February 2022 -

What You Should Be Looking For When Hiring Freelance Talent

Throughout my career, I have both been a freelancer, and have worked with various freelancers, initially in my role as director of corporate communications/marketing in the education, energy and healthcare industries and, since 2008, as owner of my own content marketing firm, Strategic Communications. I have also researched and written a few blog posts on the topic, including input from other sources who have worked with freelancers:

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How to Choose the Right Social Media Channels to Target Your Ideal Audience

These days it’s probably safe to say that most businesses have a presence on at least one social media channel. In fact, according to a 2021 Entrepreneur article, 97% of Fortune 500 companies rely on social media. The number is probably less for smaller companies, but it shouldn’t be. Social media can be a very cost effective way to raise awareness, generate leads, and build business.

There are a lot of channels out there, though, and not every channel is right for every business – or audience. Just because a channel is getting a lot of attention – take TikTok, for example – doesn’t mean that it makes sense for your business.

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Go-To Online Tools for Business Owners and Freelancers

8970947 - illuminated light bulb in a row of dim ones concept for creativity, innovation and solution Strategic Communications is an entirely remote company and has been since 2008, long before the pandemic emerged. Over those years we’ve been able to leverage a number of digital tools and apps to help us do our work more efficiently. We often learn about these tools through our clients. Each new client tends to bring along at least one new tool we haven’t used before. Some of our favorites: Continue reading “Go-To Online Tools for Business Owners and Freelancers”

The Power of Traditional Print Advertising

Over the past several years, the use of traditional advertising, including print advertising, has declined sharply as digital marketing has taken off. This has been even more true during the pandemic as many traditional brick and mortar businesses were literally forced to adopt a digital business model or close their doors.

But does traditional print advertising still hold value for marketers? Continue reading “The Power of Traditional Print Advertising”

Brand Ambassadors vs. Influencers – What’s the Difference?

We hear a lot about influencers in today’s digital marketing environment, especially related to such channels as Instagram and YouTube. Influencers leveraging these sites include well-known names (in certain circles) like MrBeast, Jake Paul and others who not only have massive followers but are making a massive amount of money from those who want to leverage those followers.

While most small businesses aren’t likely to either build or gain access to these top influencers, they do have the opportunity to leverage another powerful group– brand ambassadors.

Continue reading “Brand Ambassadors vs. Influencers – What’s the Difference?”