[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10899},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-articles":3,"blog-category-news-posts":1470,"blog-category-news-team":10325},[4,327,591,907,1148],{"id":5,"title":6,"author":7,"authors":8,"body":10,"caption":7,"category":315,"date":316,"description":317,"extension":318,"img":319,"imgAlt":6,"meta":320,"minutes":321,"navigation":322,"path":323,"seo":324,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":325,"updated":7,"__hash__":326},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fwhy-you-should-monitor-brand-mentions-in-ai-search-results.md","Why You Should Monitor Brand Mentions in AI Search Results",null,[9],"Kerry Guard",{"type":11,"value":12,"toc":290},"minimark",[13,17,20,23,28,31,34,42,45,68,72,80,88,91,95,98,102,105,110,118,124,128,131,156,160,174,178,181,185,188,192,195,199,202,213,217,220,224,227,231,234,238,244,247,250,254],[14,15,16],"p",{},"Right now, AI search engines are talking about your software company. Whether you track it or not, platforms like ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews answer questions every single day about your product capabilities, pricing, and market reputation. B2B software buyers use these tools to build shortlists, compare technical features, and make buying decisions before ever clicking through to a vendor's website.",[14,18,19],{},"If you rely on old brand-monitoring tools, you are running blind. Traditional monitoring platforms track static web pages, social media tags, and news mentions. They cannot show you what a buyer sees inside a conversational AI search box.",[14,21,22],{},"Unlike traditional Google search, where a website's ranking and content stay relatively consistent from day to day, AI-generated responses are dynamic. They synthesize information on the fly from across the web. Without an active monitoring strategy, inaccurate product claims, outdated pricing, or heavy competitor recommendations can quietly slip into AI responses without your knowledge, pulling qualified leads out of your pipeline before you even know they exist.",[24,25,27],"h2",{"id":26},"the-dynamic-reality-of-ai-search-results","The Dynamic Reality of AI Search Results",[14,29,30],{},"To understand why monitoring AI brand mentions requires a new approach, consider how AI search engines differ from traditional search directories.",[14,32,33],{},"In a traditional search model, Google crawls a page, indexes the text, and displays a link. If your page ranks third for a keyword, it generally stays near that spot until an algorithm update or a content change occurs.",[14,35,36,37,41],{},"AI search engines work differently. When a prospective customer prompts an AI tool—asking, for example, ",[38,39,40],"em",{},"\"What are the best enterprise cloud security platforms for healthcare compliance?\"","—the underlying Large Language Model (LLM) retrieves information from dozens of real-time sources, synthesizes the facts, and writes a unique response.",[14,43,44],{},"Because these responses are generated in real time, the way an AI engine describes your brand can shift based on:",[46,47,48,56,62],"ul",{},[49,50,51,55],"li",{},[52,53,54],"strong",{},"New Web Scrapes:"," A fresh review, a Reddit discussion thread, or an updated competitor blog post can instantly alter how the AI summarizes your company.",[49,57,58,61],{},[52,59,60],{},"Prompt Variations:"," Slight changes in how a user words a query can lead the AI to pull from entirely different data sources.",[49,63,64,67],{},[52,65,66],{},"Model Updates:"," As platforms update their underlying LLMs, the sources they trust and cite shift continuously.",[24,69,71],{"id":70},"the-risks-of-unmonitored-ai-brand-mentions","The Risks of Unmonitored AI Brand Mentions",[14,73,74,79],{},[75,76],"img",{"alt":77,"src":78},"","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F378276c5-b933-4eed-8804-a96958aabcdf-why-you-should-monitor-image-1.webp","When you leave your AI presence to chance without monitoring what these engines say, you’re gambling with your brand equity, and small inaccuracies turn into major business risks.",[81,82,84,87],"h3",{"id":83},"_1-hallucinated-features-and-misattributed-limitations",[52,85,86],{},"1. Hallucina","ted Features and Misattributed Limitations",[14,89,90],{},"AI engines occasionally \"hallucinate\": presenting incorrect details with absolute authority. An AI search tool might state that your software lacks a key integration, charges hidden fees, or only supports small businesses when you actually target enterprise accounts. If a buyer reads that hallucinated summary, they may drop your company from their consideration set without ever contacting your sales team.",[81,92,94],{"id":93},"_2-competitor-hijacking","2. Competitor Hijacking",[14,96,97],{},"If your competitors actively optimize their web presence for generative search while your brand stays passive, AI engines will default to recommending your competitors. When buyers ask AI tools to compare your product against a competitor, an unmonitored response might highlight your rival's strengths while summarizing outdated or inaccurate criticisms of your platform.",[81,99,101],{"id":100},"_3-loss-of-narrative-control","3. Loss of Narrative Control",[14,103,104],{},"In B2B tech, your positioning is everything. If an AI search engine pulls its understanding of your brand from outdated PR releases, informal forum threads, or low-authority review sites, your core value proposition gets diluted. You lose control over how your product is framed during the buyer's research phase.",[14,106,107],{},[52,108,109],{},"Expert Insight from MKG Marketing:",[14,111,112,115,116],{},[38,113,114],{},"\"","Designers often say \"This website speaks more to LLMs than human beings.\" To that I say, \"Good. That's step one.\" Step one: be findable by answer engines. Humans will end up there after they search for the problem. Step two: optimize for the human experience once they arrive. Right now most teams are still trying to optimize for both at the same time, which means they optimize for neither.The order matters. Findable first. Usable second.",[38,117,114],{},[14,119,120,121,123],{},"— ",[52,122,9],{},", Founder & CEO at MKG Marketing",[24,125,127],{"id":126},"why-manual-spot-checks-arent-enough","Why Manual Spot-Checks Aren't Enough",[14,129,130],{},"Many marketing teams attempt to solve this problem by occasionally typing their company name into ChatGPT or Perplexity to see what comes up. While spot-checking is a natural first step, it fails as a long-term business strategy for three reasons:",[132,133,134,140,150],"ol",{},[49,135,136,139],{},[52,137,138],{},"Personalized and Location-Based Bias:"," AI search tools tailor responses based on user location, session history, and account settings. What you see on your desktop in an office is rarely identical to what a buyer sees in another region.",[49,141,142,145,146,149],{},[52,143,144],{},"Infinite Query Permutations:"," Buyers don't just type your brand name. They ask complex, long-tail questions like ",[38,147,148],{},"\"How long does it take to implement [Company Name] compared to [Competitor]?\""," Manual checks cannot cover the hundreds of ways prospects ask about your category.",[49,151,152,155],{},[52,153,154],{},"Lack of Historical Tracking:"," Spot-checks give you a single snapshot in time. They don't track trends, measure whether your citation share is growing, or alert you when an inaccurate claim enters the AI's data pool.",[24,157,159],{"id":158},"how-to-build-a-systematic-strategy-the-best-ways-to-monitor-brand-mentions-in-ai-search","How to Build a Systematic Strategy: The Best Ways to Monitor Brand Mentions in AI Search",[14,161,162,165,166,169,170,173],{},[75,163],{"alt":77,"src":164},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F4c47ce7e-784c-46ee-bd33-f4ff8fd72368-why-you-should-monitor-image-2.webp","Protecting your company’s digital footprint requires shifting from manual testing to a structured ",[52,167,168],{},"Search Visibility Optimization (SVO)"," framework. Establishing effective ",[52,171,172],{},"brand monitoring across ai search engines"," involves four operational steps:",[81,175,177],{"id":176},"step-1-identify-high-intent-buyer-prompts","Step 1: Identify High-Intent Buyer Prompts",[14,179,180],{},"Brainstorm the exact questions your ideal prospects ask during their evaluation phase. Move beyond simple brand searches to focus on category comparisons, feature queries, and implementation questions.",[81,182,184],{"id":183},"step-2-map-your-citation-share-across-key-ai-platforms","Step 2: Map Your \"Citation Share\" Across Key AI Platforms",[14,186,187],{},"Track how frequently AI tools cite your site compared to competitors across platforms like ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Note which specific URLs the AI uses as references when it mentions your brand.",[81,189,191],{"id":190},"step-3-correct-the-source-data","Step 3: Correct the Source Data",[14,193,194],{},"When you identify inaccurate AI claims, trace where the model pulled the information. AI engines often pull from third-party review sites, developer documentation, or outdated press releases. Updating those primary sources corrects the data that the AI scrapes and cites.",[81,196,198],{"id":197},"step-4-measure-svo-metrics-alongside-traditional-seo","Step 4: Measure SVO Metrics Alongside Traditional SEO",[14,200,201],{},"Expand your reporting dashboard. Along with measuring traditional website traffic and organic keyword rankings, track your brand's citation growth, AI Overview inclusion rate, and direct-traffic conversions.",[14,203,204,205,212],{},"To see how modern search strategies connect directly to pipeline, explore our comprehensive",[206,207,211],"a",{"href":208,"rel":209},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fexpert-digital-marketing-services\u002Fsearch-visibility-optimization\u002F",[210],"nofollow"," Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) services",".",[24,214,216],{"id":215},"supporting-ai-visibility-with-paid-and-analytics-channels","Supporting AI Visibility with Paid and Analytics Channels",[14,218,219],{},"Brand monitoring in AI search provides the insights you need to protect your reputation, but driving consistent revenue requires integrating those insights across your entire marketing stack.",[81,221,223],{"id":222},"reinforcing-visibility-with-targeted-ads","Reinforcing Visibility with Targeted Ads",[14,225,226],{},"When you notice an AI search engine frequently recommending a competitor for a specific high-value query, you can immediately bridge the gap using targeted paid channels. Pairing your organic optimizations with focused digital advertising ensures your software maintains top-of-page visibility while you update and strengthen your organic source content.",[81,228,230],{"id":229},"measuring-real-world-lead-attribution","Measuring Real-World Lead Attribution",[14,232,233],{},"Because buyers often read an AI response and navigate directly to your site later, traditional click-tracking can misattribute those leads as \"Direct\" or \"Organic Brand\" search. Utilizing modern digital analytics allows you to cross-reference offline CRM data, self-reported attribution, and site activity to confirm how AI search visibility influences actual pipeline velocity.",[24,235,237],{"id":236},"summary-protecting-your-brands-digital-reputation","Summary: Protecting Your Brand's Digital Reputation",[14,239,240,243],{},[75,241],{"alt":77,"src":242},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fbfa7aa92-037c-4f2c-8afb-5045bf32ffbc-why-you-should-monitor-image-3.webp","Monitoring your brand in AI search results is no longer optional—it is a critical requirement to protect your reputation, maintain narrative control, and secure your lead pipeline. As conversational engines continue to replace traditional search lists, tech companies that passively ignore their AI mentions risk losing market share to competitors who actively manage their generative presence.",[14,245,246],{},"Establishing a reliable monitoring framework requires dedicated expertise, systematic tracking tools, and continuous iteration.",[14,248,249],{},"At MKG Marketing, we remove the complexity. We provide an experienced, senior-level team that builds and executes your search visibility strategy directly—with no junior handoffs or black-box reporting. We help B2B software and technology companies monitor their digital presence, correct inaccurate AI citations, and convert organic visibility into predictable revenue.",[81,251,253],{"id":252},"protect-and-scale-your-ai-search-visibility","Protect and Scale Your AI Search Visibility",[46,255,256,267,279],{},[49,257,258,261,262,266],{},[52,259,260],{},"Curious how search engines and AI models actually see your brand?"," Our senior-led team breaks down your real-time visibility across AI platforms—no black-box mysteries, just clear data.",[206,263,265],{"href":208,"rel":264},[210]," Explore our Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) Services"," or book an initial search strategy review.",[49,268,269,272,273,278],{},[52,270,271],{},"Noticing a sudden shift in your traffic or search presence?"," We’re always down to talk strategy and help you make sense of the noise. ",[206,274,277],{"href":275,"rel":276},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fcontact\u002F",[210],"Contact the MKG Marketing team directly"," to schedule a consultation.",[49,280,281,284,285,212],{},[52,282,283],{},"Want to peek under the hood of machine learning?"," Dive into our guide:",[206,286,289],{"href":287,"rel":288},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-visibility-ranking-factors-2026-how-machines-decide-who-to-quote\u002F",[210]," AI Search Visibility Ranking Factors 2026: How Machines Decide Who to Quote",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":292},2,[293,294,301,302,308,312],{"id":26,"depth":291,"text":27},{"id":70,"depth":291,"text":71,"children":295},[296,299,300],{"id":83,"depth":297,"text":298},3,"1. Hallucinated Features and Misattributed Limitations",{"id":93,"depth":297,"text":94},{"id":100,"depth":297,"text":101},{"id":126,"depth":291,"text":127},{"id":158,"depth":291,"text":159,"children":303},[304,305,306,307],{"id":176,"depth":297,"text":177},{"id":183,"depth":297,"text":184},{"id":190,"depth":297,"text":191},{"id":197,"depth":297,"text":198},{"id":215,"depth":291,"text":216,"children":309},[310,311],{"id":222,"depth":297,"text":223},{"id":229,"depth":297,"text":230},{"id":236,"depth":291,"text":237,"children":313},[314],{"id":252,"depth":297,"text":253},"seo","2026-08-19T16:01:29.475Z","Why track what ChatGPT and Google say about you? Learn why monitoring brand mentions in AI search results is vital to protect your software company's leads.","md","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F3c12c34c-ad32-459d-b38c-32bc49abb722-why-you-should-monitor-hero-image.webp",{},7,true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fwhy-you-should-monitor-brand-mentions-in-ai-search-results",{"title":6,"description":317},"blog\u002Fseo\u002Fwhy-you-should-monitor-brand-mentions-in-ai-search-results","5RVi7PlUuStBs0ZDnG7rVBbJjOT75Yiu-aBaCK1SW5o",{"id":328,"title":329,"author":7,"authors":330,"body":331,"caption":7,"category":315,"date":581,"description":582,"extension":318,"img":583,"imgAlt":584,"meta":585,"minutes":586,"navigation":322,"path":587,"seo":588,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":589,"updated":7,"__hash__":590},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-visibility-ranking-factors-2026-how-machines-decide-who-to-quote.md","AI Search Visibility Ranking Factors 2026 - How Machines Decide Who to Quote",[9],{"type":11,"value":332,"toc":566},[333,336,339,342,346,353,379,386,389,393,396,399,410,414,417,420,440,444,447,450,454,461,464,468,471,475,478,482,487,492,497,501,504,509,512,517,520,525,529,532,535,539],[14,334,335],{},"In 2026, the old playbook for getting found online just doesn't hit the same. Modern B2B buyers aren't scrolling through pages of blue links anymore. Instead, they’re going straight to tools like ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews to compare software features, stack up vendors, and build their shortlists in seconds.",[14,337,338],{},"Here’s the thing: AI engines don’t read websites the way traditional search crawlers used to. Old-school crawlers were all about keyword density, backlink totals, and meta tags to index pages in a directory. But large language models (LLMs) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems look at the bigger picture. They care about how your information is structured, verified, and contextualized.",[14,340,341],{},"If your tech brand isn't formatted for machine readability, your website essentially becomes invisible to the very engines your buyers rely on every single day.",[24,343,345],{"id":344},"how-ai-search-engines-select-sources-in-2026","How AI Search Engines Select Sources in 2026",[14,347,348,349,352],{},"To understand how your brand gets quoted or recommended by AI, it helps to look at what happens behind the scenes. When a user enters a complex prompt, such as ",[38,350,351],{},"\"What are the top enterprise cybersecurity platforms for multi-cloud compliance?\",","  an AI search engine processes the request through four specific steps:",[132,354,355,361,367,373],{},[49,356,357,360],{},[52,358,359],{},"Deconstructing the Prompt:"," The system breaks the question down to identify the core subject, key concepts, and what the user is actually trying to accomplish.",[49,362,363,366],{},[52,364,365],{},"Retrieving Relevant Data:"," Rather than pulling up a list of web addresses based on exact keywords, the engine searches its database for content that semantically matches those underlying concepts.",[49,368,369,372],{},[52,370,371],{},"Evaluating Content Structure and Source Authority:"," The system analyzes potential sources. It checks whether the text is clearly formatted, whether the facts match other reliable references, and whether the publishing site demonstrates real-world authority on the subject.",[49,374,375,378],{},[52,376,377],{},"Synthesizing the Answer and Linking Sources:"," The engine extracts direct passages from the top-rated sources, writes a unified response, and attaches clickable links so the user can verify where the information came from.",[24,380,382,385],{"id":381},"the-core-2026-ai-search-visibility-ranking-factors",[75,383],{"alt":77,"src":384},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fee360449-da4d-4dfe-a8b0-4ac440db5ad4-ai-visibility-1.png","The Core 2026 AI Search Visibility Ranking Factors",[14,387,388],{},"Based on industry observations and current AI search visibility benchmarks for 2026, AI search algorithms look at six critical factors when deciding which sources deserve a quote:",[81,390,392],{"id":391},"_1-information-gain-and-uniqueness","1. Information Gain and Uniqueness",[14,394,395],{},"AI engines exist to synthesize what's already out there. If your article just repeats the same generic overview that ten other websites published, an LLM has zero reason to cite your brand. Information Gain measures how much new, non-redundant value a page brings to the table.",[14,397,398],{},"To score high here, your content needs:",[46,400,401,404,407],{},[49,402,403],{},"Proprietary research, benchmark surveys, and original data.",[49,405,406],{},"Direct commentary from verified subject matter experts.",[49,408,409],{},"Real-world implementation metrics and detailed technical breakdowns.",[81,411,413],{"id":412},"_2-machine-readable-content-formatting-semantic-chunking","2. Machine-Readable Content Formatting (Semantic Chunking)",[14,415,416],{},"LLMs process web pages in \"chunks\" rather than reading articles sequentially from start to finish. If your key insights are buried inside massive walls of text with generic subheadings, the retrieval model is going to miss the context entirely.",[14,418,419],{},"Winning sites use explicit, machine-readable formatting:",[46,421,422,428,434],{},[49,423,424,427],{},[52,425,426],{},"Question-and-Answer Headers:"," Use direct H2 and H3 subheadings that mirror natural-language user queries.",[49,429,430,433],{},[52,431,432],{},"Bottom-Line-First Declarations:"," State the direct answer or main takeaway in the very first sentence beneath a heading before diving into the details.",[49,435,436,439],{},[52,437,438],{},"Clean Data Tables and Lists:"," Present technical comparisons, feature breakdowns, and numerical data using structured HTML tables and bulleted lists.",[81,441,443],{"id":442},"_3-entity-consistency-and-schema-markup","3. Entity Consistency and Schema Markup",[14,445,446],{},"AI search engines build vast knowledge graphs of \"entities\" (companies, products, executives, and concepts). For an engine to confidently recommend your SaaS platform, it has to verify that your brand is a recognized, trusted entity in your category.",[14,448,449],{},"Implementing detailed JSON-LD Schema markup, including Organization, SoftwareApplication, Article, and FAQPage schemas, gives search engines clear, explicit data about what you offer. When your on-page Schema matches external mentions across review platforms, news outlets, and industry databases, the LLM’s confidence score goes way up.",[81,451,453],{"id":452},"_4-technical-answer-density","4. Technical Answer Density",[14,455,456,457,460],{},"Answer density is all about the concentration of real, factual value relative to your total word count. Unedited AI fluff—filled with generic intros like ",[38,458,459],{},"\"In today's fast-paced digital world...\"","—completely dilutes your message.",[14,462,463],{},"In 2026, AI retrieval systems favor high-density content that delivers precise technical facts, clear definitions, and actionable steps without any extra noise.",[81,465,467],{"id":466},"_5-multi-source-digital-co-citations","5. Multi-Source Digital Co-Citations",[14,469,470],{},"An LLM rarely relies on a single web page to build an answer, it cross-references multiple sources to verify facts. If your platform is mentioned with positive sentiment across third-party review sites, developer forums, PR releases, and partner docs, generative engines see your site as an authoritative industry reference.",[81,472,474],{"id":473},"_6-demonstrable-e-e-a-t-signals","6. Demonstrable E-E-A-T Signals",[14,476,477],{},"Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are as foundational as ever. AI engines actively look for proof that a real human with hands-on experience created or reviewed the content. Explicit author bios linked to verified LinkedIn profiles, direct quotes from company leaders, and clear links to primary sources all reinforce your site's trust score.",[14,479,480],{},[52,481,109],{},[14,483,484],{},[38,485,486],{},"\"Understanding these technical AI ranking factors is essential for tech brands today. AI engines don't read content for entertainment—they crawl websites looking for structured facts they can instantly trust and quote. Structuring your site for machine readability isn't just an optimization tactic; it is the only way to protect your digital footprint and ensure your software stays on your buyers' shortlists as traditional search continues to evolve.