Jaime Shine

3 Ways to Encourage More Referrals (From Santa or The Grinch)

What’s on your list for Santa this year? A new computer? Fancy office digs? Or new business? Let’s go with the latter. Referrals. We all want them, but how do you encourage your clients and supporters to provide them? Gift Cards – It’s no coincidence that gift cards are the top gift year after year.Continue reading “3 Ways to Encourage More Referrals (From Santa or The Grinch)”

Why You Should Think Like The B.A.U.

My favorite show on TV is Criminal Minds, which is far from just another show on law enforcement. FBI agents in the Behavioral Analysis Unit (B.A.U.) profile suspected serial killers and hardened criminals in order to solve difficult cases. By reading clues at the crime scene and studying an unsub’s (perpetrator’s) life, the team canContinue reading “Why You Should Think Like The B.A.U.”

Social Media: Sales or Marketing Tool?

The big discussion on social media revolves around selling. Is it for hard selling? Creating and maintaining relationships? Building a community? Social media creates opportunities. It’s up to you to close them. Social media is one tool in your marketing mix. The confusion lies in the merging of sales and marketing — two separate functions (thatContinue reading “Social Media: Sales or Marketing Tool?”

I’m Thankful For… Unplugging & Reconnecting

“Don’t be a jerk. Try to love everyone. Give more than you take. And do it despite the fact that you only really like about seven out of 500 people.” –Judd Apatow As a country, America tends to be cynical and polarized, impatient and angry. Maybe it’s our roots. Maybe it’s our lifestyle. Whatever it is,Continue reading “I’m Thankful For… Unplugging & Reconnecting”

Writer’s Block: 4 Ways You Can Break Through the Wall

You sit down at your computer to write an inspiring blog post and you get nothing. Maybe it takes the form of a brick wall or just an expansive black void. Everyone suffers from writer’s block from time to time, but how do you break through it to produce meaningful content? View this post onContinue reading “Writer’s Block: 4 Ways You Can Break Through the Wall”

There’s Only One You, So Shouldn’t You Be Your Own Password?

Are you ready for your close-up? Hoyos Labs thinks you should be, and they may just change the face of the Internet. Introducing 1U™, an app that gives you access to all of your favorite sites with one glance. No more frustrating password rules. No more anxious moments as you desperately try to remember the passwordContinue reading “There’s Only One You, So Shouldn’t You Be Your Own Password?”

Saved: Facebook Scrolls Into the News Game

Let’s face it. Facebook desperately wants to be the center of your online activities: your home page, your entertainment hub, your news source. Especially your news source. The social media giant may have finally arrived in this last sector. The recently introduced Save feature finally allows you to store interesting news stories and posts away for laterContinue reading “Saved: Facebook Scrolls Into the News Game”

Get Visual With Content Marketing: 5 Tools To Help

We’ve all heard that ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words,’ but the proof is more personal. When you flip through a magazine, browse online or read a blog post, where do your eyes go? To the pictures. So it should be no surprise that images are the number one most important factor in optimal social media content.Continue reading “Get Visual With Content Marketing: 5 Tools To Help”

Warning: Appropriate Hashtag Usage on Instagram Will Result in Major Traffic Increase

Hashtags: you either love them or hate them. This blog has pondered hashtag usage before and received a mixed response from readers on their effectiveness and aesthetic appeal. But more than a year after that discussion, one thing is clear. Hashtag usage should be defined more than ever by social platform. Social Platform Hashtag Usage Twitter?Continue reading “Warning: Appropriate Hashtag Usage on Instagram Will Result in Major Traffic Increase”

Where else can you read about MacGyver, Marketing and Leg Lamp Cookies?

As we approach the 200 follower mark, it seemed like a good time to officially welcome (or re-welcome) everyone to the blog and answer some frequently asked questions. What’s this blog about? In a nutshell, posts typically fall into 4 main categories: marketing, writing, social media and personal reflection. As loyal readers will tell you though,Continue reading “Where else can you read about MacGyver, Marketing and Leg Lamp Cookies?”