March 22, 2019 Should I allow people to login with Facebook to my website or SaaS service? The use case here is a consumer or customer coming to your website or platform and they have to sign in to use the…
March 21, 2019 [Email Marketing] How to use all that content you are creating in email marketing Email isn’t dead, as you likely know. People check their emails and it’s a highly-converting medium still. Email is also a great way to…
March 20, 2019 [iPhone security] Why you must change your iPhone’s name from iPhone to something else! I was in Chicago as we were flying to Cancun from there on – what happened to be – St. Patrick’s Day weekend. As…
March 19, 2019 For tired marketers: How I now maximize my coffee consumption Marketing and change management are tiring activities. And so is organizational storytelling. So chances are you are tired. You likely are reading this tired….
March 18, 2019 When healthcare pricing is transparent we can actually make decisions [Real-life example] Healthcare pricing has been a hot topic over the years certainly. In years past, it was almost impossible to know what the cost would…
March 15, 2019 Does location matter to build a global brand? I was on the Wild Business Growth Business Podcast and Host Max Branstetter asked me about how hard it was to build a global…
March 14, 2019 [Influencer marketing] I lost a quarter million dollar proposal and here’s why that’s good In late 2018, I received a phone call and I even answered. A company wanted to partner with me. They had apparently seen my…
March 12, 2019 How I could easily change my airplane ticket away from what I thought was a 737 Max With the 737 Max aircraft crashing twice in recent months and the EU and China banning the plane from flying, I thought it was…
March 12, 2019 [Hotels] Why I often change hotels on multi-day trips Ahead of a family trip to Cancun, Mexico, my wife goes: “And we are getting the room cleaned.” Of course, she was referring to…
March 11, 2019 [Technology] New tool uses AI to predict ad performance Software as a Service (SaaS) certainly is a highly competitive field and it’s hard to rise to the top. Many companies offer similar things…
March 8, 2019 [Good marketing] Thumbs up to ring finger giving divorce billboard in Albany A billboard in New York was raising eyebrows. At first glance it does kind of look like it’s giving passing motorists the middle finger….
March 7, 2019 [Live Video] Doing a live Twitter video helped me solve the problem of being stuck in my frozen car I spent a couple days in Chicago for content marketing purposes and the weather was terrible. Flights were canceled because of ice and the…
March 6, 2019 Should we be running Facebook Messenger ads? [Social media] The short answer is that yes you should try them today because things might be changing soon. What are Facebook Messenger ads anyways? Several…
March 5, 2019 Sales people and content marketers can steal this video idea from a Girl Scout [Social selling] Content marketing, digital and other new tools can make sales easier but also harder. Anyone can grow an audience and drive business if they…
March 4, 2019 How to share article links to Facebook Stories that link to your website [Social Media Tip] Publishers want the click to their websites. I do, too. But getting the click on social media is getting harder and harder, though, people…
February 28, 2019 American Airlines App adds Siri functionality – how to use it and why publishers may use this American quietly rolled out the functionality that allows users to add flight info to Siri. And I say “quietly” because it was showing up…
February 28, 2019 What are super hearts on Periscope? Periscope (aka Twitter Live video or audio) has always allowed logged in users to give hearts ♥️ to broadcasters. Just click on the screen…
February 27, 2019 [Corporate content marketing] Here’s why anecdotes are actually a decent measurement I hear marketers complain all the time about measurements: Too many measurements Too many platforms Those measurements are not what we want And yes,…
February 26, 2019 More evidence that writing has never been harder: Looking for an AI Chatbot writer You’ve heard me talk about how writing has never been harder. Back in the day when I first started journalistic writing we didn’t measure…
February 25, 2019 How long can an Instagram Live be? 1 hour, but you can start again right away and here’s why that might be good I was watching newly-elected U.S. Congresswoman (NY) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Instagram Live on a Sunday night. She was cooking and discussing politics. Awesome. Very authentic…
February 22, 2019 iPhone tech: How I can now unlock my iPhone with my glove’s fingerprint I have an iPhone 6S. Call me old school. Outdated. Whatever. It still works. And I use it to create content, get stuff done…
February 21, 2019 School: Snow days in the digital age should mean kids just learn at home, but there are barriers With all of this snow falling in Iowa and record cold temperatures this year (-50 at one point), snow days are happening right and…
February 20, 2019 What’s the easiest way to transcribe your podcasts? [Tech commentary] Transcripts of podcasts and videos do have a place in content marketing. They allow people who can’t listen or watch to still consume the…
February 19, 2019 [Instagram strategies] Here’s why you should tag yourself in your Instagram Stories that have hashtags Hashtags in Instagram Stories have evolved since they first rolled out in May 2017. By the way: Check out my Hashtag Halloween costume here….