\"",[14,488,120,489,491],{},[52,490,9],{},", Founder & CEO of MKG Marketing",[14,493,494],{},[75,495],{"alt":77,"src":496},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F76a1ca67-794d-4085-afd3-68d0afbbb963-ai-visibility-2.png",[24,498,500],{"id":499},"combining-technical-ai-formatting-with-a-full-funnel-growth-strategy","Combining Technical AI Formatting with a Full-Funnel Growth Strategy",[14,502,503],{},"Appearing in AI search answers is a critical first step, but visibility alone does not close enterprise software deals. To convert that visibility into actual sales pipeline, tech companies need to connect their organic search efforts with paid channels and accurate tracking.",[14,505,506],{},[52,507,508],{},"Combining Organic and Paid Reach",[14,510,511],{},"When an AI engine routinely quotes your brand as an industry authority, buyers build trust before they ever speak with your sales team. Companies can build on that momentum by pairing organic optimizations with targeted digital advertising. Running paid campaigns aimed at accounts searching for your software category ensures your brand stays visible in both sponsored ads and generated AI responses.",[14,513,514],{},[52,515,516],{},"Tracking Real-World Influence",[14,518,519],{},"Because AI Overviews often answer questions directly on the screen, traditional \"last-click\" measurement tools no longer tell the full story. Using modern digital analytics allows marketing teams to track direct site traffic, self-reported source data, and sales cycle speed. This gives leadership a clear view of how search visibility actually drives revenue.",[14,521,522],{},[75,523],{"alt":77,"src":524},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F221ea7d6-aa63-4d37-a9dd-78f35fdc9bf6-ai-visibility-3.png",[24,526,528],{"id":527},"future-proofing-your-brand-for-ai-search","Future-Proofing Your Brand for AI Search",[14,530,531],{},"Winning visibility in modern AI search comes down to three practical elements: clear site structure, verified real-world expertise, and a consistent presence across the web. As AI tools change how people research software, relying solely on old keyword-stuffing tactics will cause your brand to fall behind.",[14,533,534],{},"At MKG Marketing, we specialize in helping B2B software and cybersecurity organizations navigate these complex search shifts. Our flat, senior-led structure means you work directly with experienced digital strategists, never junior handoffs. We deploy our unified Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) framework to ensure your website is structured for machine readability, citable by leading AI tools, and built to drive qualified sales pipeline.",[81,536,538],{"id":537},"take-control-of-your-ai-search-visibility","Take Control of Your AI Search Visibility",[46,540,541,550,558],{},[49,542,543,544,549],{},"Ready to see how AI search engines view your website? Explore our",[206,545,548],{"href":546,"rel":547},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fexpert-digital-marketing-services\u002F",[210]," Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) Services"," or schedule an initial search strategy review with our senior team.",[49,551,552,553,557],{},"Have questions about your site's technical structure or recent traffic changes?",[206,554,556],{"href":275,"rel":555},[210]," Contact MKG Marketing directly"," to speak with a digital search expert.",[49,559,560,561,212],{},"Want to learn more about the shift from traditional SEO to answer engine optimization? Read our guide on",[206,562,565],{"href":563,"rel":564},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-vs-traditional-search-navigating-the-shift-to-search-visibility-optimization-svo\u002F",[210]," AI Search vs Traditional Search: Navigating the Shift to SVO",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":567},[568,569,577,578],{"id":344,"depth":291,"text":345},{"id":381,"depth":291,"text":385,"children":570},[571,572,573,574,575,576],{"id":391,"depth":297,"text":392},{"id":412,"depth":297,"text":413},{"id":442,"depth":297,"text":443},{"id":452,"depth":297,"text":453},{"id":466,"depth":297,"text":467},{"id":473,"depth":297,"text":474},{"id":499,"depth":291,"text":500},{"id":527,"depth":291,"text":528,"children":579},[580],{"id":537,"depth":297,"text":538},"2026-08-11T17:38:25.303Z","How do AI engines choose which websites to quote? Discover the core AI search ranking factors for 2026 and how to get your brand cited.","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Ff37f521d-b3f6-49bb-8b34-f6ddf2fa1770-mkg-blog-ai-search-visibility-ranking-factors.webp","AI Search Visibility Factors 2026",{},6,"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-visibility-ranking-factors-2026-how-machines-decide-who-to-quote",{"title":329,"description":582},"blog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-visibility-ranking-factors-2026-how-machines-decide-who-to-quote","uugtYiGYIyZuZEQYrtHFmRy06Rx8hcoFT6g3C0eLqW4",{"id":592,"title":593,"author":7,"authors":594,"body":595,"caption":7,"category":315,"date":898,"description":899,"extension":318,"img":900,"imgAlt":901,"meta":902,"minutes":321,"navigation":322,"path":903,"seo":904,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":905,"updated":7,"__hash__":906},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-vs-traditional-search-navigating-the-shift-to-search-visibility-optimization-svo.md","AI Search vs Traditional Search - Navigating the Shift to Search Visibility Optimization (SVO)",[9],{"type":11,"value":596,"toc":878},[597,600,604,607,617,621,624,635,642,646,649,656,663,666,669,672,683,686,691,694,697,702,707,714,717,784,788,791,794,805,809,812,816,819,823,826,830,833,840,843,846,849,853],[14,598,599],{},"For nearly two decades, the digital playbook for B2B software and tech companies was tried and true: pick your keywords, optimize your site, build backlinks, and win the glory of a top ten spot on a page of blue links. Today… not so much. You might notice your organic website traffic dropping even though your keyword rankings haven't changed. The reason isn't that your competitors suddenly bought more backlinks—it is because the fundamental way people look for information has evolved. Users are moving away from traditional engines and turning to conversational models, leaving marketing leaders to navigate the massive operational shift between ai search vs traditional search engines. Fixing this isn't about buying more links; it’s about changing how your website presents information to be indexed by both humans and algorithms.",[24,601,603],{"id":602},"the-core-differences-ten-blue-links-vs-synthesized-answers","The Core Differences: Ten Blue Links vs. Synthesized Answers",[14,605,606],{},"To understand why traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is no longer enough on its own, we have to look at how user behavior and technology have diverged.",[14,608,609,610,613,614,212],{},"When analyzing ai-driven search engines vs traditional search engines differences, the distinction comes down to ",[38,611,612],{},"retrieval"," versus ",[38,615,616],{},"synthesis",[81,618,620],{"id":619},"traditional-search-the-index-and-click-engine","Traditional Search: The Index and Click Engine",[14,622,623],{},"Traditional search engines operate as massive directory indices. A user types a query like \"best enterprise CRM for SaaS,\" and the engine returns pages of indexed links ranked by relevance, domain authority, and technical optimization. The user must then:",[132,625,626,629,632],{},[49,627,628],{},"Click into three to five separate websites.",[49,630,631],{},"Read through intro fluff and sales copy.",[49,633,634],{},"Manually synthesize the data to make a decision.",[14,636,637,638,641],{},"This model relies on driving traffic ",[38,639,640],{},"to"," your website. Your site is the destination where the user finds the answer.",[81,643,645],{"id":644},"ai-search-the-direct-answer-engine","AI Search: The Direct Answer Engine",[14,647,648],{},"AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews bypass the directory model entirely. They do not just fetch links; they read, cross-reference, and summarize content from across the web into a single, cohesive answer right inside the search interface.",[14,650,651,652,655],{},"When comparing traditional vs ai search results rankings, the target moves from ranking #1 on a keyword list to becoming the primary ",[38,653,654],{},"cited source"," inside an LLM's generated summary. If an AI overview answers your prospect's question completely on the search page, they won't click through to your blog—even if you rank at the top of the organic list.",[24,657,659,662],{"id":658},"why-software-companies-are-losing-traffic-the-zero-click-reality",[75,660],{"alt":77,"src":661},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fa22194a2-19e3-4d2b-a42e-4ad5c6d95b69-click.png","Why Software Companies Are Losing Traffic (The Zero-Click Reality)",[14,664,665],{},"This structural shift explains the mysterious drop in website sessions across B2B software and tech sectors. Buyers are getting their answers without ever visiting your domain.",[14,667,668],{},"When considering ai enterprise search vs traditional enterprise search, enterprise software buyers are no longer hunting through lengthy technical documentation manually. They are asking AI engines to summarize product capabilities, compare pricing structures, and aggregate user reviews into single tables.",[14,670,671],{},"If your marketing strategy relies exclusively on legacy SEO tactics, you face three major risks:",[46,673,674,677,680],{},[49,675,676],{},"Zero-Click Erosion: Higher-funnel informational traffic evaporates as AI Overviews satisfy search intent directly on the results page.",[49,678,679],{},"Loss of Brand Mindshare: If LLMs aren't trained on or citing your content, your product simply doesn't exist during the buyer's initial research phase.",[49,681,682],{},"Vanity Metric Misalignment: Your SEO agency may report stable keyword positions, but your inbound lead forms and phone calls tell a very different story.",[81,684,109],{"id":685},"expert-insight-from-mkg-marketing",[14,687,688,690],{},[38,689,114],{},"AI is making the decision on what it's going to show the user. The system decided your content was the most trustworthy, most citable answer to that exact question for that exact person. Writing something good and checking the ‘helpful content’ boxes doesn't get you there. Those are very different bars.",[14,692,693],{},"‘Helpful’ is table stakes. It's what gets you into the building, not into the room where the AI is assembling its answer.",[14,695,696],{},"What gets you cited is specificity: The right category. Website & Page Structure. Consistent messaging across your entire footprint. A point of view that the model can actually extract and reuse with confidence.",[14,698,699,700],{},"So when Google says ‘just be helpful,’ they're not wrong. They're just leaving out about 80% of what actually matters. And the companies that take that advice at face value are going to watch their visibility collapse while their content quality stays perfectly fine.",[38,701,114],{},[14,703,120,704,706],{},[52,705,9],{},", CEO & Founder of MKG Marketing",[24,708,710,713],{"id":709},"the-evolution-moving-from-seo-to-svo-aeo-and-geo",[75,711],{"alt":77,"src":712},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F4dd65826-2a82-444b-9693-b6845e4438c0-meeting.png","The Evolution: Moving from SEO to SVO, AEO, and GEO",[14,715,716],{},"To stay visible and continue generating qualified pipeline, marketing executives must expand their organic framework beyond traditional boundaries. This requires a modern, multi-layered approach:",[718,719,720,736],"table",{},[721,722,723],"thead",{},[724,725,726,730,733],"tr",{},[727,728,729],"th",{},"Framework",[727,731,732],{},"Full Name",[727,734,735],{},"Primary Objective",[737,738,739,751,762,773],"tbody",{},[724,740,741,745,748],{},[742,743,744],"td",{},"SEO",[742,746,747],{},"Search Engine Optimization",[742,749,750],{},"Ranking pages on traditional search engine results pages (SERPs) for targeted keywords.",[724,752,753,756,759],{},[742,754,755],{},"AEO",[742,757,758],{},"Answer Engine Optimization",[742,760,761],{},"Structuring data so voice assistants and snippet engines can pull direct, succinct answers.",[724,763,764,767,770],{},[742,765,766],{},"GEO",[742,768,769],{},"Generative Engine Optimization",[742,771,772],{},"Formatting brand narrative, statistics, and domain expertise so LLMs ingest and cite your brand.",[724,774,775,778,781],{},[742,776,777],{},"SVO",[742,779,780],{},"Search Visibility Optimization",[742,782,783],{},"The Unified Strategy: Maximizing total brand presence across both traditional links and AI answer engines.",[81,785,787],{"id":786},"how-search-visibility-optimization-svo-solves-the-gap","How Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) Solves the Gap",[14,789,790],{},"SVO doesn't discard traditional SEO; it unifies SEO, AEO, and GEO into a single operational framework.",[14,792,793],{},"Rather than chasing raw session counts, SVO focuses on Information Gain and Citations. To win citations in AI-generated answers, your web content must feature:",[132,795,796,799,802],{},[49,797,798],{},"Clear, Schema-Structured Data: Helping bots identify who you are, what your software does, and who you serve without guessing.",[49,800,801],{},"First-Party Expertise (E-E-A-T): Unique data points, proprietary benchmark reports, and expert commentary that LLMs cannot synthesize from generic web text.",[49,803,804],{},"Direct Answer Formatting: Clear, concise definitions at the top of technical pieces that allow answer engines to extract key takeaways cleanly.",[24,806,808],{"id":807},"practical-steps-to-adapt-your-search-strategy-today","Practical Steps to Adapt Your Search Strategy Today",[14,810,811],{},"Shifting your company's digital presence to capture both traditional and AI-driven search doesn't require scrapping your entire content library. It requires restructuring how your information is delivered.",[81,813,815],{"id":814},"_1-optimize-for-high-information-gain","1. Optimize for High Information Gain",[14,817,818],{},"Eliminate generic, top-of-funnel fluff articles that summarize widely available knowledge. AI engines already summarize that data effortlessly. Focus instead on deep, opinionated, original content: teardowns of real customer implementation challenges, original survey data, and niche technical workflows.",[81,820,822],{"id":821},"_2-standardize-entity-and-brand-citations","2. Standardize Entity and Brand Citations",[14,824,825],{},"Ensure your brand's core value proposition, product categories, and technical terminology are consistent across external review sites, Wikipedia entries, PR releases, and your own domain. LLMs establish trust by cross-referencing brand information across multiple authoritative sources.",[81,827,829],{"id":828},"_3-track-pipeline-impact-over-pure-clicks","3. Track Pipeline Impact over Pure Clicks",[14,831,832],{},"Recognize that a drop in informational blog clicks does not automatically mean a drop in revenue. If an AI search tool cites your software as the top recommendation for an enterprise query, the prospect may navigate directly to your pricing or contact page to initiate a call. Measure branded search volume, direct traffic, and pipeline velocity alongside traditional organic metrics.",[24,834,836,839],{"id":835},"summary-adapting-to-how-buyers-search-today",[75,837],{"alt":77,"src":838},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F1a47aa4c-b986-4fd6-b30d-5ff622a02239-brain.png","Summary: Adapting to How Buyers Search Today",[14,841,842],{},"The debate surrounding ai search vs traditional search engines isn't about choosing one platform over the other. Traditional search engines will continue to process billions of queries, but AI-driven answer engines are rapidly capturing high-intent B2B research behavior. If software and tech companies want to keep filling their sales pipelines with new customers, they must adapt to how people search today.",[14,844,845],{},"Succeeding in this new landscape requires a refined strategy, technical precision, and continuous testing across evolving engine algorithms.",[14,847,848],{},"At MKG Marketing, we eliminate the guesswork. We provide a senior-led team of digital experts who handle your search strategy and technical execution directly—with zero handoffs to junior staff. We help growing tech organizations build future-proof organic engines that drive clear visibility, authoritative citations, and real business revenue.",[81,850,852],{"id":851},"ready-to-modernize-your-search-strategy","Ready to Modernize Your Search Strategy?",[46,854,855,863,870],{},[49,856,857,858,862],{},"Organic search is constantly shifting. Let’s figure it out together. We help tech leaders cut through the noise and build search strategies that actually drive growth. Explore our ",[206,859,861],{"href":208,"rel":860},[210],"Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) Services"," or book your initial search strategy review.",[49,864,865,866,278],{},"Skip the generic SEO agency playbook. Our senior team works alongside you to build a tailored search strategy that gets your brand seen. Ready to fix traffic drops or scale what’s already working? ",[206,867,869],{"href":275,"rel":868},[210],"Contact MKG Marketing today",[49,871,872,873,212],{},"Ready to learn more about content quality in the age of artificial intelligence? We got you covered:",[206,874,877],{"href":875,"rel":876},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fis-ai-content-bad-for-seo-how-to-scale-traffic-without-sacrificing-rankings\u002F",[210]," Is AI Content Bad for SEO? How to Scale Traffic Without Sacrificing Rankings",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":879},[880,884,887,890,895],{"id":602,"depth":291,"text":603,"children":881},[882,883],{"id":619,"depth":297,"text":620},{"id":644,"depth":297,"text":645},{"id":658,"depth":291,"text":662,"children":885},[886],{"id":685,"depth":297,"text":109},{"id":709,"depth":291,"text":713,"children":888},[889],{"id":786,"depth":297,"text":787},{"id":807,"depth":291,"text":808,"children":891},[892,893,894],{"id":814,"depth":297,"text":815},{"id":821,"depth":297,"text":822},{"id":828,"depth":297,"text":829},{"id":835,"depth":291,"text":839,"children":896},[897],{"id":851,"depth":297,"text":852},"2026-08-05T15:31:00.000Z","Traditional SEO is shifting. Learn how AI search engines are disrupting the ten blue links and how to win brand mentions in LLM responses.","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Ff8233c21-a553-4cdf-b08e-62ba6de46295-mkg-blog-ai-search-vs-traditional-search-hero-image.webp","Stop Chasing Clicks, Capture Direct-Answer AI",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-vs-traditional-search-navigating-the-shift-to-search-visibility-optimization-svo",{"title":593,"description":899},"blog\u002Fseo\u002Fai-search-vs-traditional-search-navigating-the-shift-to-search-visibility-optimization-svo","V9JrsiIyJkiYENE0VMv29Din97ayk4JQ9vcwSe6Flz0",{"id":908,"title":909,"author":7,"authors":7,"body":910,"caption":7,"category":315,"date":1139,"description":1140,"extension":318,"img":1141,"imgAlt":1142,"meta":1143,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":1144,"seo":1145,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":1146,"updated":7,"__hash__":1147},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fsearch-visibility-optimization-svo-monthly-overview-july-2026.md","Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) Monthly Overview - July 2026",{"type":11,"value":911,"toc":1131},[912,918,967,973,1009,1015,1050,1056,1083,1089,1092,1097,1100,1103,1123],[24,913,915],{"id":914},"executive-summary-the-tldr",[52,916,917],{},"Executive Summary (The TL;DR)",[46,919,920,932,943,955],{},[49,921,922,925,926,931],{},[52,923,924],{},"Google Refines Helpful Content Systems:"," The",[206,927,930],{"href":928,"rel":929},"https:\u002F\u002Fadelev8.com\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-july-2026-helpful-content-update",[210]," July 2026 Helpful Content Update"," shifts evaluation metrics from blunt site-wide penalties to granular, section-level filtering, strictly penalizing synthetic, low-effort material while rewarding verified practitioner expertise.",[49,933,934,937,938,212],{},[52,935,936],{},"AI Overviews Expansion:"," Google integrated live news carousels and direct image generation inside AI Overviews, which now feature in approximately",[206,939,942],{"href":940,"rel":941},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.artificialintelligence-news.com\u002Fnews\u002Fgoogle-ai-overviews-us-searches\u002F",[210]," 43% of US searches",[49,944,945,948,949,954],{},[52,946,947],{},"Search Console Controls Updates:"," Site owners can now explicitly manage and isolate content inclusion within AI Overviews and AI Mode via",[206,950,953],{"href":951,"rel":952},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.numinix.com\u002Fblog\u002Fjuly-2026-seo-algorithm-news-update\u002F",[210]," updated Search Console controls"," without sacrificing baseline organic rankings.",[49,956,957,960,961,966],{},[52,958,959],{},"AEO and Third Party Integration:"," ChatGPT’s integration of live third-party platform data (such as",[206,962,965],{"href":963,"rel":964},"https:\u002F\u002Fsearchengineland.com\u002Fgoogle-to-update-local-services-ads-policies-in-july-479653",[210]," Yelp reviews, ratings, and photos",") forces B2B and B2C brands to optimize their multi-platform digital footprints beyond owned properties.",[24,968,970],{"id":969},"algorithm-technical-seo-updates",[52,971,972],{},"Algorithm & Technical SEO Updates",[46,974,975,987,998],{},[49,976,977,980,981,986],{},[52,978,979],{},"The July 2026 Helpful Content Update:"," Google deployed a ",[206,982,985],{"href":983,"rel":984},"https:\u002F\u002Fseovendor.co\u002Fgoogle-algorithm-updates-july-2026\u002F",[210],"targeted update"," to its Helpful Content System, tightening synthetic content detection and increasing E-E-A-T weightings. Unlike previous iterations that carried a risk of broad site-wide demotions, this update introduces granular section-level assessments, permitting well-authored pages on otherwise mixed-quality domains to retain visibility.",[49,988,989,992,993,997],{},[52,990,991],{},"Global Spam Countermeasures:"," Running alongside minor core adjustments, ",[206,994,996],{"href":951,"rel":995},[210],"a global spam update"," rolled out to refine SpamBrain heuristics, targeting systemic manipulation patterns rather than isolated link-building tactics.",[49,999,1000,1003,1004,1008],{},[52,1001,1002],{},"Search Console Shifts:"," Platform-wide properties and explicit GEO isolation controls ",[206,1005,1007],{"href":951,"rel":1006},[210],"went live",", enabling technical leaders to partition content accessibility for generative experiences without damaging classic organic indexing.",[24,1010,1012],{"id":1011},"geoaeo-updates",[52,1013,1014],{},"GEO\u002FAEO Updates",[46,1016,1017,1027,1038],{},[49,1018,1019,1022,1023,1026],{},[52,1020,1021],{},"AI Overview Saturation & Features:"," Market intelligence indicates AI Overviews now appear in roughly",[206,1024,942],{"href":940,"rel":1025},[210],", fundamentally altering click-through dynamics. July updates added real-time news carousels and native AI-generated image creation directly into query responses, shifting user engagement loops.",[49,1028,1029,1032,1033,1037],{},[52,1030,1031],{},"Cross-Platform Citation Shifts:"," ChatGPT expanded its retrieval architecture by integrating live third-party review and vector data (including",[206,1034,1036],{"href":963,"rel":1035},[210]," Yelp reviews and ratings","), illustrating that LLM engines rely heavily on aggregated ecosystem trust signals rather than just corporate web properties.",[49,1039,1040,1043,1044,1049],{},[52,1041,1042],{},"The \"Ghost Citation\" Phenomenon:"," ",[206,1045,1048],{"href":1046,"rel":1047},"https:\u002F\u002Fsearchengineland.com\u002Fai-halftime-report-h1-2026-483912",[210],"Emerging tracking data"," highlights that AI engines frequently synthesize information from third-party aggregators and forums, leaving primary creators uncredited unless structured entities are explicitly claimed and verified.",[24,1051,1053],{"id":1052},"strategic-implications-for-leaders",[52,1054,1055],{},"Strategic Implications for Leaders",[46,1057,1058,1064],{},[49,1059,1060,1063],{},[52,1061,1062],{},"What to ignore:"," Short-term ranking fluctuations and mass content deletions. High-volume, automated articles no longer hold value under current search filters, making rapid content generation counterproductive.",[49,1065,1066,1069],{},[52,1067,1068],{},"Where to pivot:",[46,1070,1071,1077],{},[49,1072,1073,1076],{},[52,1074,1075],{},"Clean up low-value content:"," Review site pages for thin or AI-generated text. Replace surface-level summaries with original research, customer case studies, and expert data that language models cannot replicate.",[49,1078,1079,1082],{},[52,1080,1081],{},"Standardize off-page brand data:"," Align Schema markup, corporate records, and third-party profiles across major directories and review platforms. Search engines and AI systems rely heavily on external sources to verify company authority.",[24,1084,1086],{"id":1085},"looking-ahead",[52,1087,1088],{},"Looking Ahead",[14,1090,1091],{},"Google historically issues a major core algorithm update in late Q3. Growth teams should focus on deepening coverage within core subject areas rather than publishing broadly across adjacent topics.",[24,1093,1095],{"id":1094},"search-visibility-optimization-svo",[52,1096,168],{},[14,1098,1099],{},"Maintaining search traffic now requires managing three distinct channels: standard web indexing, answer engine citations (AEO), and generative search layouts (GEO).",[14,1101,1102],{},"MKG assists growth-stage technology companies with:",[46,1104,1105,1111,1117],{},[49,1106,1107,1110],{},[52,1108,1109],{},"GEO and AEO Audits:"," Evaluating brand presence and citation rates across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.",[49,1112,1113,1116],{},[52,1114,1115],{},"Structured Data Infrastructure:"," Aligning Schema markup and technical index controls to safeguard search presence.",[49,1118,1119,1122],{},[52,1120,1121],{},"Pipeline Attribution Modeling:"," Measuring how generative search visibility impacts customer acquisition costs (CAC) and deal velocity.",[14,1124,1125,1126,1130],{},"To review your domain's generative search visibility, ",[206,1127,1129],{"href":275,"rel":1128},[210],"schedule a consultation"," with an MKG search specialist.