
Organic vs. Paid Search Results: Where’s the Sweet Spot for My Brand?
There’s a great debate raging over whether organic results or paid results are better—especially as it relates to digital advertising efforts. While it’s long been assumed that web visitors tend to avoid clicking on search “results” they know to be ads or that are sponsored, the reality is nowadays it’s getting harder to get search…

Are You Growing Your “Brand Fans”?
Inbound Marketing is the best way to turn strangers into customers and “brand fans” excited to promote your business, and at the center of this Inbound Marketing universe is your website. Companies are 3 times as likely to see higher return on investment (ROI) on Inbound Marketing campaigns than on outbound. 84% of small businesses…

Overcoming the “Do Not Disturb Mentality” of Today’s Consumers
The age of the virtual consumer is here. Through the power of whatever device we happen to be holding and using at a given moment, we can buy something, sell something, make an appointment, cancel one, leave a message, search for something (even if we’re not quite sure what it is), “listen” to and identify…

Do You Question the Norm?
Are you one of those business owners or managers that dares to question the norm? Do you wonder about changing things up in the workplace because you’re not convinced that doing things the same way you’ve always done them is good for business, employee morale, or productivity? Ultimately as owner, CEO, or manager you’re the…

Set Disruptors to . . . Win!
In Star Trek lore, a “disruptor” is a Klingon weapon that, as its name suggests, “disrupts” a target’s cell structure, either inflicting heavy damage to said target or vaporizing it. In business, though, disruption doesn’t relate to inflicting mortal wounds, but rather to shaking up the status quo. And while the Klingons rarely won the…

Appreciative Inquiry: Asking About What You Do Best
It’s five years from. Like “Monkeyz Van Winkle” (Rip’s better looking, simian forebear) you wake up from a long sleep. The world around you has changed. You’ve changed. Your business has changed. CORE GAMING BACKPACK KICKSTARTER The Ultimate Gift for Gamers, the ‘Core’ Gaming Backpack is a Great Gift for Travelers, Busy Professionals, and Students…

CORE Gaming Backpack by Mobile Edge: Good for Game Time, Go Time & Guaranteed for a Lifetime
One week in, Mobile Edge’s very first Kickstarter campaign to support production of its full-featured CORE Gaming Backpack is more than 20% funded toward its 45-day, $30,000 goal. Clearly, gamers know a good thing when they see it. The CORE Gaming Backpack from Mobile Edge is the real deal, and so is your opportunity to…

Nine Promotional Hacks to Keep Your Marketing from Taking a Vacation this Summer
Memorial Day is in the rear-view mirror, which means summer weather is about to hit and vacation “season” soon will be in full swing, including for yours truly and the Monkeyz staff. It’s an annual rite that’s good for the body, mind, and spirit—and good for recharging the batteries so you’re in tip-top fighting shape…

You’ve Got Intelligence, Now Do Something With It!
Do you value market intelligence, or do you just assume you know your marketplace and customer motivations? Far too often, this King Monkey has seen the gathering of market intelligence relegated to the “nice to have but not necessary” portion of marketing budgets. At a recent brainstorming session with my team to discuss strategies and tactics…

Is Your Content Marketing Being Heard?
People are inundated with emails, tweets, likes, shares, posts, and more every minute of every hour of every day. Terabytes and petabytes of information course continuously through the arteries of the Internet. What comes after a petabyte (a million gigabytes), I don’t know, but I am sure we’ll all find out soon enough. With all…

Do Your Business Foundations Provide Solid Footing?
As I write this, Oroville Dam in northern California is still in crisis mode, but hasn’t been breached. Hopefully it will not . . . and prayers go out to all in the potential path of destruction. As I’ve been watching the news and catching updates on my favorite feeds the last few days, it’s…

Are You Being Strategic?
“Strategic” is one of those words that has become increasingly popular in the business vernacular. I wonder, though, if most of us know what it truly means, or if it’s nearing status as one of those throwaway words or phrases such as “engagement” or “high quality.” It’s not just enough to use “strategic” as a…