February 18, 2019 Facebook ads: That line between targeting audiences and discriminating specific groups As I was working on some Facebook ads and a social promotion strategy, Facebook interrupted my progress to alert me that I shouldn’t discriminate…
February 15, 2019 Exhibit No. 535: Here’s why asking people about their digital behaviors is worthless We love to use the stories we have to back up our agenda and that’s fine to a degree. We know what we live…
February 14, 2019 [Video] Do you really need an external light for your selfie videos/vlogs? This was a slighted debated discussing at the Trappe household. My 11-year-old YouTuber order a tripod and an external light with some of her…
February 13, 2019 The work that goes into rebranding anything and is it really worth it? [Bye, bye, Marriott Rewards] The Marriott Rewards loyalty program is rebranding as Marriott Bonvoy in February 2019, which means that most of us will potentially stop calling it…
February 12, 2019 PODCASTS: Where is the mic on my iPhone? [Maximizing audio quality] This article discusses where the microphone is actually located on your iPhone so you know how to get the best audio for your podcast recordings.
February 11, 2019 Do businesses really need styleguides to tell organizational stories? Or maybe it’s style guides (two words!). I don’t know. I don’t have one and when I googled it I found it both ways….
February 8, 2019 How organizations can ensure they don’t repeat stories and content that they already shared There’s a real danger in digital content marketing to publish duplicate or at least content that dilutes other content. Here’s why that happens: We…
February 7, 2019 When the weather is so bad you go without mail … would you miss it? The weather with the Polar Vortex was so bad cold in the Midwest that heating companies shared tips. Businesses closed offices. And then I…
February 6, 2019 WordPress Design: How to easily create beautiful content links within a blog post I ran across this wonderful WordPress function by mistake. They make my related links so much prettier with less work! You may have seen…
February 5, 2019 With Google Plus going away how important is it to download my data? Due to low usage Google Plus – Google’s attempt at a social network – is shutting down in April 2019. So now all previous…
February 3, 2019 Super Bowl ads: Nice job by Sam Adams beer responding to social media chit chatter about syrup or no syrup Bud Light has been a mainstay with Super Bowl commercials over the years. During the 2019 game between the Rams and Patriots they ran…
February 3, 2019 Why YouTube TV sponsoring the 2019 Super Bowl pregame show was brilliant [Advertising commentary] I was watching part of the pregame show for the big game between the LA Rams and the New England Patriots on CBS over…
February 1, 2019 [Travel diaries] Should I have taken my 11-year-old daughter on a mileage run to make airline status? The other day I realized that my 11-year-old, who has been to Europe a bunch of times recently – including 3 times in 12…
January 31, 2019 [Branding commentary] What should I name my blog? This can be a hotly debated topic for new and even existing content marketing programs. Yes, blogging still works. If you don’t like the…
January 30, 2019 When social media alerts are better than Google Alerts You see me swoon over Search Engine Optimization. Write for SEO! Yes, yes, yes we are on Page 1 OR crap, why aren’t we?…
January 29, 2019 How heating businesses can maximize -50 degree temperatures with social media campaigns [Examples] I live in Iowa and winters here can be cold 🥶. But -50 degrees is unheard of, but that’s what’s being forecast for days…
January 28, 2019 How airlines can personalize services for their top frequent fliers even more [Customer service idea] I’ve had status on American Airlines for five years running now. The last two were as executive platinum- their top level. The service and…
January 25, 2019 That fine line: Convenience or potential eye sore – rentable scooters in metro cities On trips to DC and Nashville I saw the scooters all over the place. People park them wherever- basically and you can rent them…
January 24, 2019 Is the future of TV ads really interactivity? The other day my Hulu show streaming on my Roku was given me an option: Click here and watch 30 seconds and interact with…
January 23, 2019 How TV shows and fitness influencers repurpose and use multiple videos in one Instagram post And certainly any brand can follow this strategy. You really just need videos, an Instagram account and the willingness to try. About two years…
January 22, 2019 [Analysis] Does social media help with SEO? This has been a hotly debated topic in the content marketing community and interestingly, I haven’t written about it! Look at me be shy….
January 21, 2019 Apple fan boy moment: How to pay people via iMessage! An easy explanation of how to pay others through iMessage.
January 18, 2019 Why you probably shouldn’t get too excited about those branded SEO results Search engine optimization matters and when done well can drive fantastic business results. But of course, it’s Google’s world and we just live in….