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1132},[1133,1134,1135,1136,1137,1138],{"id":914,"depth":291,"text":917},{"id":969,"depth":291,"text":972},{"id":1011,"depth":291,"text":1014},{"id":1052,"depth":291,"text":1055},{"id":1085,"depth":291,"text":1088},{"id":1094,"depth":291,"text":168},"2026-08-04T16:16:55.368Z","Stay updated on the July 2026 search landscape: Google’s granular Helpful Content Update, AI Overviews reaching 43% of US searches, new Search Console controls for AI Mode, and ChatGPT's integration of third-party platform data.","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F9bacf7c4-18eb-47f1-87fb-986cba555a73-Copy of 11766_(1920x1080) (7).png","close-up image of a blue pushpin marking a location on a detailed paper map",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fsearch-visibility-optimization-svo-monthly-overview-july-2026",{"title":909,"description":1140},"blog\u002Fseo\u002Fsearch-visibility-optimization-svo-monthly-overview-july-2026","vjZWWe3kKlLwQrZGoaeSywpxYkFiYyKtWSho-GG-CHw",{"id":1149,"title":1150,"author":7,"authors":7,"body":1151,"caption":7,"category":315,"date":1461,"description":1462,"extension":318,"img":1463,"imgAlt":1464,"meta":1465,"minutes":321,"navigation":322,"path":1466,"seo":1467,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":1468,"updated":7,"__hash__":1469},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fis-ai-content-bad-for-seo-how-to-scale-traffic-without-sacrificing-rankings.md","Is AI Content Bad for SEO? How to Scale Traffic Without Sacrificing Rankings",{"type":11,"value":1152,"toc":1445},[1153,1160,1166,1169,1184,1187,1190,1204,1211,1214,1218,1221,1227,1238,1244,1247,1253,1264,1266,1271,1274,1277,1282,1287,1294,1301,1304,1310,1313,1319,1322,1333,1339,1342,1349,1358,1365,1372,1377,1380,1395,1401,1407,1410,1417,1421],[14,1154,1155,1156,1159],{},"Let’s answer the question on every marketing leader’s mind right away: ",[52,1157,1158],{},"No, AI content is not inherently bad for SEO."," Google does not automatically penalize text simply because an artificial intelligence model generated it. In fact, Google’s official Search guidelines state that the search engine ranks content based on its helpfulness, relevance, and quality—not on who (or what) typed the words.",[14,1161,1162,1163],{},"However, there is a massive caveat that every modern CMO and VP of Marketing must understand: ",[52,1164,1165],{},"publishing unedited, mass-produced AI text is a fast track to losing traffic.",[14,1167,1168],{},"While AI can drastically accelerate your research and drafting phases, relying on raw algorithm outputs to power your organic search strategy will inevitably hurt your brand. The internet is quickly becoming flooded with synthesized, low-effort fluff. Search engines are aggressively updating their algorithms to identify and down-rank generic copy that fails to bring new value to the web.",[14,1170,1171,1172,1175,1176,1179,1180,1183],{},"So, ",[52,1173,1174],{},"does AI-generated content impact SEO?"," Absolutely—for better or for worse depending entirely on ",[38,1177,1178],{},"how"," you use it. To navigate this new era of search, B2B software and tech companies must learn how to safely leverage AI as an efficiency tool while keeping senior human strategy in full control. ",[75,1181],{"alt":77,"src":1182},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fe5fe90d6-da9d-42d8-8ca3-5c601eb33fc8-ai-content-bad-for-seo-1.png","What Google Actually Cites About AI-Generated Content",[14,1185,1186],{},"A widespread myth floating around boardrooms is that Google possesses a universal \"AI detector\" that immediately penalizes any site using machine learning tools. This misconception has led to two extreme behaviors: organizations either banned AI entirely out of fear, or they went all-in, firing editorial teams and pumping out hundreds of unvetted AI articles a month.",[14,1188,1189],{},"Both approaches are flawed. Google’s position on AI content is clear and consistent:",[46,1191,1192,1198],{},[49,1193,1194,1197],{},[52,1195,1196],{},"Intent matters over medium:"," If you use automation, including generative AI, primarily to manipulate search rankings, it is considered a violation of Google's spam policies.",[49,1199,1200,1203],{},[52,1201,1202],{},"Quality is the ultimate benchmark:"," If your content offers original information, insightful analysis, and clear utility to the searcher, Google will reward it—regardless of whether AI helped draft the paragraphs.",[14,1205,1206,1207,1210],{},"This distinction rests on Google’s ",[52,1208,1209],{},"E-E-A-T framework",": Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.",[14,1212,1213],{},"Generative AI models are trained on existing web data; by design, they scrape, synthesize, and regurgitate information that has already been published. They cannot draw from personal background, run proprietary benchmark studies, or conduct interviews with industry veterans. Therefore, raw AI content inherently lacks the \"First-Hand Experience\" and deep \"Expertise\" required to satisfy modern search criteria.",[24,1215,1217],{"id":1216},"why-copy-pasting-ai-copy-destroys-your-organic-traffic","Why Copy-Pasting AI Copy Destroys Your Organic Traffic",[14,1219,1220],{},"If Google doesn't penalize AI text on principle, why are so many tech sites seeing their organic impressions plummet after launching automated content initiatives? The answer lies in the subtle traps of machine-generated prose.",[81,1222,1224],{"id":1223},"_1-the-information-gain-problem",[52,1225,1226],{},"1. The Information Gain Problem",[14,1228,1229,1230,1233,1234,1237],{},"Search engine algorithms are increasingly prioritizing ",[52,1231,1232],{},"Information Gain","—a metric that measures whether a piece of content adds ",[38,1235,1236],{},"new"," facts, perspectives, or data points to a topic compared to existing index results. When an AI tool drafts an article, it simply summarizes what the top ten results on Google are already saying. It offers zero information gain. If your page is merely an average of what is already online, Google has no incentive to rank you above established competitors.",[81,1239,1241],{"id":1240},"_2-hallucinations-and-brand-risk",[52,1242,1243],{},"2. Hallucinations and Brand Risk",[14,1245,1246],{},"Large Language Models (LLMs) are predictive engines, not factual databases. They routinely invent statistics, misquote technical documentation, and present incorrect product capabilities with total confidence. Publishing hallucinated facts erodes consumer trust and signals to search crawlers that your site lacks basic editorial integrity.",[81,1248,1250],{"id":1249},"_3-the-homogenization-of-brand-voice",[52,1251,1252],{},"3. The Homogenization of Brand Voice",[14,1254,1255,1256,1259,1260,1263],{},"B2B tech buyers are sophisticated. They can spot low-effort, synthetic writing instantly. Text bloated with hollow transitions (",[38,1257,1258],{},"\"In today's fast-paced digital landscape...\""," or ",[38,1261,1262],{},"\"It is crucial to leverage...\"",") signals to prospects that your company lacks real point-of-view authority. If your content sounds identical to every competitor using the same prompts, you lose your market positioning.",[24,1265,109],{"id":685},[14,1267,1268,1270],{},[38,1269,114],{},"The AI has no reason to pick yours over theirs. It's looking for something it can confidently reuse, and if your version doesn't add anything new, you're background noise.",[14,1272,1273],{},"So instead of writing more, I'm going page by page through what already exists and asking one question: does this page say something that no other page on the internet says?",[14,1275,1276],{},"Original data. A real client pattern you documented. A first-person account of what actually happened when you tried the thing everyone recommends. ",[14,1278,1279,1280],{},"That's what AI pulls in. The generic stuff is what AI already has forty versions of. It doesn't need yours.",[38,1281,114],{},[14,1283,120,1284,1286],{},[52,1285,9],{},", CEO of MKG Marketing",[24,1288,1290,1293],{"id":1289},"how-to-safely-use-ai-as-a-marketing-assistant-not-a-lead-strategist",[75,1291],{"alt":77,"src":1292},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fc8d0926d-82b9-42f9-85f4-3c433da82d78-ai-content-bad-for-seo-2.png","How to Safely Use AI as a Marketing Assistant (Not a Lead Strategist)",[14,1295,1296,1297,1300],{},"To succeed in search today, modern tech companies don't need to abandon AI; they need to integrate it into a ",[52,1298,1299],{},"human-led editorial workflow",". AI should act as the junior analyst that handles heavy administrative lifting, while senior strategists serve as the editorial director.",[14,1302,1303],{},"Here is how high-growth organizations use AI tools safely without putting their search performance at risk:",[81,1305,1307],{"id":1306},"_1-accelerate-research-and-formatting",[52,1308,1309],{},"1. Accelerate Research and Formatting",[14,1311,1312],{},"Use AI to synthesize lengthy transcripts, cluster search intent, organize raw data, and draft initial structural outlines. Asking an AI tool to suggest five logical structural flows for a technical guide saves hours of brainstorming without diluting your editorial voice.",[81,1314,1316],{"id":1315},"_2-inject-proprietary-data-and-human-storytelling",[52,1317,1318],{},"2. Inject Proprietary Data and Human Storytelling",[14,1320,1321],{},"Once a rough outline or foundational draft exists, a subject matter expert (SME) must step in. Inject real-world elements that an algorithm can never produce:",[46,1323,1324,1327,1330],{},[49,1325,1326],{},"Customer case studies and real implementation metrics.",[49,1328,1329],{},"Direct quotes from internal product architects or sales engineers.",[49,1331,1332],{},"Unique takeaways or counter-intuitive opinions that challenge status-quo industry advice.",[81,1334,1336],{"id":1335},"_3-rigorous-fact-checking-and-editorial-oversight",[52,1337,1338],{},"3. Rigorous Fact-Checking and Editorial Oversight",[14,1340,1341],{},"Every claim, statistic, and technical instruction generated during the drafting phase must be verified by a human editor. Ensure the tone matches your brand guidelines and eliminate boilerplate AI phrasing.",[14,1343,1344,1345,1348],{},"Want to see how your current search strategy measures up against the latest engine updates? Explore our comprehensive",[206,1346,211],{"href":208,"rel":1347},[210]," or book an initial search strategy review with our senior team today.",[24,1350,1352,1355],{"id":1351},"beyond-traditional-seo-preparing-for-search-visibility-optimization-svo",[75,1353],{"alt":77,"src":1354},"https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002F2cd275b2-b56c-4864-b728-e18e54f45370-ai-content-bad-for-seo-3.png",[52,1356,1357],{},"Beyond Traditional SEO: Preparing for Search Visibility Optimization (SVO)",[14,1359,1360,1361,1364],{},"The debate over whether AI-generated content ",[52,1362,1363],{},"is good for seo"," is part of a much larger shift in how users find information. Search is no longer confined to a list of ten blue links on a traditional search results page.",[14,1366,1367,1368,1371],{},"With the rapid adoption of AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, users are increasingly getting direct answers synthesized and generated right inside search interfaces. This shift means that optimizing purely for keyword clicks is no longer enough. You must optimize for ",[52,1369,1370],{},"total brand visibility"," across AI search models and traditional engines alike.",[14,1373,1374,1375,212],{},"This evolution is what we call ",[52,1376,168],{},[14,1378,1379],{},"To win in an SVO-driven ecosystem, your content must be authoritative enough that AI models choose to cite your brand as the primary source of truth. Generic, auto-generated articles will never be cited by AI search tools because those articles lack original authority. The only way to capture mindshare in both AI answers and traditional search lists is by publishing high-gain, expert-driven content that clearly demonstrates E-E-A-T.",[14,1381,1382,1383,1388,1389,1394],{},"If your organic reach is stalling due to changing algorithms, taking a holistic view of your digital presence is essential. Aligning your organic content strategy with high-intent paid acquisition via",[206,1384,1387],{"href":1385,"rel":1386},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fsearch?q=https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fservices\u002Fdigital-advertising\u002F",[210]," Digital Advertising"," and measuring true user journeys through robust",[206,1390,1393],{"href":1391,"rel":1392},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fsearch?q=https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fservices\u002Fanalytics\u002F",[210]," Digital Analytics"," ensures your marketing engine generates pipeline—not just empty clicks.",[24,1396,1398],{"id":1397},"summary-adapting-your-search-engine-strategy-for-long-term-growth",[52,1399,1400],{},"Summary: Adapting Your Search Engine Strategy for Long-Term Growth",[14,1402,1403,1404,1406],{},"To recap: ",[52,1405,1174],{}," Yes. If you treat AI as a magic shortcut to generate hundreds of unvetted blog posts, your search visibility will eventually collapse; quickly building a house out of AI sticks won’t protect you when the Big Bad Search Engine Wolf comes calling. But if you treat AI as an efficiency engine that supports a human-led, expert-driven content pipeline, you can scale output without sacrificing rankings.",[14,1408,1409],{},"As search engines adapt to the flood of synthetic content, companies must adapt how they communicate with their buyers. The brands that win over the next decade won't be those that avoid AI, nor will they be those that hand their entire marketing strategy over to algorithms. The winners will be the organizations that pair cutting-edge tools with an authentic, human-driven brand voice.",[14,1411,1412,1413,1416],{},"At ",[52,1414,1415],{},"MKG Marketing",", we don't pass your search strategy off to junior account managers or unmonitored software bots. We provide an experienced, senior-led team that handles both the high-level strategy and technical execution directly. We help B2B tech and software companies navigate complex search updates, build a sustainable organic pipeline, and maintain complete operational control over their brand narrative.",[24,1418,1420],{"id":1419},"ready-to-build-a-future-proof-search-strategy","Ready to Build a Future-Proof Search Strategy?",[46,1422,1423,1430,1437],{},[49,1424,1425,1426,212],{},"Learn how our senior-led team can audit and elevate your organic reach.",[206,1427,1429],{"href":208,"rel":1428},[210]," Explore our Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) Services & Strategy Reviews",[49,1431,1432,1433,278],{},"Have immediate questions about your traffic or upcoming search updates?",[206,1434,1436],{"href":275,"rel":1435},[210]," Contact the MKG Marketing Team directly",[49,1438,1439,1440,212],{},"Want to dive deeper into modern search trends? Read our latest guide:",[206,1441,1444],{"href":1442,"rel":1443},"https:\u002F\u002Fmkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fblog\u002F",[210]," Beyond Last-Click: How to Measure Marketing Influence in an AI-First World",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1446},[1447,1452,1453,1458,1459,1460],{"id":1216,"depth":291,"text":1217,"children":1448},[1449,1450,1451],{"id":1223,"depth":297,"text":1226},{"id":1240,"depth":297,"text":1243},{"id":1249,"depth":297,"text":1252},{"id":685,"depth":291,"text":109},{"id":1289,"depth":291,"text":1293,"children":1454},[1455,1456,1457],{"id":1306,"depth":297,"text":1309},{"id":1315,"depth":297,"text":1318},{"id":1335,"depth":297,"text":1338},{"id":1351,"depth":291,"text":1357},{"id":1397,"depth":291,"text":1400},{"id":1419,"depth":291,"text":1420},"2026-07-31T16:42:23.391Z","Does AI-generated content impact SEO? Discover how to safely use AI tools to build traffic and why copy-pasting generic text will hurt your rankings.","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.mkgmarketinginc.com\u002Fa2137492-5860-4960-8c3b-cc662b7514b0-mkg-blog-is-ai-content-bad-for-seo.webp","Is AI Content Bad for SEO",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fis-ai-content-bad-for-seo-how-to-scale-traffic-without-sacrificing-rankings",{"title":1150,"description":1462},"blog\u002Fseo\u002Fis-ai-content-bad-for-seo-how-to-scale-traffic-without-sacrificing-rankings","ysFwsXe-UHutD2vqfe9YpM1Dn_CZgi--Ors35vnm0Bc",[1471,1672,1851,1990,2045,2111,2368,2496,2588,2723,2943,3007,3132,3201,3228,3584,3770,3916,4188,4365,4626,4813,4940,5199,5461,5889,6101,6331,6481,6611,6825,7058,7287,7511,7646,7727,7819,8032,8234,8424,8526,8645,8759,8871,8919,9039,9092,9155,9299,9478,9553,9713,9784,9852,9923,10030,10250],{"id":1472,"title":1473,"author":7,"authors":1474,"body":1475,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":1551,"description":1552,"extension":318,"img":1553,"imgAlt":7,"meta":1554,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":1555,"seo":1556,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":1557,"updated":7,"__hash__":1558,"people":1559},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-october-view-from-here.md","2021 October View from Here",[9],{"type":11,"value":1476,"toc":1545},[1477,1480,1484,1503,1507,1520,1523,1527,1540,1543],[14,1478,1479],{},"Q4 is here! Can you believe it? I can’t. The beginning of any quarter is always so busy for everyone, especially you. So I’m going to keep this short and sweet, focusing on what’s new here at MKG Marketing so you can catch a glimpse then get back to it.",[24,1481,1483],{"id":1482},"meet-katie-morton","Meet Katie Morton",[14,1485,1486,1487,1491,1492,1496,1497,1502],{},"Katie Morton is our newest Account Director, joining ",[206,1488,1490],{"href":1489},"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Falanna-moman-rawden\u002F","Alanna Moman-Rawden"," and ",[206,1493,1495],{"href":1494},"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fsam-ellsworth\u002F","Samantha Ellsworth",". These three are an amazing trio and I can’t wait to see the work they do together in supporting their circles\u002Fpods, ultimately impacting our clients and their key priorities. We’re so lucky to have Katie. Be sure to learn more and check out her ",[206,1498,1501],{"href":1499,"rel":1500},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fmortonk\u002F",[210],"LinkedIn profile",". We’ll be adding her to our website shortly so keep your eyes peeled for her profile.",[24,1504,1506],{"id":1505},"tea-time-with-tech-marketing-celebrates-two-years","Tea Time With Tech Marketing celebrates two years!",[14,1508,1509,1510,1514,1515,1519],{},"We have launched our ",[206,1511,1513],{"href":1512},"\u002Fpodcasts\u002Fmarketing-leaders\u002F","9th season of TTWTML ","and what a beautiful season it is with some amazing, thoughtful guests. We kick off with one of our nearest and dearest clients, ",[206,1516,1518],{"href":1517},"\u002Fpodcasts\u002Fmarketing-leaders\u002Fcorporate-vs-product-marketing\u002F","Marguerite Yeo",". Marguerite and I discuss corporate vs product marketing and how she loves being close to the product, driving demand with clear KPIs that can be tied to pipeline. I’m with you Marguerite. I love being able to clearly see our impact.",[14,1521,1522],{},"That’s one conversation of eight and they are all available for you to binge, so hop over and check it out.",[24,1524,1526],{"id":1525},"were-hiring","We’re hiring!",[14,1528,1529,1530,1534,1535,1539],{},"We are looking for an ",[206,1531,1533],{"href":1532},"\u002Fabout\u002Fjobs\u002Fseo-expert\u002F","SEO Expert"," to join Katie’s circle alongside Priscilla Victorin and Jess Sulfsted. They’ll also join our current SEO experts, Alicia Hardy and ",[206,1536,1538],{"href":1537},"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fnathan-stenberg\u002F","Nathan Stenberg",". They need to be currently sitting in an SEO role with at least 8 years of experience. Someone strategic who can see the big picture of all the moving pieces as it relates to complex websites and multiple channel outreach. Know someone? Send them to our job description and have them apply!",[14,1541,1542],{},"Thanks for checking in. Until next time.",[14,1544,9],{},{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1546},[1547,1548,1549],{"id":1482,"depth":291,"text":1483},{"id":1505,"depth":291,"text":1506},{"id":1525,"depth":291,"text":1526},"news","2021-11-05T00:00:00Z","A snap shot of what’s new here at MKG Marketing.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fkatie-morton.jpg",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-october-view-from-here",{"title":1473,"description":1552},"blog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-october-view-from-here","dSc502RYGfNu1uzOduARN6hlFYuAHrcuhHa3jmL9I1E",[1560,1613],{"id":1561,"title":9,"body":1562,"date":7,"description":1596,"extension":318,"images":1597,"isLeader":322,"jobTitle":1599,"linkedIn":1600,"meta":1601,"name":9,"navigation":322,"path":1603,"quote":1604,"quoteCite":1605,"ref":1606,"seo":1607,"sequence":1608,"stem":1609,"team":1610,"twitter":1600,"updated":7,"website":1611,"__hash__":1612},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fkerry-guard.md",{"type":11,"value":1563,"toc":1593},[1564,1569,1576,1584,1588],[14,1565,1568],{"className":1566},[1567],"text-lg","Kerry Guard (she\u002Fher) is a mom of twins - boy and a girl. She understands what work life balance really looks like and is on a mission to build a company that honors parents having a career and a life. She’s out to prove you really can have both with policies like ensuring 20 days of vacation each year, no client emails after 6PM or weekends, unlimited sick days, and everyday flexibility.",[14,1570,1571,1572,1575],{},"She also hosts our podcast, ",[206,1573,1574],{"href":1512},"Back on T-R-A-C-K",", which brings eight digital marketing experts to your ears every quarter.",[14,1577,1578,1579,1583],{},"Kerry is responsible for HR. If you’d like to join MKG where people are first and your expertise matter, Kerry will be with you through the entire interview process ensuring each candidate meets the necessary requirements and gets a fair shot. Want to join MKG and Kerry’s mission of bringing People First to as many people as possible? Check out our ",[206,1580,1582],{"href":1581},"\u002Fabout\u002Fjobs\u002F","Jobs page"," and see if we have a position right for you!",[81,1585,1587],{"id":1586},"fun-facts","Fun facts",[46,1589,1590],{},[49,1591,1592],{},"Kerry now lives in Guernsey — a tiny nook in the world between England and France. Come visit for a spot of tea any time!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1594},[1595],{"id":1586,"depth":297,"text":1587},"Meet Kerry Guard, one of MKG Marketing’s founders. She currently fills the role of CEO of MKG as well as hosting the podcast, Back on T-R-A-C-K.",{"landscape":1598},"kerry-guard.webp","Founder & CEO","kerryguard",{"imageDescription":1602},"Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing’s Owner\u002FCEO, stands on a street in Guernsey with the Town Church behind her | MKG Marketing","\u002Fteam\u002Fkerry-guard","I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness — it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.","Brené Brown","kerry-guard",{"description":1596},1,"team\u002Fkerry-guard","Leadership","https:\u002F\u002Fkerryguard.com","YRwfwzeXtTw6ls2uWUIyTaK1IWSJr1nWG76vYHgqCgU",{"id":1614,"title":9,"body":1615,"date":7,"description":1662,"extension":318,"images":1663,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":1665,"linkedIn":1600,"meta":1666,"name":9,"navigation":322,"path":1667,"quote":1604,"quoteCite":1605,"ref":1606,"seo":1668,"sequence":1669,"stem":1670,"team":7,"twitter":1600,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":1671},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Fkerry-guard.md",{"type":11,"value":1616,"toc":1659},[1617,1621,1644,1650,1653,1655],[14,1618,1620],{"className":1619},[1567],"\nKerry Guard (she\u002Fher) is the strategist founders call when they are tired of guessing. As the CEO of MKG Marketing, she doesn’t just run the agency; she steps into the trenches with clients as a Fractional Marketing Leader. She specializes in helping founders navigate the \"Growth Valley\"—building the systems, strategy, and teams required to scale from traction to expansion.",[14,1622,1623,1624,1627,1628,1631,1632,1635,1636,1639,1640,1643],{},"Her recent work focuses on bringing enterprise-level rigor to growing businesses. She serves as the strategic marketing engine for a diverse portfolio, including ",[52,1625,1626],{},"Rutkowski Law Firm",", ",[52,1629,1630],{},"Fulcrum Enterprise Group",", and ",[52,1633,1634],{},"Premier Office Movers",", where she aligns revenue goals with marketing execution. Whether she is translating complex tech into a go-to-market narrative for ",[52,1637,1638],{},"Avalanche Fusion",", or helping ",[52,1641,1642],{},"Extraordinary Advisors"," amplify their message, Kerry brings clarity and momentum to every leadership team she joins.",[14,1645,1646,1647,1649],{},"She is also the host of ",[206,1648,1574],{"href":1512},", where she interviews CMOs and Founders to uncover the human stories behind high-growth companies.",[14,1651,1652],{},"Kerry proves that high performance doesn't require burnout. As a mom of twins, she built MKG on a \"People First\" methodology—championing policies like 20 vacation days and zero after-hours emails—because she knows that rested, respected experts drive the best ROI.",[81,1654,1587],{"id":1586},[46,1656,1657],{},[49,1658,1592],{},{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1660},[1661],{"id":1586,"depth":297,"text":1587},"Meet Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing’s CEO and Principal Strategist. She works directly with founders to build scalable marketing engines while hosting the podcast, Back on T-R-A-C-K.",{"landscape":1598},false,"Fractional Marketing Leaders",{"imageDescription":1602},"\u002Fteam\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Fkerry-guard",{"description":1662},5,"team\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Fkerry-guard","oOXvRk_JAfbvrAQoDmPize2X6zquuQG1YD5msODvKcE",{"id":1673,"title":1674,"author":7,"authors":1675,"body":1676,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":1842,"description":1843,"extension":318,"img":1844,"imgAlt":7,"meta":1845,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":1846,"seo":1847,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":1848,"updated":7,"__hash__":1849,"people":1850},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-september-view-from-here-to-gather.md","2021 September View From Here — To Gather",[9],{"type":11,"value":1677,"toc":1840},[1678,1681,1684,1687,1701,1710,1715,1791,1796,1816,1821,1829,1832,1835,1838],[14,1679,1680],{},"Fall has officially arrived! But before we said goodbye to our days in the sun, we whisked off to Boston for our Annual Summit, reunited and in most cases united for the first time since 2019.",[14,1682,1683],{},"Usually for summits I lock us (figuratively and in one case literally!) into a boardroom for two days and we knock out team building and presentations and guest speakers with only time outside for food and updated team photos.",[14,1685,1686],{},"This year we did the opposite. We were outside 90% of the time, for two reasons:",[132,1688,1689,1692],{},[49,1690,1691],{},"Comfort levels: Given COVID some of the team, including myself weren't comfortable indoors, especially without everyone wearing masks.",[49,1693,1694,1695,1700],{},"Theme: I listen to ",[206,1696,1699],{"href":1697,"rel":1698},"https:\u002F\u002Fbrenebrown.com\u002Fpodcast\u002Fbrene-with-priya-parker-on-how-we-return-and-why-it-matters-part-1-of-2\u002F",[210],"Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead Podcast and in one of here episodes she talks to an expert about gatherings and how to gather",", especially now as we emerge from being isolated for so long. Priya Parker leads with identifying the WHY your gathering… What's the theme? For us this year, it was just that… To Gather. To be together without a tight agenda. Time to get to know one another beyond the Zoom