

Resolve for a Better Business in 2015

Trending Now… Basics of Business, People Relations, and Kindness

12 Tips to Grow Your Email List and Grow Your Business

Tourism Industry Undervalued – Needs Repect

‘sō shəl (verb) people engaging with each other – Pt. 2