January 17, 2019 The best e-commerce has offline components – or vice versa The family and I ended up staying in downtown Chicago late in 2018. We redeemed some credit card points to stay at a Marriott…
January 16, 2019 Digital marketing and offline: Why all the signs in the world might still not get the message across I’m all for transparency. Let our readers know that our tweets are not endorsements, that content is sponsored and let’s plaster signs to make…
January 15, 2019 [Tools review] The multimedia tools I take to conferences with me to tell stories As I was packing for the AHR Expo, the world’s largest HVACR conference in Atlanta, with 25 appointments (which they all booked through Calendly)…
January 14, 2019 [Throwback] How to find your first Facebook picture to share in the latest Facebook fad You may have seen the latest where people share their first Facebook picture and their latest. I have no idea who comes up with…
January 11, 2019 [Book club] Getting your marketing strategy to the tipping point of contagiousness is harder than it sounds It’s a dream for content marketers: To get our content to spread. To be sticky. To be contagious. We want people to be sick…
January 10, 2019 [Apps] How to decide what notifications to push from your apps to consumers The promise of instant engagement from consumers certainly makes notifications from our apps attractive. Chances are we – the marketers – have spent hours…
January 9, 2019 [Culture commentary] Should employees bring laptops to meetings? This is one of those never-ending debates, I think. Some people feel strongly about other people’s use of technology. “Oh my goodness, that couple…
January 8, 2019 [Brand reputation] According to my LinkedIn, Ryan Airlines is the best and the worst – and they might both be true! Communication and public relations can be interesting. As you know, I like to travel – in part because of all the stories you get…
January 7, 2019 [Business travel] Is this the most overlooked time to get work done on planes? Many business travelers know the value of working while on board a plane. There are few distractions, maybe choose to not buy WiFi and…
January 4, 2019 Email marketing done well: Here’s what just happened when you used your credit card Oftentimes email marketing is done to push the consumer down the marketing funnel and closer to the purchase. That’s a relatively accepted strategy and…
January 3, 2019 Is affiliate marketing worth it for a blog? A look at the numbers on whether or not affiliate marketing is worth it for bloggers. Some numbers from this blog to get you thinking.
January 2, 2019 [LinkedIn] How to stand out on LinkedIn by sending voice messages LinkedIn has rolled out a new way for people to spam our inboxes have meaningful private conversations. Introducing the voice memo. It’s really just…
December 30, 2018 [Social media tip] Is it possible to post text on Instagram without having a photo to post? Technically no, but practically yes. Let me explain how to post a text-only message directly in the Instagram app but it’s ultimately still a…
December 28, 2018 The future of e-commerce: Virtual reality and highly representative pictures of products “The legroom on this seating chart may not be what it appears.” – all kinds of airlines Ugh! That’s being slightly snarky, but you…
December 27, 2018 How I used the Twitter threads function to promote a podcast I started recording some fun podcasts over on the Stamats website to share information around the topics that are to be covered at the…
December 26, 2018 The changing face of media consumption: What happened to movies in hotels? Media consumption changes constantly and the channels are exploding and the content creators are multiplying. Welcome to the 21st century. You’ve heard the old…
December 21, 2018 What to do when you sent customers an infographic to share that exposes their personal information That’s what American Airlines did in 2018, but they handled the whoops well and the follow up wasn’t bad! Every year, American Airlines sends…
December 21, 2018 How to create an email marketing infographic that nurtures leads and customer retention I’m heading to Nashville flying on Delta during the holiday season. I hardly ever fly Delta though I’m currently their second highest status on…
December 20, 2018 [Advertising analysis] Are inline ads worth it? Content marketers often take pride in not doing advertising of any kind. “We use unpaid methods to reach our audiences. #boom” And that’s fine…
December 19, 2018 Web optimization: Why isn’t my pop up working on mobile devices? I try to keep pop ups on here to a minimum, but sometimes they are worth trying to get people to: Sign up for…
December 18, 2018 How to run a promotion (sponsored post) in your Instagram Stories I see more and more promoted sponsored posts on Instagram Stories. So of course, I wanted to find out how to do that and…
December 17, 2018 Brilliant advertising by Emirates: “Your southbound Emirates flight is taking off.” By southbound flight the public announcement voice meant the cable car 🚠 trip across the river in London – presumably heading south. I’m directionally…
December 14, 2018 Corporate storytelling: Travel reporting is a good example why people need to leave their offices When I spoke in Berlin, I had emoji pillows all over the room and pointed at one in the corner. That’s the writer who…