screen.",[14,1702,1703,1704,1709],{},"We recently started doing more ",[206,1705,1708],{"href":1706,"rel":1707},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scrum.org\u002Fresources\u002Fwhat-is-a-sprint-retrospective",[210],"Retrospectives",", reflecting on projects and how they went. I really love the format our Managing Director, Jenna uses, so I'm going to follow it here:",[14,1711,1712],{},[52,1713,1714],{},"Loved - what I enjoyed and would do again",[46,1716,1717,1726,1735,1767,1776,1785,1788],{},[49,1718,1719,1720,1725],{},"Walking and talking. We did SO much walking. I will not plan to do that much again, but I do want to make more space for the opportunity. People do their best talking and opening up when we're not staring at one another. ",[206,1721,1724],{"href":1722,"rel":1723},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.psychologytoday.com\u002Fus\u002Fblog\u002Fparenting-across-the-gap\u002F201602\u002Fkids-in-the-car-talking-teens",[210],"This article"," actually says the best time to talk to our kids is in the car because we're shoulder to shoulder and it's less threatening. I think walking has the same effect.",[49,1727,1728,1729,1734],{},"Being near a park. Instead of the boardroom bring our gathering place it was the Boston Commons. We even caught a glimpse into them filming ",[206,1730,1733],{"href":1731,"rel":1732},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.imdb.com\u002Ftitle\u002Ftt13782428\u002F",[210],"Julia","!",[49,1736,1737,1738,1743,1744,1749,1750,1755,1756,1760,1761,1766],{},"I planned a scavenger hunt. I merged the ",[206,1739,1742],{"href":1740,"rel":1741},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thefreedomtrail.org\u002F",[210],"Freedom Trail"," with ",[206,1745,1748],{"href":1746,"rel":1747},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.maah.org\u002Fboston_heritage_trail",[210],"The Black Heritage Trail",". I listed all the locations in an ",[206,1751,1754],{"href":1752,"rel":1753},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.asana.com",[210],"Asana"," board. Each location had the address and description. I then duplicated the board into four teams and broke the company down into 4 groups of 3, putting people together who don't normally get to work together. They then had to pick 5 locations and tie them to one of our ",[206,1757,1759],{"href":1758},"\u002Fabout\u002Fvalues\u002F","values",", take a picture and explain why it was that value and post it to Asana. It went off mostly without a hitch. ",[206,1762,1765],{"href":1763,"rel":1764},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fkurtklynen\u002F",[210],"Kurt Klynen"," would be proud.",[49,1768,1769,1770,1775],{},"For dinner we were outside on an open air patio at this amazing restaurant ",[206,1771,1774],{"href":1772,"rel":1773},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.porto-boston.com\u002F",[210],"Porto"," (See hero image). The energy and atmosphere was just awesome. And to have such great weather. I'm so grateful.",[49,1777,1778,1779,1784],{},"This was the first year I hired a professional photographer and relinquished control in taking the photos myself (last year doesn't count, because I couldn't be in 10 different cities). ",[206,1780,1783],{"href":1781,"rel":1782},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mattgphoto.com\u002F",[210],"Matt"," was awesome! He made us laugh. He caught some great moments. And I'm so thankful I didn't have to lug gear across the Atlantic.",[49,1786,1787],{},"Swag bag: In knowing we were traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles coming as far as Portland and as close as New England, we sent everyone an MKG Branded fanny pack, chock full of hand sanitizers, sanitize wipes, KN95 masks, and MKG branded masks. I loved that we could do everything possible to ensure the team’s safety as best we could. Everyone also had buttons - green (no masks or social distancing), yellow (mask, but no need to distance), red (masks and distancing at all times). Really helpful in letting people know comfort levels.",[49,1789,1790],{},"Ghost tour! We did an open air trolley ghost tour on the last night and it was everything I hoped for! Ghosts and Gravestones. Ask for Dottie Mayhem.",[14,1792,1793],{},[52,1794,1795],{},"Loathed",[46,1797,1798,1807],{},[49,1799,1800,1801,1806],{},"The first day I tried to plan lunch for us to eat together and it was a disaster. We walked way too far for sub par food. The next day we broke into groups based on what food people wanted and it was way better. Lunch will be this for now on. Helps that everyone has ",[206,1802,1805],{"href":1803,"rel":1804},"https:\u002F\u002Fbentoforbusiness.com\u002F",[210],"Bento for Business"," cards and expenses are super easy to keep track of. It also allowed for small groups and great conversation.",[49,1808,1809,1810,1815],{},"Jet lag. I came from the UK and it was an adventure. ",[206,1811,1814],{"href":1812,"rel":1813},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fkerryguard_wearemkg-2021mkgsummit-remoteteams-activity-6843495343028609024-PLMA",[210],"You can follow my adventure on LinkedIn. I documented it",". I was awake for 24 hours that first day of travel and it took me 5 days to feel normal... They say it takes one day for every hour to feel normal.",[14,1817,1818],{},[52,1819,1820],{},"Wished",[46,1822,1823,1826],{},[49,1824,1825],{},"I gave everyone candy after the scavenger hunt. I thought I bought enough for all four teams but only had enough for 3. Spencer, AnDrae’ and Katie I’ll make it up to you! Your pictures were so thoughtful.",[49,1827,1828],{},"Everyone could have been there. Two of our teammates couldn’t make it given COVID, and we all wished often they were both there.",[14,1830,1831],{},"Thank you to our clients and partners for giving us this important time together and forming tighter bonds allowing us to deliver even better results.",[14,1833,1834],{},"I'm so excited for next year! Mike and I are already scheming 😁 I learned a lot this trip and hope to incorporate the parts I loved into a slightly more formalized agenda. Here’s to 2022 when we all can be together again.",[14,1836,1837],{},"Until next time,",[14,1839,9],{},{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1841},[],"2021-10-05","Gather means to bring together which is what we did. We gathered in Boston for our first summit in what feels like forever. Here’s my retrospective.","\u002Fimages\u002Fporto.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-september-view-from-here-to-gather",{"title":1674,"description":1843},"blog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-september-view-from-here-to-gather","4xyA7s3Kqn_yEbLvpWnzte4AuNB-g1q003RHnzuBpZI",[1560,1613],{"id":1852,"title":1853,"author":7,"authors":1854,"body":1856,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":1935,"description":1936,"extension":318,"img":1937,"imgAlt":7,"meta":1938,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":1939,"seo":1940,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":1941,"stem":1942,"updated":7,"__hash__":1943,"people":1944},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-august-view-from-here.md","2021 August View From Here",[1855],"Mike Krass",{"type":11,"value":1857,"toc":1933},[1858,1861,1864,1867,1870,1873,1876,1879,1882,1899,1902,1909,1912,1915,1918,1921,1927],[14,1859,1860],{},"We've got some exciting news to share: My role is changing here at MKG.",[14,1862,1863],{},"Over the past 10 years as CEO, my responsibilities and obligations spanned across sales, business strategy, finance and overall business operations (to name a few of the many I can recall 🙂).",[14,1865,1866],{},"And like any business owner, getting this agency off the ground required me to wear many hats.",[14,1868,1869],{},"What I didn't realize until earlier this year is that some of those hats are energy vampires to me.",[14,1871,1872],{},"Have I become proficient at leading the financial operations of this business? Absolutely!",[14,1874,1875],{},"But that kind of work absolutely drains all my mojo. All my mental momentum goes \"adios\" after a day buried in financial analysis and planning.",[14,1877,1878],{},"Like many business owners I have read and am a fan of the Jim Collin's concept of 'seats on the bus'. It took us 10 years in business to realize that I have been sitting in the wrong seat. Better late than never, amirite?",[14,1880,1881],{},"What I need to be doing is focusing on where the digital marketing industry is going in order to build an agency that will support our clients needs as well as the future needs of our employees. That takes the form of activities like:",[46,1883,1884,1887,1890,1893,1896],{},[49,1885,1886],{},"Analyze industry research and trends",[49,1888,1889],{},"Speak with clients, partners and other industry leaders in order to provide value directly back to their professional interests (give, give and give some more!)",[49,1891,1892],{},"Develop product or service offerings that meet client needs",[49,1894,1895],{},"Think through M&A opportunities as they come up",[49,1897,1898],{},"Develop and nurture huge external relationships",[14,1900,1901],{},"...to name a few things 🙂",[14,1903,1904,1905,1908],{},"Now, I'm able to focus my energy on those activities. Because ",[206,1906,9],{"href":1907},"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fkerry-guard\u002F"," is stepping into the role of CEO here at MKG Marketing.",[14,1910,1911],{},"Kerry gets charged up when acting as a strategic thinker. She enjoys building and optimizing  systems around Operations, Sales, Marketing and Finance. This is the seat Kerry should have been in for quite some time now.",[14,1913,1914],{},"We will slowly roll out this transition. It may take a month or a year to fully pass the CEO hat from myself to Kerry. And that's ok! This will take as long as it needs to take for us, our awesome MKG-units, and our clients to be confident to take on these new seats.",[14,1916,1917],{},"The only effect our clients might feel is a streamlined agency\u002Fclient working experience as Kerry has the bandwidth and authority to improve on the systems across Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Operations. You will still have the full support of your same service line experts and Account Director with Jenna, our Managing Director, supporting the entire group. In the event you'd like to escalate something past Jenna, you will now escalate to Kerry instead of Mike.",[14,1919,1920],{},"With that news being shared, I'd like to end this update on a note of gratitude:",[14,1922,1923,1926],{},[52,1924,1925],{},"Mike:"," I am blessed to have a business partner with the unique superpowers of deduction, empathy and systems building to help build a people first palace here at MKG Marketing (say that 3 times fast). And she's doing it from a quarter of the way around the world! I am grateful that she has the expertise and energy - she's got rocket fuel in her veins - to take on this challenge to allow me to fly higher doing what I do best. Onward!",[14,1928,1929,1932],{},[52,1930,1931],{},"Kerry:"," I'm grateful for the opportunity to take what Mike has built in Sales and Finance these last 10 years, pull that together with Marketing and HR then streamline it for our existing team members and clients to give them an even better experience. It's an honor to fill Mike's very big CEO shoes and I can't wait to take his new ideas and integrate them, propelling our clients and their brands forward.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1934},[],"2021-09-01","Kerry Guard and Mike Krass have learned a lot about themselves these last 10 years especially when it comes to MKG Marketing and how they're looking to lead this digital marketing agency in the roaring twenties. Mike Krass explains.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fmike-krass-kerry-guard-2019.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-august-view-from-here",{"title":1853,"description":1936},"Digital Agency Leadership - Stepping Up","blog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-august-view-from-here","G57jUqW6ePn06HENqLb_5FylHuW3SwFe5otN_sZsvEY",[1945],{"id":1946,"title":1855,"body":1947,"date":7,"description":1975,"extension":318,"images":1976,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":1978,"linkedIn":1979,"meta":1980,"name":1855,"navigation":322,"path":1982,"quote":1983,"quoteCite":1984,"ref":1985,"seo":1986,"sequence":1987,"stem":1988,"team":7,"twitter":1979,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":1989},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fmike-krass.md",{"type":11,"value":1948,"toc":1973},[1949,1953,1956,1959],[14,1950,1952],{"className":1951},[1567],"A proud Washington State University alum — Go Cougs! — who grew up on the west coast of the United States, Mike has lived on three continents during his lifetime.",[14,1954,1955],{},"Over the past decade Mike has led MKG Marketing in becoming a 7-figure business, joined the global Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) as a member as well as holds a seat on their Board of Directors and mentored other business owners through organizations like Idea Village, EO and General Assembly.",[14,1957,1958],{},"When he’s not at work, Mike enjoys:",[46,1960,1961,1964,1967,1970],{},[49,1962,1963],{},"Riding his beach cruiser bike in the park.",[49,1965,1966],{},"Reading business and spy novels (often at the same time — ask him how many half finished books he’s currently reading on his Kindle!)",[49,1968,1969],{},"Traveling the world.",[49,1971,1972],{},"Flying N5478N — his trusty 1981 Cessna 182.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":1974},[],"Meet Mike Krass, one of MKG Marketing’s founders. He currently drives the big picture vision for the agency and supports biz dev and sales efforts.",{"landscape":1977},"mike-krass.webp","Owner\u002FVisionary","mikekrass",{"imageDescription":1981},"Mike Krass, MKG Marketing’s Owner\u002FVisionary, standing in front of St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter of New Orleans | MKG Marketing","\u002Fteam\u002Fmike-krass","Focus on the road, not the wall.","Alvin Alexander","mike-krass",{"description":1975},10,"team\u002Fmike-krass","WCJwOrpm4HOYHMODFwHdEILqPkcZwTSZUakkr3-n3rs",{"id":1991,"title":1992,"author":7,"authors":1993,"body":1994,"caption":7,"category":2036,"date":2037,"description":2038,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2039,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":2040,"seo":2041,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":1992,"stem":2042,"updated":7,"__hash__":2043,"people":2044},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-july-view-from-here.md","Our View From Here — July 2021",[9],{"type":11,"value":1995,"toc":2033},[1996,1999,2002,2005,2008,2011,2018,2021,2025],[14,1997,1998],{},"July was crazy. So many amazing things happened that I'm going to fill this month's view from here chock full of all our amazing updates!",[14,2000,2001],{},"#1 Welcome Katie Morton!",[14,2003,2004],{},"Katie Morton joined us as our next Account Director. She's located in my hometown - Philadelphia, and we're so excited to have brought on someone who has hit the ground running, building rapport withe our clients and team. We love her energy and are honored to have her. Welcome Katie!",[14,2006,2007],{},"#2 New Website",[14,2009,2010],{},"We have launched a brand new website complete with new logo, images, and copy. We did some serious soul searching with the help of copy writers to really understand who we are and how we help marketing leaders. It comes down to building tailored marketing plans that is hyper focused on what challenges our marketers are facing. Every single person in a marketing team has a different goal that lends it's self to the big overarching company bottom line. It's our job to connect and get to know our clients and what their challenges are then build a plan that meets their unique, individual needs. Feel free to stay awhile and check it out!",[14,2012,2013,2014],{},"#3 Season 8 of the ",[206,2015,2017],{"href":2016},"\u002Fpodcasts\u002Fmark-schaefer-marketing-rebellion\u002F","Tea Time With Tech Marketing Podcast",[14,2019,2020],{},"This season was probably the most important collection of conversations I've had to date. As marketers we've been facing constant shifts from buyers - Mark Schaefer calls these rebellions. We've had three Marketing Rebellions over the last 50 years or so. The first one was the end of Lies, then came the end of secrets, and now we're in the throws of pivoting towards ensuring we're always treating our customers and potential customers like humans and meeting them where they are. Season 8 kicks off with Mark walking us through these Rebellions and how we can move towards and through this third one to come out ahead and on top. The amazing thing, is that I ended up having seven other conversations that either backup what Mark wrote about or are examples of people who are already leading as a human first company. What an honor to have so many amazing marketers to dig in and discuss such an important topic.",[24,2022,2024],{"id":2023},"whats-next","What's next?",[14,2026,2027,2028,2032],{},"Stay tuned for ",[206,2029,2031],{"href":2030},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-august-view-from-here\u002F","August's"," update. We have big changes coming and we can't wait to share them with you!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2034},[2035],{"id":2023,"depth":291,"text":2024},"News","2021-07-01","Update on MKG Marketing from the front - New employee, website, and podcast season!",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-july-view-from-here",{"title":1992,"description":2038},"blog\u002Fnews\u002F2021-july-view-from-here","McRN7aROlS7JPkyn9zr6O-hxt77AzRIZhQmb4dEvb3s",[1560,1613],{"id":2046,"title":2047,"author":7,"authors":2048,"body":2049,"caption":7,"category":2036,"date":2037,"description":2101,"extension":318,"img":2102,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2103,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":2105,"seo":2106,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":2107,"stem":2108,"updated":7,"__hash__":2109,"people":2110},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2021.md","The View From Here — June 2021",[9],{"type":11,"value":2050,"toc":2098},[2051,2054,2057,2060,2063,2066,2069,2072,2075,2078,2082,2093,2096],[14,2052,2053],{},"Can you believe it?! It’s July! I can’t. Time flies when you’re having fun and what fun we’ve been having here at MKG Marketing! A ton and I can’t wait to share with you all of our company updates.",[14,2055,2056],{},"Before we get to our company updates, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on the month of June which was Pride Month.* We need to be celebrating the LGBTQ+ community every day, not just in the designated month. That doesn’t mean these aren’t great reflection points to take a step back, look at how far  we’ve come, and see the work that still needs to be done to support all of our LGBTQ+ friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances. It’s all well and good to change our logos to rainbow colors and post on social media that we stand with the Queer Community, but the actions we take behind the scenes that people aren’t seeing every day are the actions that matter.",[14,2058,2059],{},"The LGBTQ+ community has always struggled, and continues to do so. Their history is rooted in violence.",[14,2061,2062],{},"The first Pride was a riot against years of police brutality. Pride Marches (a.k.a. Pride Parades) and Pride month are celebrated because on June 28th, 1969 a police raid at The Stonewall Inn in New York City triggered a riot and a series of demonstrations for days afterward, led by lesbians and trans women of color.",[14,2064,2065],{},"Those events sparked the beginning of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Unfortunately, the fight for civil rights for all LGBTQ+ people continues. There are high rates of violence against transgender people, especially transgender women of color. 2021 is already a record year for anti-transgender legislation, with 33 US states introducing 144 bills (and counting) restricting and denying basic rights to transgender people, with many bills targeting transgender youth—from restricting access to healthcare, to requiring genital inspections in school sports, and denying trans people the right to use public restrooms.",[14,2067,2068],{},"Knowing where we come from as a country and community, without sugar coating it, ensures we work to do better every day. As a business owner, I can ensure we have policies in place to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in the workplace. I can ensure our benefits speak and work for everyone. For instance, in our website update, we looked at the language we used to make sure things like, \"Paternity\u002FMaternity leave\", are inclusive so we changed it to \"Family Leave\". If you have a child join your family, you are given 3 months of paid leave.",[14,2070,2071],{},"Small, cumulative steps like these fuel the momentum towards ensuring all LGBTQ+ folks have the same basic rights as cisgender folks. Individuals influence communities, and communities influence institutions. It is up to us to drive progress.",[14,2073,2074],{},"Our work never ends. Our leadership team is sitting down in the coming weeks to brainstorm what more we can do to support the LGBTQ+ and Black communities. Given we’re all white and cisgender, we’ll be pulling in our employees that these changes would affect most and have them mentor us through implementation. I hope to share more with you in the coming months as we roll this out.",[14,2076,2077],{},"*Written in collaboration with our beloved member of the MKG family & Queer community.",[24,2079,2081],{"id":2080},"company-update-time","Company update time!",[46,2083,2084,2087,2090],{},[49,2085,2086],{},"Congratulations to John Ballard! He is moving from being an SEO Expert to a Digital Marketing Expert. At MKG Marketing, Digital Marketing Experts are T-Shaped Marketers. They know one area, like SEO, really well then they have a solid foundational understanding about the other service lines to support other team members as work fluctuates around the organization. We’re so excited for him!",[49,2088,2089],{},"Working on a complete website redesign: This was supposed to be a simple copy refresh, but like all simple intentions it turned into a full refresh and I can’t wait to launch it and share it with y’all! We’re SO CLOSE!",[49,2091,2092],{},"Season 8 is just days away! This is our best season yet as we were able to pull all eight episodes together around a theme which really tells the story of where the marketing and advertising industry are headed and how our guests are already moving in that direction. Be sure to subscribe so you’re ready to binge when all eight drop on July 5th.",[14,2094,2095],{},"See you next month,",[14,2097,9],{},{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2099},[2100],{"id":2080,"depth":291,"text":2081},"At MKG Marketing diversity, equity, and inclusion work is important to us. June was an important month for the LGBTQ+ community and here's what we're doing about it.