Blogs

When this King Monkey decides to part with his hard-earned dough, he expects to be treated well. I don’t think I have unrealistic expectations. I simply expect the product or service I buy to deliver on its promise—that’s first and foremost. If it’s supposed to slice and dice, then it darn well better slice and…

In the minds of consumers when everything is equal about a particular product or service, what’s left? What distinguishes one brand from the rest of the chatter? Quite often, the decision to buy a product or service is based on emotion—on the ability of a brand story to strike a particular chord with target buyers…

The Opening Ceremonies for the Rio Olympics are this Friday. Are you excited? I am (beach volleyball kicks off bright and early Saturday morning), though also a little apprehensive. The obstacles facing the Rio Olympics are well documented. In case you’ve been up in the jungle canopy the last few months, here’s a quick rundown…

Did you observe “Get to Know Your Customers Day?” It was last Thursday, July 21. It’s a day designed to encourage businesses to reach out to their customers and get to know them better. Sounds like a good idea to me, and if you did miss it, there’s no need to fret. The next one…

Business News Daily describes the measure of success for a brand’s social media and digital marketing efforts as the ability to use it “to grow a flourishing community of fans.” I couldn’t agree more, though I’d probably add that lasting success comes from the use of social media and digital marketing to both grow and…

(Update to original post from June 2013) Marketing 101 teaches us to define our ideal clients or customers (our “target audience”) and to gear our communications and marketing efforts toward that broad group. Not to the exclusion of others, of course, but the idea is that if we communicate what we need to the people…

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past month and need a reminder, Father’s Day is on Sunday. It’s time to break out the steaks and BBQ grills, fill coolers with ice and cold brews, and restock your Dad’s inventory of ties he shouldn’t wear but probably will. To all the Dads…

Digital marketing, like traditional marketing, is most effective when you “look before you leap.” In other words, consider goals and objectives, and then focus on necessary tactics, not the other way around. Sounds straightforward, I know, a real no-brainer, but you’d be surprised. Many digital marketers are more about selling tactics—aka “services”—rather than selling what…

The transition away from what’s known as “traditional marketing”—what we, back in the day, simply called “marketing”—is accelerating. Newspapers and magazines large and small are forgoing print editions in favor of online versions; and even billboards are getting digital makeovers. In its place, the ever-evolving world of “digital marketing” is firmly taking root. First came…

Dear Barrel O’Monkeyz reader, I hope this blog finds you and yours in good health. It’s been some time since I wrote one of my infamous “Barrel O’Monkeyz Updates,” so I figured it was about time for this King Monkey to speak up. Man . . . where do I begin? It feels like an…

  You’ve labored long and hard to get your search marketing right where you want it: You employed Search Engine Marketing (SEM) techniques by paying for clicks through Google AdWords to get your website front and center in the search results, gaining traction for your new product. At the same time, you employed Search Engine…

A common misconception about effective search marketing is that you need to pack your content full of keywords so search bots will take notice. Sure, your content needs to contain keywords and phrases your target buyers will use to find you, but not to the point incoherence. What good will it do for a search…