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fjune-2021-pride-month.webp",{},4,"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2021",{"title":2047,"description":2101},"Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Work Never Ends","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2021","yTkPZ6AkwtU7FjlSRblvLKzkdBGGK1O5Ld5usQWk1JQ",[1560,1613],{"id":2112,"title":2113,"author":7,"authors":2114,"body":2115,"caption":2357,"category":2036,"date":2358,"description":2359,"extension":318,"img":2360,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2361,"minutes":586,"navigation":322,"path":2362,"seo":2363,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":2364,"stem":2365,"updated":7,"__hash__":2366,"people":2367},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2021.md","The View From Here — May 2021",[9],{"type":11,"value":2116,"toc":2339},[2117,2125,2129,2133,2136,2139,2143,2151,2154,2165,2174,2177,2183,2187,2190,2193,2197,2200,2214,2217,2221,2224,2227,2247,2251,2254,2258,2261,2268,2272,2275,2290,2294,2297,2301,2308,2312,2315,2318,2322,2325,2328,2335,2337],[14,2118,2119,2120,2124],{},"In the ",[206,2121,2123],{"href":2122},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-april\u002F","April View From Here",", we mentioned that in May we were to going to share our updated Vision with the team. Which, we did and now I’d like to share it with you.",[24,2126,2128],{"id":2127},"the-mkg-marketing-mission","The MKG Marketing Mission",[81,2130,2132],{"id":2131},"measurable","Measurable",[14,2134,2135],{},"When Mike and I started MKG Marketing in 2011, our tag line was “measurable media”. We wanted to start an agency where we could measure how our marketing efforts impacted a brand’s bottom line. Which is why we started working primarily with technology companies and still do to this day.",[14,2137,2138],{},"When it came to developing a holistic mission almost 10 years later, we came back to that tag line. It’s still a core part of who we are. It’s also timeless. Marketing leaders will always want to know how their marketing efforts are impacting their bottom line.",[81,2140,2142],{"id":2141},"transparent","Transparent",[14,2144,2145,2146,2150],{},"Another element we discovered is that building lasting relationships with our marketing leaders is important to us and part of our DNA. We know this because we have ",[206,2147,2149],{"href":2148},"\u002Fcase-studies\u002F","several brands"," and marketers right now that we’ve been working with for 4-6 years.",[14,2152,2153],{},"We’ve been able to achieve this through clear, transparent communication (and results obviously!). Of course we talk about what’s going well. But, we also pull back the curtain;",[46,2155,2156,2159,2162],{},[49,2157,2158],{},"What challenges are we facing?",[49,2160,2161],{},"What ideas did we try and did they pan out like we hoped?",[49,2163,2164],{},"Why are a report’s numbers down, how did we contribute and what we’re going to do about it?",[14,2166,2167,2168,2173],{},"Here’s the other thing about transparency as it relates to Digital Marketing... Advertising is not transparent. Buyers don’t want it because it’s intrusive and at times creepy. Advertising is fighting an uphill battle against ad blockers and subscription models to stay alive. Why? Because ",[206,2169,2172],{"href":2170,"rel":2171},"https:\u002F\u002Fbusinessesgrow.com\u002Frebellion\u002F",[210],"buyers always win",". Listening to our customers is important now more than ever. If advertising is going to survive it has to adapt. A big part of adapting is being transparent.",[14,2175,2176],{},"Transparency at MKG has to transcend beyond our client relations to our client’s customers which is why it’s officially part of our mission:",[2178,2179,2180],"blockquote",{},[14,2181,2182],{},"We help complex B2B brands get found via transparent, measurable digital marketing.",[24,2184,2186],{"id":2185},"our-core-vales","Our Core Vales",[14,2188,2189],{},"We’ve had core values since at least 2013. There were three, Honesty, Integrity, People (HIP). Then they evolved in 2015 to People First, Exceeding Expectations, Selfless Pride, Big Picture, and Fearless.",[14,2191,2192],{},"Mike, myself, and our Managing Director (Jenna Hasenkampf), completed an exercise out of the Traction Framework. We each took 3-5 employees and wrote down characteristics about them. Then we found themes of that tied us all together.",[81,2194,2196],{"id":2195},"people-first","People First",[14,2198,2199],{},"This value has withstood the test of time. It was part of our original HIP values in 2013. It has evolved. It was originally a reminder that Mike and I need to always take care of our people to ensure they have work\u002Flife balance, a paycheck, benefits, and a place of belonging. In 2015, it was still very much this. If we stay focused on taking care of our people our people will take care of our clients. In the last few years this has evolved to be about everyone in the organization taking care of each other through:",[46,2201,2202,2208],{},[49,2203,2204,2207],{},[52,2205,2206],{},"MRI"," — most respectable interpretation... don’t jump to negative conclusions or take things personally. Think about where the other person is coming from and have empathy.",[49,2209,2210,2213],{},[52,2211,2212],{},"Team Pride"," — NO PERSON IS AN ISLAND! It’s easy to feel this way, especially as a remote first company, but remembering we’re all people who sometimes need help makes us feel connected",[14,2215,2216],{},"Given 2020 and the pandemic, this as expanded beyond our team to our clients. Our clients are people too who are more than marketers with families and lives. How can we, as MKG, support our clients so they feel heard, seen, and not like an island?",[81,2218,2220],{"id":2219},"transparency","Transparency",[14,2222,2223],{},"Remember in 2013, honesty and integrity? Well guess what? That’s encompassed by one word... Transparency. Fast forward to 2021 and thanks to the Traction exercise, we’re bringing it back! It’s still fundamentally part of who we are. Also, it’s in our mission. It felt appropriate to double down given both of these reasons.",[14,2225,2226],{},"To us transparency means:",[46,2228,2229,2235,2241],{},[49,2230,2231,2234],{},[52,2232,2233],{},"Be Reliable"," — Set clear expectations and follow-through with team members and clients to build trust and accountability",[49,2236,2237,2240],{},[52,2238,2239],{},"Be Honest & lead with integrity"," — We own up to mistakes and bring ideas for solutions, we value the long-term partnership over the short-term discomfort",[49,2242,2243,2246],{},[52,2244,2245],{},"Build trusting, long lasting relationships"," — Through consistency, accountability, and result-driven work we form connections that last",[81,2248,2250],{"id":2249},"big-picture","Big Picture",[14,2252,2253],{},"We have had this value since 2014 and it hasn’t changed too much by design. It’s simple. In order to achieve measurable results, we need to remember what they are and look up, out and forward towards them at all time.",[81,2255,2257],{"id":2256},"uphold-the-mkg-standard","Uphold The MKG Standard",[14,2259,2260],{},"This came out of the traction exercise. Our team takes great pride in their work. Client’s see that and have come to expect it. As we grow, we need to ensure new employees look to the people who’ve been here and build upon their great work.",[14,2262,2263,2264,2267],{},"Head over to our ",[206,2265,2266],{"href":1758},"values page"," to read the full descriptions.",[24,2269,2271],{"id":2270},"our-three-year-vision","Our Three-Year Vision",[14,2273,2274],{},"As part of the full vision we also shared how we plan to grow in the next three years. What new roles do we need? How do we organize into teams so we can scale?",[14,2276,2277,2278,1627,2281,1491,2285,2289],{},"While we don’t have plans of expanding our services outside of ",[206,2279,744],{"href":2280},"\u002Fexpert-digital-marketing-services\u002Fsearch-engine-optimization\u002F",[206,2282,2284],{"href":2283},"\u002Fexpert-digital-marketing-services\u002Fdigital-advertising\u002F","Digital Advertising",[206,2286,2288],{"href":2287},"\u002Fexpert-digital-marketing-services\u002Fmarketing-analytics\u002F","Analytics",". We do plan to add supporting roles to make these services even stronger.",[81,2291,2293],{"id":2292},"virtual-assistant","Virtual Assistant",[14,2295,2296],{},"The integrity of being a mostly flat organization still stands. It’s important to us that our clients work directly with the experts building the plan and pulling the levers. However, there are everyday, repetitive tasks that our people get bogged down in that keeps them from staying focused on the Big Picture, which is why we’ve brought in help! This also allows us to pass those repetitive tasks back to you, our clients, at a lower cost per hour. WIN WIN!",[81,2298,2300],{"id":2299},"strategy","Strategy",[14,2302,2303,2304,2307],{},"Someone to ",[38,2305,2306],{},"REALLY"," see the big picture across our service lines and into what other channels our clients are running. How does SEO, Digital Advertising, and Analytics impact and enhance what our clients are already doing across social, PR, email, and more?",[81,2309,2311],{"id":2310},"group-director","Group Director",[14,2313,2314],{},"This is a full on supporting role. Someone behind the scenes that makes sure their teams have what they need to be successful, from Goal Trackers (see April View From Here), to periodic 1:1 check-ins, to stepping in when an Account Director is out for an extended period of time and more!",[14,2316,2317],{},"We’re pretty excited about all these new roles and opportunities for our team and clients!",[24,2319,2321],{"id":2320},"to-infinity-and-beyond","To Infinity, and Beyond!",[14,2323,2324],{},"There are several other elements to the Vision Tracker we presented like our 10 year goal, marketing plan, and rocks (also known as goals). We hope to share the full vision with you someday. For now, these are the key elements that are changing and we wanted you to be in the know.",[14,2326,2327],{},"Thanks for joining us on the journey and we look forward to the next three years in growing with you.",[14,2329,2330,2331,2334],{},"In the meantime, check out the latest season of our podcast, ",[206,2332,2333],{"href":1512},"Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders",". Be sure to subscribe and get Season 8 as soon as it’s available!",[14,2336,2095],{},[14,2338,9],{},{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2340},[2341,2345,2351,2356],{"id":2127,"depth":291,"text":2128,"children":2342},[2343,2344],{"id":2131,"depth":297,"text":2132},{"id":2141,"depth":297,"text":2142},{"id":2185,"depth":291,"text":2186,"children":2346},[2347,2348,2349,2350],{"id":2195,"depth":297,"text":2196},{"id":2219,"depth":297,"text":2220},{"id":2249,"depth":297,"text":2250},{"id":2256,"depth":297,"text":2257},{"id":2270,"depth":291,"text":2271,"children":2352},[2353,2354,2355],{"id":2292,"depth":297,"text":2293},{"id":2299,"depth":297,"text":2300},{"id":2310,"depth":297,"text":2311},{"id":2320,"depth":291,"text":2321},"\u003Ca href=\"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fmike-krass\u002F\">Mike Krass\u003C\u002Fa> and \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fkerry-guard\u002F\">Kerry Guard\u003C\u002Fa> in Mountain View, 2012 — we thought we were so cool!","2021-06-01","At MKG Marketing our mission and values have always been at the core of who we are. As we continue to grow and change our values have adapted with us.","\u002Fimages\u002Fhero\u002Fkerry-mike.jpg",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2021",{"title":2113,"description":2359},"The MKG Marketing Vision","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2021","MOo7xQ2S8xZaQ1gpXLRWUxFVc9qfmxiZLMb-pSkd36s",[1560,1613],{"id":2369,"title":2370,"author":7,"authors":2371,"body":2372,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":2487,"description":2488,"extension":318,"img":2489,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2490,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":2491,"seo":2492,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":2493,"updated":7,"__hash__":2494,"people":2495},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-april.md","View From Here - April 2021",[9],{"type":11,"value":2373,"toc":2481},[2374,2378,2381,2384,2387,2390,2397,2400,2404,2423,2426,2429,2432,2435,2438,2442,2445,2453,2456,2464,2468,2471,2474],[24,2375,2377],{"id":2376},"new-dawn","New Dawn",[14,2379,2380],{},"It took us time to get there, but we now have a system that allows our team to set clear goals based on personal growth and peer feedback. Each week they track how they feel they did in terms of those goals.",[14,2382,2383],{},"It's been amazing. The team has really leaned in and thought about their future here at MKG and where they want to go. They're asking really powerful questions and pushing leadership to develop answers. Which we’re looking forward to sharing mid May.",[14,2385,2386],{},"The other thing about our new goal process is it allows leadership and employees to really look at organizational fit. It has pushed both sides to evaluate it and in some cases we've had to let people go and in others, people decided to take new opportunities elsewhere.",[14,2388,2389],{},"As we like to say here at MKG, it’s a two way street.",[14,2391,2392,2393,2396],{},"As much as we promise work\u002Flife balance, flexibility, remote work, and other standard and ",[206,2394,2395],{"href":1581},"above par benefits",", in return we need accountability. How are you meeting and exceeding our mission and values consistently?",[14,2398,2399],{},"On the flip side, are we meeting your individual needs of growth, acknowledgement of your hard work, and ensuring you feel like you belong?",[24,2401,2403],{"id":2402},"new-day","New Day",[14,2405,2406,2407,2412,2413,1491,2418,212],{},"Two of our longest tenured MKG-units, as ",[206,2408,2411],{"href":2409,"rel":2410},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fandrae-jones-939220a0\u002F",[210],"AnDrae'"," likes to call us, left the agency earlier this year. Wow. To be at an agency for 5+ years. That's almost unheard of! And what an honor to have worked with ",[206,2414,2417],{"href":2415,"rel":2416},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fjessicareckerward\u002F",[210],"Jessica Ward",[206,2419,2422],{"href":2420,"rel":2421},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fadamsbullock\u002F",[210],"Adam Bullock",[14,2424,2425],{},"Jessica has an engineer's brain. She really pushed for systems and processes when she first joined and through the years. She looked to increase efficiency and find ways to make sure we didn't drop the ball for clients. We have her to thank for moving us from Basecamp to Asana and uncovering all the fancy nuances and shortcuts to wire things up, so we can measure everyone’s workload (with the help and support of the other Account Directors as no one is an island here at MKG!). I enjoyed working with Jessica and I really miss her love and energy for our company and culture. She's now at NRCAAU as a Digital Strategist and I truly wish her all the best.",[14,2427,2428],{},"Adam Bullock. Oh that guy. Adam was actually our second employee. We asked Christian Bullock if we could clone him (in jest) and he said, “as a matter of fact……”",[14,2430,2431],{},"Adam was not a clone of Christian. Well, maybe they shared some of the same genes, but he had a completely different skill set and way of looking at things that made the Christian and Adam dynamic explosive when it came to fearless ideas. A great example of this was our vCloud Air work where they found the vMUG community and helped propel the new product off the ground.",[14,2433,2434],{},"We’ve been working with ExtraHop now for almost 6 years and I believe Adam is a big reason for the longevity. As a PPC Specialist he really understood their business and customers and was able to get their lead machine up and humming. As their Account Director, he created a constant stream of communication so our clients at ExtraHop knew exactly where all the moving pieces of their business stood.",[14,2436,2437],{},"Adam is now over at Weaveworks as a Marketing Manager and we can't wait to see how he helps them grow to their full potential. It's going to be awesome. Treat him well, Sonja!",[24,2439,2441],{"id":2440},"new-life","New Life",[14,2443,2444],{},"When doors close, new ones open.",[14,2446,2447,2448,2452],{},"Last week ",[206,2449,1490],{"href":2450,"rel":2451},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Falanna-moman-rawden\u002F",[210]," started and we are thrilled to have her partner with Sam and the West Coast team of experts. She has 10+ years of account director experience in the digital marketing space. She is ready to hit the ground running!",[14,2454,2455],{},"We also have brought on a virtual assistant, Aimee Ebarle. She comes from a business analyst and project management background at large consulting firms like Accenture, which is precisely why we asked her to join us! She has become our tasking QUEEN! Ensuring experts get new tasks so the Account Directors can easily plan client deliverables for the weeks to come. She is also partnering with our analytics team in helping them automate data aggregation across systems on a weekly basis. We’re thrilled to have her and look forward to seeing our Account Directors and Experts propel client relationships forward as they get out of the weeds and look up, out, and forward towards our client’s business outcomes even more effectively.",[14,2457,2458,2459,2463],{},"We are looking for one more Account Director to join our team. Are you an experienced AD with 8+ years of experience? Maybe you know someone? Check out our ",[206,2460,2462],{"href":2461},"\u002Fabout\u002Fjobs\u002Faccount-director\u002F","job description"," and be sure to apply or share. We look forward to hearing from you!",[24,2465,2467],{"id":2466},"and-im-feeling-good","And I’m Feeling Good",[14,2469,2470],{},"The new process of tracking people’s goals has been a game changer. The team has set some lofty individual, intentional goals and I’m so excited to watch each person thrive. One of our values is “Big Picture”. Part of seeing the big picture is to see your own. Then have the growth mindset to get after it. As an organization we have a growth mindset, always looking to improve. This system is a great new element that helps us do just that.",[14,2472,2473],{},"Until next time…",[14,2475,2476,2477,2480],{},"Looking for other ideas for your own growth? ",[206,2478,2479],{"href":1512},"Check out season 7 of Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders",", where Larry Long, Michael Sherlock, and Max Borges talk about new ways to find your values, potential, and a career you love.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2482},[2483,2484,2485,2486],{"id":2376,"depth":291,"text":2377},{"id":2402,"depth":291,"text":2403},{"id":2440,"depth":291,"text":2441},{"id":2466,"depth":291,"text":2467},"2021-05-01","It’s A New Dawn. A New Day. A New Life. And I’m Feeling Good","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-april.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-april",{"title":2370,"description":2488},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-april","dVAZ2Uy5Uo9mECj4wOUXNYMWRgwyQ7KRlQNYA3xDIlQ",[1560,1613],{"id":2497,"title":2498,"author":7,"authors":2499,"body":2500,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":2578,"description":2579,"extension":318,"img":2580,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2581,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":2582,"seo":2583,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":2584,"stem":2585,"updated":7,"__hash__":2586,"people":2587},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-march-2021.md","Our View From Here - March 2021",[9],{"type":11,"value":2501,"toc":2576},[2502,2511,2514,2517,2520,2523,2531,2534,2537,2540,2563,2566,2569],[14,2503,2504,2505,2510],{},"At the beginning of the quarter we set company wide Rocks (a fancy ",[206,2506,2509],{"href":2507,"rel":2508},"https:\u002F\u002Ftractioninc.com\u002Fwhat-is-eos\u002F",[210],"Traction"," terminology for Goals). These rocks need to be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.\nAs we near the end of Q1 here in 2021, just after a full year of the world going into lock down, I thought it important to reflect on our Q1 Rock. While completing the goal is certainly important, the journey is what matters and what a journey it was!",[14,2512,2513],{},"Last year, with COViD, everything changed. Luckily we have been a remote digital marketing agency for the last 9+ years, working from home may not have have change, but our individual environments did. Some of us had partners now working from home too, children at home, or complete isolation for those who live alone. Our clients were thrown into these scenarios too which effected how we mentally shifted in supporting them. 2020 became the year of empathy and triage... be there for one another and power through. Which we did and we're stronger for it.",[14,2515,2516],{},"However, power through can mean put your head down and get it done. Don't question how it gets done, don't try and change too much, because there's enough change in the world we don't need change at work either.",[14,2518,2519],{},"At the end of 2020 people learned to live in the new normal - not necessarily easily, but found ways to create bubbles, send kids to daycare safely, or, like me, move entirely. Things feel settled, which mad Q1 a great time to reflect and look at what have we been doing and what can we do better.",[14,2521,2522],{},"For Q1, the leadership team, made it a priority to sit down with every single team member, ourselves included, and ask two fundamental, yet tough questions:",[132,2524,2525,2528],{},[49,2526,2527],{},"What are your time vampires? What are you doing day in and out that is not a good return on your time?",[49,2529,2530],{},"If you were given time in your day back, what would you want to be doing?",[14,2532,2533],{},"15 people. 15 hours. 35+ items that need to be \"bulldozed\". Hours upon hours we can optimize.",[14,2535,2536],{},"We called these Bulldozer meetings. What can we bulldoze out of your way, off your plate, so you can do what you want and love to be doing in the best interest of our clients and your career?",[14,2538,2539],{},"Here are a few things we learned:",[46,2541,2542,2550,2557],{},[49,2543,2544,2545,2549],{},"Our Strategic, thoughtful ",[206,2546,2548],{"href":2547},"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002F","Account Directors"," have been spending 50% or more of their time just making tasks in Asana. If they had that time back they would want to create a central location of where SEO and PPC projects live so both sides can collaborate better. They would want to be more strategic when thinking about a client's business and help the team think of new and exciting ways to solve those problems. Be more proactive.",[49,2551,2552,2553,2556],{},"Our Expert ",[206,2554,2555],{"href":2287},"Analysts"," spend 2+ hours a week moving data from CRM systems into our reporting platform. If they had that time back they'd spend it looking and analyzing the data to find the story and provide trends to the SEO and PPC experts who can then make faster, strategic decisions.",[49,2558,2559,2560,2562],{},"Our ",[206,2561,744],{"href":2280}," Team logs into multiple tools everyday to see data for each client. If we could aggregate that date into one place, and overlay it to form a story they could also make faster strategic decisions on behalf of our clients.",[14,2564,2565],{},"As the leadership team we are so excited (NERD ALERT!) to dig into all 35+ time vampires, and systematize with process and resources to automate as much as we can. Our team deserves to love their job and love what they're doing and in return our clients deserve the best part of our experts in everything they do.",[14,2567,2568],{},"As an Agile organization, it's important to always be learning to grow and do better as individuals and a company which is why this Rock was so important. We never want to accept status quo or \"it is what it is\". How can we all work together and always do better?",[14,2570,2571,2572,2575],{},"It's exciting to think about how we plan to level up in the coming months... get ready clients! It's important to celebrate our wins too. Which we have many! Check our ",[206,2573,2574],{"href":2148},"case studies"," and see what we've accomplished in digital marketing with so many great Tech and Healthcare clients.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2577},[],"2021-04-01","Each month, we take time to reflect on the last month. As a people first companyit's important to recognize our wins and our failures and most importantly what we learned through the process.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fblog-post-bulldozer.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-march-2021",{"title":2498,"description":2579},"MKG Marketing View From Here | March 2021","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-march-2021","RJyBXNjnG-gudVt9224l853ISHuwjLpB1rk97FawApM",[1560,1613],{"id":2589,"title":2590,"author":7,"authors":2591,"body":2592,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":2713,"description":2714,"extension":318,"img":2715,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2716,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":2717,"seo":2718,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":2719,"stem":2720,"updated":7,"__hash__":2721,"people":2722},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-2021-february-dei.md","View From Here - February 2021",[9],{"type":11,"value":2593,"toc":2708},[2594,2609,2612,2615,2619,2622,2625,2628,2631,2635,2649,2652,2655,2666,2669,2672,2675,2678,2681,2705],[14,2595,2596,2597,2602,2603,2608],{},"I recently listened to a podcast on ",[206,2598,2601],{"href":2599,"rel":2600},"https:\u002F\u002Fopen.spotify.com\u002Fepisode\u002F7K47gQF5Ruc7MAXxENq6jI?si=2fe46fdf2cdb4ed0",[210],"Dare to Lead with Brené Brown and Aniko Bethea",". Aniko wrote an ",[206,2604,2607],{"href":2605,"rel":2606},"https:\u002F\u002Faikobethea.medium.com\u002Fan-open-letter-to-corporate-america-philanthropy-academia-etc-what-now-8b2d3a310f22",[210],"open letter on Medium"," to the corporate America the day after George Floyd's death in May of 2020. The episode works to pull the letter apart and dig in and what more we need to do as organizations. It's a coaching session. It's brilliant and inspiring.\nIn the episode they talk greatly about Accountability. It's all well and good to show up and say you're an ally. What are you going to do about it?",[14,2610,2611],{},"With Black History Month having come to an end days ago, our view from here at MKG, is that the work doesn't stop. We have to keep going.",[14,2613,2614],{},"Last year, after the death of George Floyd, Mike and I came together and said, what next? Here's what we did:",[24,2616,2618],{"id":2617},"first","First",[14,2620,2621],{},"We held a meeting with clear guidelines and expectations.",[14,2623,2624],{},"In our playbook we talk about how there is no place for politics at our organization as it's polarizing and drives people apart rather than bringing them together. However, I was clear that this was not about politics. This was about human rights and we need to come together as an organization and recognize that. Politics were still kept off the table and everyone who spoke, spoke in \"I feel\" statements. Also, this was not a \"town hall\" like in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. I called each black member of our organization to ask how they were and to see how they felt about having this meeting. Then an email went outlining what the meeting was for, how people were expected to show up, and the agenda.",[14,2626,2627],{},"Everyone showed up. All 14 employees. Not everyone spoke, but everyone was present and was actively listening. Those who did speak all came from a very vulnerable open place with lots of different feelings: anger, hurt, guilt, shame, sadness, and most importantly (IMHO) hope. One of our black employees was even brave to share their perspective which everyone gave them the floor to do with courtesy and grace.",[14,2629,2630],{},"It was the most important meeting our organization has had. As Aniko said in the podcast, don't just have a town hall to have an open floor and no agenda. We had a very clear agenda and very clear guidelines on how people needed to show up. At the end of the meeting I laid out action items of what we were to do next. The first step was training on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.",[24,2632,2634],{"id":2633},"training","Training",[14,2636,2637,2638,2642,2643,2648],{},"In ",[206,2639,2641],{"href":2640},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2020\u002F","September",", we had Kristina, from ",[206,2644,2647],{"href":2645,"rel":2646},"https:\u002F\u002Funpacking.co\u002F",[210],"Unpacking.co"," give us a 4 hour training in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it relates to black people in organizations.",[14,2650,2651],{},"The training was important and helpful. It gave us vocabulary on how to have tough conversations. It was group activity and discussion based. The first was a game to give us vocabulary. Then we did 4 exercises in small groups: Identify what white privilege looks like. Trending For the Future. Then Dream Boards of what having a more black and diverse organization looks like. Scenarios of how to handle tough situations around racism. Finally we talked through OKRs - Things we could do as an organization to be more diverse and inclusive.",[14,2653,2654],{},"Here were some of the ideas on how we can contribute to change.",[46,2656,2657,2660,2663],{},[49,2658,2659],{},"Partner with HBCs & Universities to find a paid assistant who we train right out of college.",[49,2661,2662],{},"Community outreach projects\u002Fevents with a Mentor\u002Fmentee program (different race)",[49,2664,2665],{},"Dedicate a percentage of budget to things like scholarships and training programs",[14,2667,2668],{},"Every team member showed up and every team member contributed and participated.",[24,2670,2671],{"id":2023},"What's Next",[14,2673,2674],{},"Just because Black History Month is over, and George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin (and so many more) died over 6 months ago doesn't mean the work ends. As Aniko and Brené said... you spell love, T.I.M.E. We're not going to solve racism over night, but we need to keep the work going and not let up.",[14,2676,2677],{},"The most important element from Aniko and Brené's talk was about accountability. I like to say at MKG that with freedom comes accountability. This is an important word that keeps our organization in check on both sides - employee and employer.",[14,2679,2680],{},"So in taking this word to heart, I felt that coming out of Black History Month it was important to let our team mates, clients, partners, and readers know how we plan to continue our work.",[132,2682,2683,2686,2694,2697],{},[49,2684,2685],{},"Each quarter at all our All Hands we plan to carve out time to dig into one of the team's ideas and brainstorm how to make it happen, then go do it.",[49,2687,2688,2689,2693],{},"We also have been working to grow our team's diversity by finding sites like blackmarketers.org and ",[206,2690,2691],{"href":2691,"rel":2692},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.hiretechladies.com\u002F",[210],". When recruiting we look at cities with high density of diversity like Austin, Atlanta, Boston, and more. 13% of our FTEs are from the black community. We need to continue to diversify as we continue to grow.",[49,2695,2696],{},"I'm working with Kristina and her team to set up Part 2 of training for this year.",[49,2698,2699,2700,2704],{},"Continue to diversify our ",[206,2701,2703],{"href":2702},"\u002Fpodcasts\u002F","podcast",". 12% of our guests are people from the black community. I have work to do.",[14,2706,2707],{},"This is just the list we have right now. That doesn't mean once we \"check these boxes\" we stop. It means we dig in and find more and keep learning and keep going. There is work to be done.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2709},[2710,2711,2712],{"id":2617,"depth":291,"text":2618},{"id":2633,"depth":291,"text":2634},{"id":2023,"depth":291,"text":2671},"2021-03-01","Now that Black History Month is over, it's time to reflect on what we have done thus far as an organization, and most importantly, what work we still have yet to do.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fdtl-aikobethea-websitebanner-1920x500-1.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-2021-february-dei",{"title":2590,"description":2714},"There Is Work Still To Be Done | MKG Marketing","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-2021-february-dei","zgbEAVvdhL4QVKUSPtdXARtgHGR5dnk5_dGZfrB8i8Y",[1560,1613],{"id":2724,"title":2725,"author":7,"authors":2726,"body":2727,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":2934,"description":2935,"extension":318,"img":2936,"imgAlt":7,"meta":2937,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":2938,"seo":2939,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":2940,"updated":7,"__hash__":2941,"people":2942},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2021-1.md","View from Here: January 2021 part 2",[1855],{"type":11,"value":2728,"toc":2927},[2729,2732,2735,2738,2741,2746,2749,2752,2755,2758,2761,2764,2768,2771,2774,2777,2780,2783,2786,2789,2792,2795,2798,2801,2804,2807,2810,2814,2817,2822,2825,2828,2831,2837,2840,2852,2856,2859,2862,2865,2872,2876,2879,2882,2885,2888,2890,2892,2894,2896,2899,2903,2906,2909,2912,2921,2924],[14,2730,2731],{},"The day was January 20, 2021.\nMy friend who lives\u002Fworks in South Africa said this to me as we hopped on a Zoom call with a small group of people.",[14,2733,2734],{},"\"Congratulations my friend.\"",[14,2736,2737],{},"To be frank, I was taken back by his comment because it was out of context.",[14,2739,2740],{},"Congratulations? For what?",[2178,2742,2743],{},[14,2744,2745],{},"In all seriousness - and without advocating for one candidate over the other - I want to take a moment to congratulate my American colleagues for completing the process of electing a new leader of your country. Regardless of how you got there, you eventually elected someone. Elections are an event stamped in history that should be celebrated.",[14,2747,2748],{},"When I remembered my manners, I thanked my friend.",[14,2750,2751],{},"And then I started to marinate on the fact that we as a country have elected 46 leaders in the history of our nation.",[14,2753,2754],{},"Six in my lifetime.",[14,2756,2757],{},"If you asked me to name which President led to the best quality of life for my family, I'm not sure that I could tell you with 100% certainty.",[14,2759,2760],{},"I remember certain things being better under one leader versus another.",[14,2762,2763],{},"But I don't have an overwhelming 'a-ha!' answer where I can say that life became 10x better based on who sat in the Oval Office.",[24,2765,2767],{"id":2766},"the-only-person-you-are-destined-to-become-is-the-person-you-decide-to-be","\"The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.\"",[14,2769,2770],{},"Ralph Waldo Emerson penned the sentence above.",[14,2772,2773],{},"I fully acknowledge that barriers exist in this world.",[14,2775,2776],{},"Gender.",[14,2778,2779],{},"Nationality.",[14,2781,2782],{},"Sexual orientation.",[14,2784,2785],{},"Religious beliefs.",[14,2787,2788],{},"...just to name a few.",[14,2790,2791],{},"And I recognize my privilege in this world. There is a lot of it!",[14,2793,2794],{},"Raised middle class.",[14,2796,2797],{},"Male.",[14,2799,2800],{},"American born.",[14,2802,2803],{},"Cisgender.",[14,2805,2806],{},"That being said: I believe that Emerson's words can apply to everybody.",[14,2808,2809],{},"Ultimately, the human being you become will be influenced directly by the person you decide to be.",[24,2811,2813],{"id":2812},"to-me-its-about-living-with-intention","To me, it's about Living with Intention",[14,2815,2816],{},"During our q4 all hands company meeting, I shared my mindset with the team looking to the new year.",[2178,2818,2819],{},[14,2820,2821],{},"I want to thrive - not just survive - in 2021.",[14,2823,2824],{},"As David C Baker pointed out earlier this week, a new leader will occupy in the highest office in the land every 4 to 8 years.",[14,2826,2827],{},"Their policies will affect me personally.",[14,2829,2830],{},"But as a private citizen with a $0 lobbying budget at my disposal I can only control so much of the policy they implement beyond visiting the voting booth every 4 years.",[14,2832,2833,2834],{},"Ultimately it's up to me to ",[52,2835,2836],{},"decide who I want to become.",[14,2838,2839],{},"At the same time as I was marinating on all of the above, an amazing person and entrepreneur friend who I recently got to know better (talking about you, Madonna!) shared two questions she asks herself every single morning when she wakes up.",[2178,2841,2842,2845],{},[14,2843,2844],{},"Why am I alive today?",[14,2846,2847,2848,2851],{},"What makes today great for ",[38,2849,2850],{},"me","?",[24,2853,2855],{"id":2854},"okay-mike-this-view-from-here-is-really-taking-an-unusual-turn","Okay Mike. This view from here is really taking an unusual turn.",[14,2857,2858],{},"You are correct.",[14,2860,2861],{},"I don't normally focus so intensely on mindset, purpose and intention in this column.",[14,2863,2864],{},"Frankly, it's been a topic that was long overdue.",[14,2866,2867,2868,2871],{},"Because my own ",[38,2869,2870],{},"View from Here"," right here and right now is that it's time to move forward as a Country so that we can ALL take a swing at thriving to the best of our ability in 2021.",[24,2873,2875],{"id":2874},"regardless-of-which-candidate-you-supported","Regardless of which candidate you supported...",[14,2877,2878],{},"No matter who you voted for: congratulations on participating in the process.",[14,2880,2881],{},"As Americans, we have certain rights, privileges and abilities that others do not have on this Earth.",[14,2883,2884],{},"So take a moment to say congratulations to yourself.",[14,2886,2887],{},"I'll wait.",[14,2889,212],{},[14,2891,212],{},[14,2893,212],{},[14,2895,212],{},[14,2897,2898],{},"Great! Now that you have patted yourself on the back, let's move forward together.",[24,2900,2902],{"id":2901},"how-are-you-going-to-thrive-in-2021","How are you going to thrive in 2021?",[14,2904,2905],{},"I work hard to develop and practice an abundant mindset.",[14,2907,2908],{},"You've probably noticed a lot of statements in the plural throughout this update.",[14,2910,2911],{},"\"Let's\" or \"We\" instead of \"I\"",[2178,2913,2914],{},[14,2915,2916,2917,2920],{},"So tell me: how are ",[52,2918,2919],{},"you"," going to thrive in 2021?",[14,2922,2923],{},"I've got a LinkedIn post collecting answers.",[14,2925,2926],{},"Let me know yours by logging on LinkedIn to get a shot of inspiration from folks in my professional network.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2928},[2929,2930,2931,2932,2933],{"id":2766,"depth":291,"text":2767},{"id":2812,"depth":291,"text":2813},{"id":2854,"depth":291,"text":2855},{"id":2874,"depth":291,"text":2875},{"id":2901,"depth":291,"text":2902},"2021-02-02","This Month's View from Here focuses on Living with Intention. How do you plan to thrive in 2021?","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fthrive-2021-mkg-marketing.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2021-1",{"title":2725,"description":2935},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2021-1","BVvlkxRbHE47o3dsUABHKey-AZOHq0pBqzY62V59-zw",[1945],{"id":2944,"title":2945,"author":7,"authors":2946,"body":2947,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":2998,"description":2999,"extension":318,"img":3000,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3001,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":3002,"seo":3003,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":2945,"stem":3004,"updated":7,"__hash__":3005,"people":3006},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-to-build-a-company-around-your-values.md","How To Build A Company Around Your Values",[9],{"type":11,"value":2948,"toc":2992},[2949,2953,2960,2962,2965,2968,2971,2975,2978,2982,2985],[24,2950,2952],{"id":2951},"within-us","\"Within Us\"",[14,2954,2955,2956,2959],{},"The theme for this season of Dr Jankovic's podcast is 'consciously creating your unique contribution and the life you love'.",[2957,2958],"br",{},"\nThis season is all about the 'how-to' of starting your new venture, crafting your new offer, and consciously leveling up your life, wellbeing, and business. She interviews extraordinary female entrepreneurs who have successfully created community and\u002For can guide you with the support and inspiration that you need to turn your professional expertise and passion into a successful and profitable program, course, or business.",[24,2961,2196],{"id":2195},[14,2963,2964],{},"When people know they are valued and cared for, they go the extra mile. Without enthusiastic and dedicated people, your business goals will remain unachievable.",[14,2966,2967],{},"From large ad agencies in New York and Seattle, Kerry's experienced some harsh realities of the industry- long hours, huge budget campaigns, and more times than not, a limited scope of results. These large ad agencies weren't measuring the return on investment in the digital space. Kerry, who used to work in a crazy culture where she’s burnt out and felt replaceable, realized that the place she was in was not the life she wanted. MKG's first hire, Christian, had a family before joining; this made CEO Mike Krass and Kerry reconsider the preconception that agencies must chain their employees to their desks for 12-14 hours a day. The result of these long hours is consistent, quick burnout, turnover where employees would last a maximum of two years at any one agency.",[14,2969,2970],{},"As a 100% remote firm, MKG was founded on the idea of \"people first\" - no commutes, weekends off, 20 vacation days, unlimited sick days, and flexibility, especially in regards to families. In addition, limiting client contact to normal business hours so that they don't set a dangerous precedent and take advantage of you.",[24,2972,2974],{"id":2973},"no-one-is-an-island","No-one Is An Island",[14,2976,2977],{},"One of the most important mantras we have at MKG is \"no-one is an island\". By having constant contact via Zoom chat rooms, we're able to stay in touch with anyone at MKG and rely on their expertise when stuck. Not only does it create a support network, but it also helps maintain accountability. Kerry insists that planned breaks help divide up the potential monotony or insane crunch; \"do some things just for you throughout the day, whether taking walks or listening to podcasts.\" Leading with empathy has allowed MKG to propel forward and bring in new perspectives.",[24,2979,2981],{"id":2980},"stay-true-to-your-roots","Stay True to Your Roots",[14,2983,2984],{},"Kerry discussed how staying in one industry, specifically generating demand for B2B technology companies, has allowed them to build experience and strengthen the MKG brand. While they've adjusted the specific aims (the results they seek) during the first years, Kerry and Mike have maintained the core reason for why they started the company; this is crucial to scaling the firm beyond the infant stages. It's necessary to seek resources to learn from other entrepreneurs, their success and failures, and how to build a firm from the ground up. Utilizing a network goes beyond just the beginning, YEC and other associations create connections and stay inspired.",[14,2986,2987],{},[206,2988,2991],{"href":2989,"rel":2990},"https:\u002F\u002Fanchor.fm\u002Fwithinus\u002Fepisodes\u002FEP-61-How-To-Build-A-Company-Around-Your-Values-with-Kerry-Guard-eotemt",[210],"Listen to the full episode here",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":2993},[2994,2995,2996,2997],{"id":2951,"depth":291,"text":2952},{"id":2195,"depth":291,"text":2196},{"id":2973,"depth":291,"text":2974},{"id":2980,"depth":291,"text":2981},"2021-01-29","Our COO Kerry joined Dr. Jankovic on her podcast, \"Within Us\", to discuss building a values-driven company. They also talk about why you should always put your people first!","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F4f5803dd-c64d-4093-b5a8-a80e7e4599a4.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-to-build-a-company-around-your-values",{"title":2945,"description":2999},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fhow-to-build-a-company-around-your-values","JVrwQAnzQPYRDnZFBVAp8Gb3aIExH8jP-TMRzNxUeTE",[1560,1613],{"id":3008,"title":3009,"author":7,"authors":3010,"body":3011,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":3124,"description":3125,"extension":318,"img":3020,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3126,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":3127,"seo":3128,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":3129,"updated":7,"__hash__":3130,"people":3131},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2021.md","View from Here - January 2021",[1855],{"type":11,"value":3012,"toc":3122},[3013,3016,3021,3028,3031,3034,3051,3054,3065,3070,3076,3079,3114,3119],[14,3014,3015],{},"The clock has struck (and passed!) midnight on the 2020 calendar year.\nAside from the flood of \"goodbye 2020\" posts I saw on blogs, Instagram, etc I know it's officially 2021 when I have to change out the cat calendar in my office.",[14,3017,3018],{},[75,3019],{"alt":77,"src":3020},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fcat-calendar-2021.webp",[14,3022,3023,3024,3027],{},"Because the Internet is filled with Petabytes of commentary on last year, along with the fact that I like to look where I'm trying to go (forward) more than in the review mirror, I'm going to choose ",[52,3025,3026],{},"NOT"," to publish an in-depth analysis of 2020 in this monthly View From Here post.",[14,3029,3030],{},"That being said, I will use an event from December to get this View from Here post moving.",[14,3032,3033],{},"At the conclusion of last year we held our Q4 quarterly all hands meeting. We follow a quarterly meeting rhythm to ensure we get together every 90 days or so in order to talk through things such as:",[46,3035,3036,3039,3042,3045,3048],{},[49,3037,3038],{},"Quarterly company rocks and the progress to reaching them",[49,3040,3041],{},"Setting upcoming quarterly rocks",[49,3043,3044],{},"Discussing the financial health of the business",[49,3046,3047],{},"Introducing new team members, inclusive of asking them an ice breaker question to get to know them better",[49,3049,3050],{},"and more!",[14,3052,3053],{},"Last but not least: the meeting always ends with a Q&A session between the team and the Founders.",[14,3055,3056,3057,3060,3061,3064],{},"And in one of my answers during that session I mentioned that in 2021 I want to not ",[38,3058,3059],{},"just"," survive the global pandemic, economic downturn and other negative world events. I want to ",[38,3062,3063],{},"thrive"," in 2021.",[2178,3066,3067],{},[14,3068,3069],{},"I want to thrive in 2021. In whatever form that takes.",[14,3071,3072,3073],{},"On the heels of that comment, I invited anyone else who wanted to thrive to join me. Again, ",[38,3074,3075],{},"in whatever form that takes.",[14,3077,3078],{},"What I didn't do a great job of mentioning during the All Hands meeting was how this might manifest itself for myself here in 2021. Thriving, to me, looks like:",[132,3080,3081,3084,3093,3100,3103,3111],{},[49,3082,3083],{},"As if it wasn't already, the rationale of \"...well that is the way it's always been done\" is dead to me now. I need to act accordingly. Especially when that involves questioning my own reasons for doing things.",[49,3085,3086,3087,3092],{},"Be impeccable with my word. Don Miguel Ruiz said this in his book ",[206,3088,3091],{"href":3089,"rel":3090},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.goodreads.com\u002Fquotes\u002F71463-1-be-impeccable-with-your-word-speak-with-integrity-say",[210],"The Four Agreements",". This is especially important to me here in 2021.",[49,3094,3095,3096,3099],{},"Read ",[38,3097,3098],{},"even more"," from a diverse set of authors, topics. In particular, I want to read things from people\u002Fpositions that I do not particularly agree with all (or any!) of the time in order to seek to understand where their opinions, experiences or actions may be coming from.",[49,3101,3102],{},"Own my attitude. I can't control exactly what is happening around\u002Fto me, but I can control my reaction to that which happens around me. My attitude is the one thing that I 100% own at my core. I will own it in 2021.",[49,3104,3105,3106,212],{},"Focus my energy on things that are both meaningful and urgent. I'd like to wire my brain to evaluate decisions using the ",[206,3107,3110],{"href":3108,"rel":3109},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fsearch?q=eisenhower+decision+matrix",[210],"Eisenhower Matrix created by Dwight D Eisenhower, President of the United States",[49,3112,3113],{},"Set higher standards for myself. Thriving to me means getting better every single day. That begins with setting higher standards for my own work, behavior, actions and presence in the community. I'd like to invite others to 'raise their game' as well at work, personal, community in order to act as informal accountability partners.",[14,3115,3116],{},[52,3117,3118],{},"Do you want to thrive in 2021?",[14,3120,3121],{},"If so, drop us a note on social media letting us know so we can be accountability buddies together!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":3123},[],"2021-01-05","Sprinting into 2021 with the First View From Here Post from CEO Mike Krass",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2021",{"title":3009,"description":3125},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2021","BoKs9WSIlKg7M87S6V0qZzR1EwymhybBuKOWj04kyIo",[1945],{"id":3133,"title":3134,"author":7,"authors":3135,"body":3136,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":3192,"description":3193,"extension":318,"img":3194,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3195,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":3196,"seo":3197,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":3134,"stem":3198,"updated":7,"__hash__":3199,"people":3200},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-december-2020.md","View from Here - December 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":3137,"toc":3190},[3138,3146,3149,3152,3155,3158,3161,3178,3181,3184,3187],[14,3139,3140,3141,3145],{},"Like the ",[206,3142,3144],{"href":3143},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-november-2020\u002F","previous monthly view from here post",", we wanted to take a moment to focus in on one individual team member: Christian.",[14,3147,3148],{},"Christian was the first MKG-unit (AnDrae's word!) to join the team outside of Kerry and I over 8 years ago.",[14,3150,3151],{},"Initially on a part time basis and then, over time, transitioning to a full time position here at MKG.",[14,3153,3154],{},"So it's with great sadness (and excitement) to share that last month Christian parted ways with MKG to embark on a new professional venture.",[14,3156,3157],{},"During the past decade or so, we made so many memories working with Christian. This made me reflect on some of those stories that we shared parts in during that time.",[14,3159,3160],{},"A few that came to mind were when...",[132,3162,3163,3166,3169,3172,3175],{},[49,3164,3165],{},"Day trip to Las Vegas, where we pitched MKG's digital marketing services in the top floor of a historic Vegas hotel",[49,3167,3168],{},"Taking calls with clients in creative places such as airports, on Caltrain as well as tucked away in kids bedrooms",[49,3170,3171],{},"Having hour-long stand up meetings back when it was just 3 of us and we could get away with spending that much time on a stand up :)",[49,3173,3174],{},"Bringing great people to MKG such as Adam (twice!) and Jessica in the early days of the agency",[49,3176,3177],{},"Scouring each city we travelled to for work trips for their top-rated, cheapest Indian food buffets",[14,3179,3180],{},"These are just a few (of many) stories that come to mind as Christian winds his time down here at MKG.",[14,3182,3183],{},"I'll be forever grateful for all the memories, projects, customers and friends we have made together over the past 8 years.",[14,3185,3186],{},"And I'm looking forward to seeing Christian do great things in his new role.",[14,3188,3189],{},"Please join us in wishing Christian an amazing new start to the next professional venture in his life!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":3191},[],"2020-12-02","Christian Bullock, Our First Employee, Departs MKG for a New Professional Venture.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fyvr-mkg.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-december-2020",{"title":3134,"description":3193},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-december-2020","H4ERoc-HXl9mP80IIzrviUxKWDm1yxsPI8V66wwpcvQ",[1945],{"id":3202,"title":3203,"author":7,"authors":3204,"body":3205,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":3220,"description":3221,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3222,"minutes":1608,"navigation":322,"path":3223,"seo":3224,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":3225,"updated":7,"__hash__":3226,"people":3227},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-november-2020.md","View from Here - November 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":3206,"toc":3218},[3207],[3208,3209],"iframe",{"src":3210,"width":3211,"height":3212,"style":3213,"scrolling":3214,"frameBorder":3215,"allowTransparency":3216,"allow":3217,"allowFullScreen":3216},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fvideo.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmkgmarketinginc%2Fvideos%2F366923424727592%2F&show_text=1",640,480,"border:none;overflow:hidden","no","0","true","encrypted-media",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":3219},[],"2020-11-04","One really big, exciting piece of news to share!",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-november-2020",{"title":3203,"description":3221},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-november-2020","Tw4nbS8lZheub7mLEEVN2mfPabGaMZVuZzY35HD2EBY",[1945],{"id":3229,"title":3230,"author":7,"authors":3231,"body":3232,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":3575,"description":3576,"extension":318,"img":3577,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3578,"minutes":321,"navigation":322,"path":3579,"seo":3580,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":3581,"updated":7,"__hash__":3582,"people":3583},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2020.md","View From Here - September 2020",[9],{"type":11,"value":3233,"toc":3563},[3234,3239,3242,3245,3249,3253,3262,3268,3273,3276,3279,3282,3301,3304,3311,3328,3335,3352,3356,3370,3385,3388,3391,3411,3415,3418,3421,3430,3433,3456,3459,3476,3480,3483,3494,3497,3504,3507,3510,3527,3531,3542,3546,3549,3552,3558],[2178,3235,3236],{},[14,3237,3238],{},"Vulnerability is not winning or losing. It's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome.\n~ Brené Brown",[14,3240,3241],{},"Hi there. I’m Kerry Guard, COO of MKG and I have commandeered this month’s View From Here, because my view is pretty sweet (see hero image)… and also because I’m head of HR. September was an HR focused month from our Annual Summit, which focused on our People First Value, to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training.",[14,3243,3244],{},"First, let's break down our Annual Summit and how we grew closer as a team as we further understood our People First value and more importantly... each other.",[24,3246,3248],{"id":3247},"_2020-virtual-summit","2020 Virtual Summit",[81,3250,3252],{"id":3251},"day-1-mri-icebreaker","Day 1: MRI Icebreaker",[14,3254,3255,3256,3261],{},"We always open up our event with a team bonding icebreaker. This year, we partnered with ",[206,3257,3260],{"href":3258,"rel":3259},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.joyofprofessionallearning.org\u002F",[210],"Joy of Professional Learning"," (Joy of PL) where we took a deep dive on MRI - Most Respectful Interpretation.",[14,3263,3264,3267],{},[206,3265,1765],{"href":1763,"rel":3266},[210]," from Joy of PL opened up the event with a photo walk. We sent each person a Funk Pop figure from their favorite movie. Each team member used the figure to show the space they're working in.",[14,3269,3270],{},[75,3271],{"alt":77,"src":3272},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F72d40531-8bd1-46c5-9a4b-0da81f17b079.webp",[14,3274,3275],{},"Because we don't physically work together this breaks down the walls and gives a glimpse into our lives and spaces.",[14,3277,3278],{},"We then did a gallery walk where as individuals we walked through the photos and answered What do you see? What do we think? What do we wonder? about each image. We then did a speed dating round where we had to guess which images belonged to each person and talk about what we saw, thought, and wondered about learning more about each other on a personal level.",[14,3280,3281],{},"Throughout Kurt showed us three videos that demonstrated MRI and how we have more in common with each other than we could know.",[132,3283,3284,3291,3298],{},[49,3285,3286],{},[206,3287,3290],{"href":3288,"rel":3289},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=UarM4sJDDp0&feature=youtu.be",[210],"Fact Check: Disproving Your Assumptions",[49,3292,3293],{},[206,3294,3297],{"href":3295,"rel":3296},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fwatch?v=8WlY5TXv9Ng",[210],"All That We Share (FR)",[49,3299,3300],{},"All That We Share - Connected",[14,3302,3303],{},"After two hours we ended with a final small group exercise around what we thought about MRI before the icebreaker and what we think now.",[14,3305,3306,3307,3310],{},"What people thought about People First ",[52,3308,3309],{},"before"," joining MKG:",[46,3312,3313,3316,3319,3322,3325],{},[49,3314,3315],{},"People first was too general of a label",[49,3317,3318],{},"Skills were more important than values",[49,3320,3321],{},"I had to do things perfectly",[49,3323,3324],{},"People First\u002FMKG values were performative",[49,3326,3327],{},"Company values were something on paper but that didn’t really mean a ton",[14,3329,3330,3331,3334],{},"What they thought ",[52,3332,3333],{},"after",":",[46,3336,3337,3340,3343,3346,3349],{},[49,3338,3339],{},"People first brings out better work",[49,3341,3342],{},"Values are more important than skills",[49,3344,3345],{},"A company can have core ethical values and still meet bottom lines",[49,3347,3348],{},"We really do care about each other as people\u002Fcoworkers\u002FHUMANS",[49,3350,3351],{},"Everyone is always learning & that is encouraged. Everyone is always respected.",[81,3353,3355],{"id":3354},"day-2-people-first-in-action","Day 2: People First In Action",[14,3357,3358,3363,3364,3369],{},[206,3359,3362],{"href":3360,"rel":3361},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fmaurinaventurelli\u002F",[210],"Maurina Venturelli"," joined me on Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders. She brought along her leadership coach ",[206,3365,3368],{"href":3366,"rel":3367},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fkate-morse-gigax-5442771\u002F",[210],"Kate Gigax"," and shared Maurina's journey to leading her team members by treating them as individuals and leading the whole person, which is why I had her join for Day 2. It was important to show our company how other teams' run with similar values.",[14,3371,3372,3373,3378,3379,3384],{},"Maurina Venturelli and her co-worker ",[206,3374,3377],{"href":3375,"rel":3376},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fshannon-miller-2818b13\u002F",[210],"Shannon Miller"," from the Demand Gen team at ",[206,3380,3383],{"href":3381,"rel":3382},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sumologic.com\u002F",[210],"SumoLogic"," discussed how they run their team with empathy. We had a lovely conversation around what empathy is and how it's practiced at SumoLogic and how we incorporate it here at MKG. It was important to demonstrate how People First works outside MKG and how other companies are leading their teams with this mentality and even better, how it's leading to real results.",[14,3386,3387],{},"By leading with empathy, Maurina and her team have built such trust of one another that they can complete the work of 3 teams, have work\u002Flife balance, and crush their KPIs every quarter.",[14,3389,3390],{},"At the end of the conversation I asked the team to write a headline for the conversation we just had. Here were a few examples of what people came up with:",[46,3392,3393,3396,3399,3402,3405,3408],{},[49,3394,3395],{},"Lead With Empathy",[49,3397,3398],{},"Lead the whole person",[49,3400,3401],{},"Empower Through Empathy",[49,3403,3404],{},"\"Be the you'est of you's\"",[49,3406,3407],{},"There's Crying in Business",[49,3409,3410],{},"If you're offered a ride on a rocket ship...Just get on, don't ask what seat",[81,3412,3414],{"id":3413},"day-3-presentations-retro","Day 3: Presentations & Retro",[14,3416,3417],{},"Day three was ACTION packed! So hang on to your hats.",[14,3419,3420],{},"First we had each person present a three minute presentation. They pitched what they would do if they were CEO for a day. There were amazing ideas, from new roles they'd create, to how they'd improve the process, to the structure of the organization, to pro-bono ideas, even buying an island and building a village just for the team! We certainly are looking at how to make a few of these ideas come to life.",[14,3422,3423,3424,3429],{},"Next we went through an exercise where we broke into small groups and reflected on the last three days. First, each person reviewed their ",[206,3425,3428],{"href":3426,"rel":3427},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.crystalknows.com\u002F",[210],"Crystal Profiles"," as well as the people they were meeting with. This gave everyone a chance to level set with who they were meeting with. Then they walked through \"What themes did you see?\" \"What do you think about those theme?\" and \"What do you wonder?\" when it comes to the last three days.",[14,3431,3432],{},"Here are some of the themes the team identified:",[46,3434,3435,3438,3441,3444,3447,3450,3453],{},[49,3436,3437],{},"Individuality being a strength",[49,3439,3440],{},"Consider the \"whole person\" - not just their work life",[49,3442,3443],{},"Don't make assumptions",[49,3445,3446],{},"How does peoplefirst work with our clients?",[49,3448,3449],{},"Work life balance",[49,3451,3452],{},"Greater good",[49,3454,3455],{},"Collaborate more",[14,3457,3458],{},"To close out our retrospective, we each made a commitment. Something we took away from the events that we would bring back with us and use often, if not everyday. Here were a few commitments:",[46,3460,3461,3464,3467,3470,3473],{},[49,3462,3463],{},"MRI and not assuming things about work\u002Fother but trying to think about what's going on with someone",[49,3465,3466],{},"Check-in with my fellow MKG-ers more often",[49,3468,3469],{},"Think about other people's circumstances. Communicate to and with them.",[49,3471,3472],{},"Seek to understand, not to be right.",[49,3474,3475],{},"Make sure we implement. Execute, execute, execute on all these good things!",[81,3477,3479],{"id":3478},"recap-and-next-steps","Recap and Next Steps",[14,3481,3482],{},"My commitment to the team was to unravel all their amazing work in these few days and create a punch list of next steps ensuring we take action on all our ideas. Here's a short list:",[46,3484,3485,3488,3491],{},[49,3486,3487],{},"Add the Annual Summit Resources section of Knowledge Base",[49,3489,3490],{},"Update website with new team headshots and group images \u003C Oh yeah, we hired photographers in each location... wait until you see these gems!",[49,3492,3493],{},"Look at the Keys to the Castle ideas and see which one or two we could implement in 2021",[24,3495,2647],{"id":3496},"unpackingco",[14,3498,3499,3500,3503],{},"Also in September we had a company called ",[206,3501,2647],{"href":2645,"rel":3502},[210]," spend four hours with us to start our journey towards taking action towards diversity, equity and inclusion as an organization.",[14,3505,3506],{},"First Kristina played a game of vocabulary. Using a \"Jackbox Games\" type platform she asked multiple choice to see what words we understood and which ones we didn't. This was great in terms of giving us the right words when talking about this subject.",[14,3508,3509],{},"Next, we went through 4-5 different small group exercises. We completed each in a breakout room, then came back together and had a spokesperson talk about what was discussed.",[132,3511,3512,3515,3518,3521,3524],{},[49,3513,3514],{},"Identified white privilege - what resonated with us, what changed vs what hasn't and what might change in the future.",[49,3516,3517],{},"We discussed trends that will grow over time, collapse, constrain and transform.",[49,3519,3520],{},"We created boards to showcase our ideal future of diversity and inclusion.",[49,3522,3523],{},"Walked through a scenario where we're faced with racism and how we'd handle it",[49,3525,3526],{},"Finally, before the event we had to fill in a board - Curiosities, Questions, Healings, and Tensions. In the final exercise in small groups we picked on comment and unpacked it stating the measurable goal and what actions we could take to bring the thought to life.",[81,3528,3530],{"id":3529},"next-steps","Next steps",[46,3532,3533,3536,3539],{},[49,3534,3535],{},"Potentially complete the next round of training with unpacking.co",[49,3537,3538],{},"Identify holes in the training and find outside resources to support further education around diversity and inclusion",[49,3540,3541],{},"Continue to unpack the teams questions creating OKRs and Actions on a regular basis.",[24,3543,3545],{"id":3544},"looking-forward","Looking Forward",[14,3547,3548],{},"2021 is going to be busy in starting to implement these amazing ideas.",[14,3550,3551],{},"There's still a whole quarter left in 2020 and we're not going to just wait around. We'll certainly start laying groundwork for these action items. We'll be sure to give you an update for our October View From Here. Stay tuned!",[14,3553,3554,3555,3557],{},"In the meantime, season 5 of ",[206,3556,2333],{"href":1512}," dropped. Be sure to check it out!",[3208,3559],{"width":3560,"height":3561,"src":3562,"frameBorder":3215,"allowFullScreen":322},"100%","auto","https:\u002F\u002Fanchor.fm\u002Fmkg-marketing\u002Fembed\u002Fepisodes\u002F34-Anna-Hrach---Debunking-Content-Myths-ekrcm0",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":3564},[3565,3571,3574],{"id":3247,"depth":291,"text":3248,"children":3566},[3567,3568,3569,3570],{"id":3251,"depth":297,"text":3252},{"id":3354,"depth":297,"text":3355},{"id":3413,"depth":297,"text":3414},{"id":3478,"depth":297,"text":3479},{"id":3496,"depth":291,"text":2647,"children":3572},[3573],{"id":3529,"depth":297,"text":3530},{"id":3544,"depth":291,"text":3545},"2020-10-16","Last month we had our annual summit. While we were sad it was virtual, we stillshowed up, participated, and learned about our PeopleFirst value and each other.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-september-2020-herojpg.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2020",{"title":3230,"description":3576},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2020","o_1ECZPOj34Kt23U4u3bfmodetYgF_CgXt722ETSl1Y",[1560,1613],{"id":3585,"title":3586,"author":7,"authors":3587,"body":3588,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":3762,"description":77,"extension":318,"img":3763,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3764,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":3765,"seo":3766,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":3586,"stem":3767,"updated":7,"__hash__":3768,"people":3769},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-august-2020.md","View from Here - August 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":3589,"toc":3755},[3590,3596,3601,3608,3611,3618,3623,3626,3629,3632,3636,3639,3642,3649,3652,3655,3658,3661,3667,3670,3674,3677,3680,3685,3692,3701,3705,3708,3714,3722,3725,3728,3733,3737,3740,3747,3750],[2178,3591,3592],{},[24,3593,3595],{"id":3594},"the-way-to-get-started-is-to-quit-talking-and-begin-doing-walt-disney","\"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing\" - Walt Disney",[2178,3597,3598],{},[14,3599,3600],{},"Throughout the course of these monthly updates, my view has a habit of changing.",[14,3602,3603,3604,3607],{},"Sometime it's more a figure of speech. This is the ",[38,3605,3606],{},"mental"," view from here.",[14,3609,3610],{},"Other times it's a literal change of what I'm seeing or experiencing.",[14,3612,3613,3614,3617],{},"This update is a little more ",[38,3615,3616],{},"on the nose."," It's pretty literal. I changed my view.",[14,3619,3620],{},[75,3621],{"alt":77,"src":3622},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-sunset-cruise.webp",[14,3624,3625],{},"Last month I changed my view from warm, humid New Orleans - where I've been spending nearly every day since Covid-19 came to America - to this view from a lake cabin that's been in my family for years.",[14,3627,3628],{},"For eight days I had the pleasure of recharging my exhausted brain.",[14,3630,3631],{},"While I kept putting this off (\"I just took time off 3 months ago. Why go again?\") the more brainpower I put behind it the more I realized I needed to take Walt Disney's advice.",[24,3633,3635],{"id":3634},"the-way-to-get-started-is-to-quit-talking-and-begin-doing","\"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing\"",[14,3637,3638],{},"During that time I forgot that Coronavirus existed. There's no need for a mask when you are the only person around!",[14,3640,3641],{},"I remember building the shed in the backyard at the cabin with my Uncle Don. \"Building\", in air quotes, because I mainly passed him tools and watched as he took the shed from nothing to a functional shed to house boat motors, lawn mowers, rafts, and more.",[14,3643,3644,3645,3648],{},"I twirled my wedding band on my ring finger while staring out at the lake. the wedding band that I wear belonged to my grandfather who is my namesake and who brought this family cabin into our family. It very much felt like a homecoming for that band as the cabin was his ",[38,3646,3647],{},"favorite"," place on earth.",[14,3650,3651],{},"And as I reflected more, I realized how special this view was at this exact moment in time because it represented a big 'off' button.",[14,3653,3654],{},"I wasn't checking my phone or email all day. Nor was anyone else (nobody was there!)",[14,3656,3657],{},"Because no one else was checking their devices in front of me, I didn't feel like I was splitting mental time with whatever was on their screen.",[14,3659,3660],{},"This gave me 8 days of mental calm.",[14,3662,3663,3664],{},"So for those reading this who think you can't possibly take a day off from life, work or anything else right now: ",[38,3665,3666],{},"know that you can. And your brain will thank you for it.",[14,3668,3669],{},"As I transition from this glorious lake view, there are two specific announcements that I'm thrilled to be making in this update.",[24,3671,3673],{"id":3672},"same-face-new-role","Same Face \u002F New Role!",[14,3675,3676],{},"We are proud to announce that Jenna is advancing into the role of Managing Director here at the agency.",[14,3678,3679],{},"Wewt!",[14,3681,3682],{},[75,3683],{"alt":77,"src":3684},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fjenna-managing-director.webp",[14,3686,3687,3688,3691],{},"Jenna has ",[38,3689,3690],{},"earned"," this opportunity through all her hard and thoughtful work here at MKG. Speaking for myself, I'm really excited to see her step into this role.",[14,3693,3694,3695,3700],{},"Please take a moment to ",[206,3696,3699],{"href":3697,"rel":3698},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Ffeed\u002Fupdate\u002Furn:li:activity:6696066765643898880\u002F",[210],"congratulate her on LinkedIn."," As digital marketers we are well aware that social media usage is up during these Covid times so give her a digital 'hell ya!' since you are already on LinkedIn anyways :)",[24,3702,3704],{"id":3703},"new-faces-jessyca-and-sam","New Faces: Jessyca and Sam",[14,3706,3707],{},"Along with Jenna's exciting news, we have two new faces who joined the team in the past 90 days.",[14,3709,3710,3713],{},[206,3711,3712],{"href":1494},"Samantha Ellsworth, or Sam"," as she goes by, joins us from the great state of Vermont as one of our Account Directors. Outside of work...",[46,3715,3716,3719],{},[49,3717,3718],{},"Sam spends her time with her husband, 4-year-old daughter and chocolate lab exploring Vermont and all it has to offer",[49,3720,3721],{},"This includes hiking, skiing and enjoying all the local food to growing their backyard garden",[14,3723,3724],{},"Jessyca Sulfsted arrived at MKG by way of another agency. A native New Orleanian who still calls New Orleans home, Jessyca brings years of experience to the table across PPC, SEO and Analytics. In her free time she enjoys the food, music, and culture that New Orleans constantly provides; Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and Saints games just to name a few.",[14,3726,3727],{},"Please join me in giving both Sam and Jessyca an internet high five for joining MKG :)",[14,3729,3730],{},[75,3731],{"alt":77,"src":3732},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Finternet-high-five.webp",[24,3734,3736],{"id":3735},"thats-a-wrap-for-august","That's a wrap for August!",[14,3738,3739],{},"Between updates, make sure to check out the latest podcast episodes that Kerry is putting out.",[14,3741,3742,3743],{},"You can find those here: ",[206,3744,3745],{"href":3745,"rel":3746},"https:\u002F\u002Fanchor.fm\u002Fmkg-marketing",[210],[14,3748,3749],{},"Pro tip: the new episode where Klyn Elsbury talks about Neurology & Unconscious Motivators is pretty awesome! You can actually play it by mashing the 'play' button below.",[3208,3751],{"src":3752,"height":3753,"width":3754,"frameBorder":3215,"scrolling":3214},"https:\u002F\u002Fanchor.fm\u002Fmkg-marketing\u002Fembed\u002Fepisodes\u002F32-Klyn-Elsbury---Digital-Marketing-Meets-Neurology--Unconscious-Motivators-eifu4r\u002Fa-a30nvua","102px","400px",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":3756},[3757,3758,3759,3760,3761],{"id":3594,"depth":291,"text":3595},{"id":3634,"depth":291,"text":3635},{"id":3672,"depth":291,"text":3673},{"id":3703,"depth":291,"text":3704},{"id":3735,"depth":291,"text":3736},"2020-09-01","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-august-2020.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-august-2020",{"title":3586,"description":77},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-august-2020","JiwRm1Rn3s4IfDmNLplx_4gf24_4b66LxIq0d2oNncc",[1945],{"id":3771,"title":3772,"author":7,"authors":3773,"body":3775,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":3906,"description":3907,"extension":318,"img":3908,"imgAlt":7,"meta":3909,"minutes":321,"navigation":322,"path":3910,"seo":3911,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":3912,"stem":3913,"updated":7,"__hash__":3914,"people":3915},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Ftop-trends-tips-takeaways-digital-summit-at-home-mozcon.md","Top Trends, Tips, & Takeaways - Digital Summit At Home & MozCon",[3774],"Jenna Hasenkampf",{"type":11,"value":3776,"toc":3887},[3777,3790,3794,3803,3806,3810,3813,3816,3820,3823,3831,3834,3841,3845,3848,3852,3855,3859,3862,3866,3870,3873,3877,3880,3884],[14,3778,3779,3780,1491,3785,212],{},"Attending conferences has gotten much more accessible due to going digital during Covid-19, so the MKG team has signed on for quite a few to promote innovation, inspiration, and professional development. After each conference, the attendee comes to the team weekly retrospective to share their top takeaways and we’ll be sharing them on our blog as well. Most recently we had Jenna Hasenkampf, Nathan Stenberg, and Jessyca Sulfsted attend ",[206,3781,3784],{"href":3782,"rel":3783},"https:\u002F\u002Fmoz.com\u002Fmozcon",[210],"MozCon",[206,3786,3789],{"href":3787,"rel":3788},"https:\u002F\u002Fathome2.digitalsummit.com\u002F",[210],"Digital Summit at Home",[24,3791,3793],{"id":3792},"jenna-hasenkampfs-top-three-digital-summit-takeaways","Jenna Hasenkampf’s Top Three Digital Summit Takeaways",[81,3795,3797,3798],{"id":3796},"_1-headline-analyzer","1. ",[206,3799,3802],{"href":3800,"rel":3801},"https:\u002F\u002Fcoschedule.com\u002Fheadline-analyzer",[210],"Headline Analyzer",[14,3804,3805],{},"A nifty free tool for headlines (and paid search) that provides an analysis of how effective a headline is written based on word use. I thought this was a really easy way to gut-check some of your most important real estate for pretty much anything you’re writing. I also really like that they include a snapshot of what your headline looks like a google search result, that’s something I’ve had a lot of our clients ask about because it’s not always something people are used to envisioning.",[81,3807,3809],{"id":3808},"_2-culture-needs-to-be-intentional-and-not-left-to-chance-including-projections-that-provide-a-guide-and-accountability","2. Culture needs to be intentional and not left to chance, including projections that provide a guide and accountability.",[14,3811,3812],{},"Cherise Bernard from Spotify presented a session on “Winning at Culture: Practical Strategies for Employee Advocacy in the Workplace” and it was really informative and inspiring. There was a lot of really actionable advice and direction she gave and she also took the time to answer specific attendee questions which took actionability one step further for us. Marketing agencies talk about culture A LOT and in the last few years there’s been some great conversations challenging culture in marketing agencies and the fact that it tends to be such a white space. I thought Cherise’s point about culture needing to be intentional and planned out makes a lot of sense. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say “would you want to have a beer with them” around hiring\u002Finterviewing and there’s very little that translates to value on your team from that kind of thinking. That’s a nice factor of working for a remote agency, we’re much more concerned about your skills and gif game vs your “have a beer” rating.",[14,3814,3815],{},"I also really liked her recommendation around projections for team and agency culture. Projections are a regular part of our every day in marketing, but I hadn’t heard of anyone using them the way that Cherise is, with putting goals and projections into HR\u002FCulture areas and the importance of being able to have a plan and set expectations. She’s definitely a speaker I would love to see again.",[81,3817,3819],{"id":3818},"_3-seth-godin-my-new-marketing-hero","3. Seth Godin = My New Marketing Hero",[14,3821,3822],{},"I was completely unaware of Seth Godin before coming to the conference and now I have a new marketing hero. There’s so much that I could share that struck a chord with me from his Q&A session, but I’m going to stick to just one take away and that was his overview of the difference between B2B and B2C as clients:",[46,3824,3825,3828],{},[49,3826,3827],{},"B2C = Consumers are spending their own money, the only person they need to answer to is themself",[49,3829,3830],{},"B2B = Most likely, your client has leadership to answer to and they need to be able to tell their managers or c-suite why they’re spending the money. For us this means they need a strong story and if they tell you they need you to decrease your proposal, it means you haven't given them a strong enough story.",[14,3832,3833],{},"We focus on delivering results through data for our clients, but it’s also so important to make their job easier by also providing a clear story of what, why, and how.",[24,3835,3837,3840],{"id":3836},"nathan-stenbergs-top-three-mozcon-takeaways",[206,3838,3839],{"href":1537},"Nathan Stenberg’s"," Top Three Mozcon Takeaways",[81,3842,3844],{"id":3843},"_1-the-industry-is-heading-towards-ai-and-machine-learning-to-make-seo-research-more-efficient","1. The Industry Is Heading Towards AI and Machine Learning to Make SEO Research More Efficient",[14,3846,3847],{},"Where things are heading for SEO and tools is that we’ll be able to pull data from multiple sources to get the big picture of what we’re trying to achieve. Using API from multiple tools so it’s a more effective process pulling data in from all of these different sources and make things much more efficient and full picture based on machine learning. So much power in this and think this is where the expert SEO’r is going to need to be.",[81,3849,3851],{"id":3850},"_2-content-promotion-a-fancy-approach-to-backlinks","2. Content Promotion - A Fancy Approach To Backlinks",[14,3853,3854],{},"Brian Dean from “Backlinko”, the master of backlinks presented on this and it’s about the rebranding of backlinks. Through framing backlinks through “content promotion” it becomes not just about the backlink, but about how to get your content out there. Backlinks are fundamental to the SEO game and this is about getting the client onboard and helping them understand that SEO success is not just specifically driven about creating great content and optimizing the website, but how you’re going to promote the content. We have to think about how to get your content out there and then if it’s good quality content, sharable content, the backlinks will come.",[81,3856,3858],{"id":3857},"_3-seos-are-scrambling-to-get-the-best-job-done-with-limited-time-izzi-smith","3. \"SEO's are scrambling to get the best job done with limited time\" - Izzi Smith",[14,3860,3861],{},"As marketing budgets get cut and people try to streamline their internal teams as positions get eliminated, MKG has experienced team growth in the last couple of quarters so this is a point of differentiation for MKG as a company. We’ve got expert level time to be able to invest for clients rather than trying to squeeze in more work with fewer people.",[24,3863,3865],{"id":3864},"jessyca-sulfsteds-top-three-mozcon-takeaways","Jessyca Sulfsted’s Top Three Mozcon Takeaways",[81,3867,3869],{"id":3868},"_1-customer-experience-is-key","1. Customer Experience is Key",[14,3871,3872],{},"It’s a term that’s overused, and as an agency we know to put our “client hat” on, but sometimes we need to do a better job of putting our “customer hat” on and even may need to remind clients this as well. This means for us, looking at the environment that our deliverables are going to live in. What does that ad look like live and what’s around it? It can be really crowded in search results now, so is our paid ad compelling enough to cut through this noise? Taking it further to also use Google’s search intent, such as local results or “people also ask”. What people are really looking for and the language that they’re using for. An important component for this is also the landing page experience that we’re bringing people to. It’s not something that MKG owns, but ultimately it can make or break a successful campaign. So asking ourselves how to work with clients to impact this or help them understand that once we drive people to their page, the page has to be able to deliver against the goals of the customer. Instagram is a great example too, it’s a mobile-only app so if you’re running ads on it your landing page HAS to be strong for mobile and a lot of clients are still adjusting to the idea of “mobile-first” website design.",[81,3874,3876],{"id":3875},"_2-know-how-to-speak-cmoc-suite","2. Know How To Speak CMO\u002FC-Suite",[14,3878,3879],{},"When budgets are being cut, CMOs are frequently one of the first to go which means as an agency we lose that contact that speaks our language so it’s imperative that we know how to speak to their CEO\u002FC-Suite. These CEO\u002FC-Suite roles are often more focused on budget and performance relating to revenue rather than awareness or higher up funnel efforts or even the marketing funnel period. If we’re doing all three of our services (PPC\u002FSEO\u002FAnalytics), how can we support the different efforts together to highlight efficiencies and make our efforts work harder together?",[81,3881,3883],{"id":3882},"_3-marry-intent-results","3. Marry Intent & Results",[14,3885,3886],{},"Customer service for paid ads can also mean finding the clues that Google has spent so much time curating and applying them to paid ads and SEO. I did this exercise at a previous agency because a client was concerned about PPC terms not showing up, a fence company, and I showed them that if you search for “fence” vs “fence type” vs “fence installation” you’re going to get 3 different types of result because Google understands a person in the ‘discovery phase’ vs ‘I’m ready to buy now’ so sometimes ads aren’t even showing up for certain search terms because of the query. It’s essential to always make sure we’re looking at the full picture.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":3888},[3889,3895,3901],{"id":3792,"depth":291,"text":3793,"children":3890},[3891,3893,3894],{"id":3796,"depth":297,"text":3892},"1. Headline Analyzer",{"id":3808,"depth":297,"text":3809},{"id":3818,"depth":297,"text":3819},{"id":3836,"depth":291,"text":3896,"children":3897},"Nathan Stenberg’s Top Three Mozcon Takeaways",[3898,3899,3900],{"id":3843,"depth":297,"text":3844},{"id":3850,"depth":297,"text":3851},{"id":3857,"depth":297,"text":3858},{"id":3864,"depth":291,"text":3865,"children":3902},[3903,3904,3905],{"id":3868,"depth":297,"text":3869},{"id":3875,"depth":297,"text":3876},{"id":3882,"depth":297,"text":3883},"2020-08-11","With our team attending more conferences in 2020 than ever, we wanted to sharekey takeaways from this year’s Digital Summit and MozCon. Read on.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fmozcon.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Ftop-trends-tips-takeaways-digital-summit-at-home-mozcon",{"title":3772,"description":3907},"Digital Summit At Home & MozCon","blog\u002Fnews\u002Ftop-trends-tips-takeaways-digital-summit-at-home-mozcon","K8sUdUlaNhrhWpgEIZP43f6AZBjN_E6trvtFf6aWYkM",[],{"id":3917,"title":3918,"author":7,"authors":3919,"body":3920,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":4179,"description":4180,"extension":318,"img":4181,"imgAlt":7,"meta":4182,"minutes":321,"navigation":322,"path":4183,"seo":4184,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":3918,"stem":4185,"updated":7,"__hash__":4186,"people":4187},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-july-2020.md","View from Here -  July 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":3921,"toc":4171},[3922,3925,3939,3942,3945,3956,3963,3966,3971,3974,3977,3984,3987,3999,4006,4013,4018,4021,4024,4027,4030,4033,4036,4043,4047,4052,4055,4058,4069,4072,4078,4081,4088,4093,4097,4106,4112,4115,4118,4122,4127,4130,4150,4153,4157,4160,4163,4166],[14,3923,3924],{},"As a kid I grew up with more heroes who I idolized than I could honestly count (or even remember!)\nThere were my favorite athletes such as...",[46,3926,3927,3930,3933,3936],{},[49,3928,3929],{},"Gary Payton (\"the Glove\")",[49,3931,3932],{},"Michael Jordan",[49,3934,3935],{},"Ivan \"Pudge\" Rodriguez",[49,3937,3938],{},"Emmitt Smith",[14,3940,3941],{},"...to name a few.",[14,3943,3944],{},"And like many growing boys I idolized friends and family members who I interacted with. People like:",[46,3946,3947,3950,3953],{},[49,3948,3949],{},"My older cousin Aaron, who taught me how to find the best fishing holes on Lake Francis, play cards (Lo and Hi Chicago!) and spending time with your family in the outdoors",[49,3951,3952],{},"The older neighbor across the street, Hoodean, who taught me many lessons around the the dangers of group think as well as how fortunate I was to grow up in America (he was from the middle east and was a first generation Iranian American)",[49,3954,3955],{},"Mogen and Paul, my friend's fathers who threw us into their sports cars and drove way too fast with all the windows down to hear their engines scream just as loud as we screamed in the backseat",[14,3957,3958,3959,3962],{},"Last month, I had a very special and meaningful ",[38,3960,3961],{},"view from here"," experience.",[14,3964,3965],{},"I (virtually) met one of my childhood heroes: Emmitt Smith.",[14,3967,3968],{},[75,3969],{"alt":77,"src":3970},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Femmitt-smith-speaks-mike-krass.webp",[14,3972,3973],{},"While I grew up in the Seattle area, our family spent good portions of each Summer visiting family in Dallas, Texas.",[14,3975,3976],{},"My uncle would take me to Texas Rangers games. Only on $1 hot dog nights, of course. Between the two of us we would take down a half dozen delicious ballpark dogs, a few bags of peanuts and some cracker jacks for desert. And I'd go to watch Pudge Rodriguez - one of my favorite big league ball players - do his thing.",[14,3978,3979,3980,3983],{},"While I never had the opportunity to go to a Dallas Cowboys game with my uncle, we still talked about the Cowboys ",[38,3981,3982],{},"all the time",". And if we were talking Dallas Cowboys football, we were talking about Emmitt Smith.",[14,3985,3986],{},"Fast forward a few decades: I actually got the chance to meet him in a group event set up by EO, the professional organization of which I've been a member for three years.",[2178,3988,3989],{},[14,3990,3991,3992,3995,3996],{},"I learned so much hearing his ",[52,3993,3994],{},"experience"," both on (but ",[52,3997,3998],{},"mostly off) the field.",[14,4000,4001,4002,4005],{},"In the spirit of continuing to learn myself ",[38,4003,4004],{},"and"," help others learn, I'd like to share some of the things that Emmitt said to our group along with my reflections on those thoughts. Hopefully, Emmitt's words will help you continue to grow and learn as a human being or professional as well as they did for me.",[24,4007,4009,4010],{"id":4008},"on-the-benefits-of-losing","On the Benefits of ",[38,4011,4012],{},"Losing",[2178,4014,4015],{},[14,4016,4017],{},"According to Emmitt: \"It's amazing how opportunities to improve are ignored or even missed entirely when all you do is win. When you learn is when you lose and have to figure out why that happened.\"",[14,4019,4020],{},"Let me ask you this: how many post-mortums has your company held when you land a new client?",[14,4022,4023],{},"Probably a pretty small number (if any at all).",[14,4025,4026],{},"Now let's explore the opposite outcome: how many post-mortums have you held when you lost a current client or lost a bid for a new client?",[14,4028,4029],{},"That's right. Probably a lot more, huh!",[14,4031,4032],{},"Emmitt's experience was refreshing to hear. When the Cowboys were winning all day long, none of the locker room issues, contract disputes, family drama, or anything else mattered. Who cares, we're the best! We're winning!",[14,4034,4035],{},"According to Emmitt: that's a missed opportunity to get better. Those problems don't go away. They just become easier to tolerate.",[14,4037,4038,4039,4042],{},"While I certainly don't enjoy l losing, I'd like to make it a priority to look for learning opportunities when we win ",[38,4040,4041],{},"and also"," when we lose.",[24,4044,4046],{"id":4045},"seeking-to-understand-not-convert-your-teammates","Seeking to Understand - Not Convert - Your Teammates",[2178,4048,4049],{},[14,4050,4051],{},"Your way of doing things is not the only way. I seek to understand other people in my life. To treat them fairly. And to keep equal opportunity and equal justice in mind for all. That's what Lady Liberty says and that is what I believe.",[14,4053,4054],{},"Not many people outside of MKG know this meeting took place: Nearly a week after the horrific killing of George Floyd on May 25th our team met internally on Zoom video to discuss social justice and human rights.",[14,4056,4057],{},"During that meeting, I heard the following words repeated by my fellow team members:",[46,4059,4060,4063,4066],{},[49,4061,4062],{},"Horrified",[49,4064,4065],{},"Sad",[49,4067,4068],{},"Hopeful",[14,4070,4071],{},"As I listened to Emmitt speak about equal opportunity and equal justice for all Americans, my mind wandered back to the powerful, vulnerable, real conversation that MKG had internally. It's a conversation that I'll never forget.",[14,4073,4074,4075,212],{},"That internal conversation was a place to tell your MKG teammates how you feel. What you are experiencing right now. A place to talk and be ",[38,4076,4077],{},"heard",[14,4079,4080],{},"It wasn't a place to politic. There was no sharing news soundbites or articles.",[14,4082,4083,4084,4087],{},"Regardless of whether a team member spoke at all or listened during that meeting, it was a place where our common goal was to seek to understand each other. ",[38,4085,4086],{},"It was without a doubt the best meeting that I have ever been a part of in the 9 year history of MKG."," And I'll be forever grateful that my fellow teammates accepted the invitation to attend.",[2178,4089,4090],{},[14,4091,4092],{},"Growth comes from seeking to understand.",[24,4094,4096],{"id":4095},"dont-come-to-the-table-with-an-appetite-and-nothing-else","Don't Come to the Table with an Appetite and Nothing Else",[2178,4098,4099],{},[14,4100,4101,4102,4105],{},"In the business world, you've got to bring something to the table besides your appetite. Our construction company makes it a priority to give back to the business community. We make it a priority to bring in minority-owned businesses to bid projects as subcontractors. We ",[38,4103,4104],{},"don't give them anything"," though. We plug those business owners into a formal mentorship program that we've developed to guide them through the project. And we expect them to do an exceptional job. Someone helped out me when I first got into construction and real estate so I feel it's my responsibility to help out the next generation.",[14,4107,4108,4109],{},"This absolutely blew me away. Not only does Emmitt's construction company make it a priority to solicit bids from minority-owned businesses, but they also plug them into their mentorship program to make sure that they do an amazing job on that project ",[38,4110,4111],{},"and every single one that follows.",[14,4113,4114],{},"Think about it this way: Emmitt's company brings the client, makes it a priority to solicit bids from companies of all types and then gives extra attention to the winner of that bid to ensure that they do a standup job on the project. It's the modern day example of the parable \"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.\"",[14,4116,4117],{},"I'm not confident that MKG has found their mentorship stride just yet. But I know that bringing awareness to that fact will help us begin to put something together in the future.",[24,4119,4121],{"id":4120},"money-financial-gain-is-a-byproduct-of-performance","Money \u002F Financial Gain is a Byproduct of Performance",[2178,4123,4124],{},[14,4125,4126],{},"Money is a by-product of performance. If I perform at a high level, the money will take care of itself.",[14,4128,4129],{},"We've actually seen this happen with a pair of our clients in the past month. Even though they are doing business in the midst of a global pandemic, ExtraHop Networks and MariaDB are continuing to grow their businesses at a staggering rate.",[14,4131,4132,4133,4138,4139,4144,4145],{},"ExtraHop Networks was just named a ",[206,4134,4137],{"href":4135,"rel":4136},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inc.com\u002Fprofile\u002Fextrahop",[210],"top place to work by Inc magazine"," as well as a one of ",[206,4140,4143],{"href":4141,"rel":4142},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.forbes.com\u002Fsites\u002Falanohnsman\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F03\u002Fai-50-americas-most-promising-artificial-intelligence-companies\u002F#57c640475c99",[210],"America's most promising Artificial Intelligence companies."," And MariaDB's investors piled on for another round of funding to ",[206,4146,4149],{"href":4147,"rel":4148},"https:\u002F\u002Ftechcrunch.com\u002F2020\u002F07\u002F09\u002Fmariadb-raises-25m-more-to-expand-its-skysql-cloud-database-platform\u002F",[210],"fuel the serious growth they've seen in he past 24 months.",[14,4151,4152],{},"As your company, team, rec league basketball team or neighborhood urban garden performs exceptionally well, the \"gain\" in whichever way you measure it will follow.",[24,4154,4156],{"id":4155},"thank-you-emmitt-thank-you-eo","Thank You Emmitt. Thank You EO.",[14,4158,4159],{},"The hour spent with Emmitt Smith was worth every second.",[14,4161,4162],{},"If you want to hear MKG's stance on social justice, business strategy or digital marketing please reach out to say hello and get a conversation started.",[14,4164,4165],{},"Until next month!",[14,4167,4168],{},[38,4169,4170],{},"Please note: I am paraphrasing Emmitt Smith's words from our meeting last month. I certainly don't want to represent his words as direct quotes nor does Emmitt endorse any of the follow-up opinions I personally have based on the experiences he shared.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":4172},[4173,4175,4176,4177,4178],{"id":4008,"depth":291,"text":4174},"On the Benefits of Losing",{"id":4045,"depth":291,"text":4046},{"id":4095,"depth":291,"text":4096},{"id":4120,"depth":291,"text":4121},{"id":4155,"depth":291,"text":4156},"2020-08-03","Explore the Benefits of Losing, Why it Matters to Seek to Understand, and howFinancial Gain is a Byproduct of Performance with this Month's Special Guest Emmitt Smith.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F01b5ac49-23d9-4d43-9b6a-dfee3897196d.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-july-2020",{"title":3918,"description":4180},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-july-2020","6P41wt5ioJ4TnTQn_uV65kBGhrfsqHuYBze6vyxLgJ0",[1945],{"id":4189,"title":4190,"author":7,"authors":4191,"body":4192,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":4356,"description":4357,"extension":318,"img":4358,"imgAlt":7,"meta":4359,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":4360,"seo":4361,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":4190,"stem":4362,"updated":7,"__hash__":4363,"people":4364},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2020.md","View from Here - June 2020 Update",[1855],{"type":11,"value":4193,"toc":4350},[4194,4201,4208,4212,4220,4223,4230,4233,4236,4239,4242,4248,4255,4260,4264,4267,4270,4280,4283,4293,4299,4309,4313,4324,4327,4330,4335,4340,4344],[14,4195,4196,4200],{},[206,4197,4199],{"href":4198},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2020\u002F","Last month was the first time I used this venue to share things that were on my mind"," that did not relate directly to the work we do here at MKG.\nFrankly: It was incredibly refreshing for me.",[14,4202,4203,4204,4207],{},"Sticking with that trend, I'm going to continue to unpack what's on my mind. In this edition of ",[38,4205,4206],{},"The View from Here"," I plan to examine three lessons that have been on my mind over the past month.",[24,4209,4211],{"id":4210},"_1-never-quit-on-your-teammates","1. Never Quit on Your Teammates",[14,4213,4214,4215],{},"It took me a few months. I've finally finished up ",[206,4216,4219],{"href":4217,"rel":4218},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FThe_Last_Dance_(miniseries)",[210],"The Last Dance, the miniseries that ESPN put together about the Chicago Bulls run in the 1980's and 90's.",[14,4221,4222],{},"Man, 10 episodes is a lot of ground to cover!",[14,4224,4225,4226,4229],{},"One of the episodes focused on Scottie Pippen. In the 1994 playoffs, with the Bulls down by a couple points and only a few seconds left in the game, Scottie Pippen actually ",[38,4227,4228],{},"refused"," to enter the game.",[14,4231,4232],{},"The reason? Because the game winning play was designed for his teammate Toni Kukoc. Toni was to get off a last second shot in order to tie or win the game.",[14,4234,4235],{},"Scottie quit on his teammates.",[14,4237,4238],{},"After the game ended (Toni Kukoc sank a 3 point shot to give the Bulls the win) the team ran back into the locker room.",[14,4240,4241],{},"And nobody talked about the game-winning shot.",[14,4243,4244,4245],{},"Instead, one of the Bulls players called Scottie out right then and there. He expressed his feelings; ",[38,4246,4247],{},"that Scottie quit on the team when the team arguably needed him the most.",[14,4249,4250,4251,4254],{},"That made me think about moments when I've been quit on ",[38,4252,4253],{},"or"," been the teammate who decided to quit before the game was over. I've been in both positions before in my life. Reflecting back on that made me feel determined to never, ever quit on a teammate again.",[14,4256,4257],{},[38,4258,4259],{},"Have you ever been quit on? Have you ever quit on someone else?",[24,4261,4263],{"id":4262},"simple-ftw","Simple, FTW",[14,4265,4266],{},"Simple thoughts. Simple questions.",[14,4268,4269],{},"When everything else is complex, hard to understand or gives you a migraine, thinking simple helps me stop digging myself into a hole.",[14,4271,4272,4273,1043,4276,4279],{},"Last month I finished reading ",[38,4274,4275],{},"the Art of Client Service.",[52,4277,4278],{},"Great read",". I highly recommend the book for anyone who works in consulting, marketing, PR or advertising. While some of the information is dated, there are loads of timeless lessons to learn in the pages of that book.",[14,4281,4282],{},"Here are three examples of simple yet powerful thinking.",[14,4284,4285,4288,4289,4292],{},[52,4286,4287],{},"1. Simple actions:"," Jerry Weintraub was the promoter who booked Elvis's shows. At the height of his career, Elvis himself mandated that every single seat in the venue needed to be occupied. ",[38,4290,4291],{},"He would only play in front of sell out crowds."," Jerry found himself in a bind one day when the 2 shows (an early matinee and prime time) did not sell out. In fact, the matinee had 5,000 unsold seats less than 24 hours before showtime. The simple action Jerry took: he told the venue to pull 5,000 seats and correctly declared it a sold out show :)",[14,4294,4295,4298],{},[52,4296,4297],{},"2. Simple questions lead to an idea:"," There was an enterprising young executive at American Express who worked with his ad agency to create the concept of Membership Miles (which eventually turned into AMEX Membership Rewards). The question that he\u002Fothers asked themselves was simple: why should credit card points only be allowed on a single airline? Why can't I rack up AMEX points to fly on any airline I please? A simple question led to an idea that is now the industry standard.",[14,4300,4301,4304,4305,4308],{},[52,4302,4303],{},"3. Observation is Simple (and often free!)"," An ad agency from Bozeman, Montana, won the advertising account for a regional telecom company. This client believed in their bones that their clientele was made up of upper\u002Fmiddle class Americans across the region. Instead of blindly believing the client, this ad agency decided to stake out a handful of stores to see who really came in. After a few days watching customers go in and out of the client's stores, the agency discovered that their customers were actually blue collar, paycheck-to-check workers. This changed ",[38,4306,4307],{},"everything"," in terms of how they spoke to their customers through the advertising and marketing components of their business.",[24,4310,4312],{"id":4311},"marcus-aurelius-the-og-stoic","Marcus Aurelius, the OG Stoic",[2178,4314,4315],{},[14,4316,4317,4318,4323],{},"According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to eudaimonia (happiness, or blessedness) for humans is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one's mind to understand the world and to do one's part in nature's plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly. (",[206,4319,4322],{"href":4320,"rel":4321},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FStoicism",[210],"Wikipedia",")",[14,4325,4326],{},"With all that is happening in the world right now, a dose of stoicism has been very helpful for me at work as well as in my personal life.",[14,4328,4329],{},"Here are a few lines that have really been speaking to me from the writings of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, philosopher and famed Stoic who lived in the mid-100's AD.",[2178,4331,4332],{},[14,4333,4334],{},"Treat with respect the power you have to form an opinion.",[2178,4336,4337],{},[14,4338,4339],{},"Remember that man lives only in the present, in this fleeting instant: all the rest of his life is either past or gone, or not yet revealed.",[24,4341,4343],{"id":4342},"until-next-month","Until Next Month…",[14,4345,4346,4347,4349],{},"Let's see if I'm still feeling pensive or philosophical next month when it comes time to pen the next edition of ",[38,4348,4206],{}," :)",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":4351},[4352,4353,4354,4355],{"id":4210,"depth":291,"text":4211},{"id":4262,"depth":291,"text":4263},{"id":4311,"depth":291,"text":4312},{"id":4342,"depth":291,"text":4343},"2020-07-01","Never Quitting on Your Teammates. Roman Emperors who Doubled as Philosophers.This (and more!) in the June edition of the View from Here.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Flastdance-chicagobulls-title.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2020",{"title":4190,"description":4357},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2020","Pxce15iRFkJvupSxyFEm_6ZnwSlvMfPfz4IUYUixeCU",[1945],{"id":4366,"title":4367,"author":7,"authors":4368,"body":4369,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":4616,"description":4617,"extension":318,"img":4618,"imgAlt":7,"meta":4619,"minutes":586,"navigation":322,"path":4620,"seo":4621,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":4622,"stem":4623,"updated":7,"__hash__":4624,"people":4625},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2020.md","View from Here -  May 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":4370,"toc":4610},[4371,4374,4377,4380,4383,4398,4405,4416,4422,4426,4429,4434,4437,4444,4447,4458,4461,4472,4475,4479,4485,4488,4491,4494,4499,4502,4505,4519,4523,4528,4531,4538,4541,4546,4552,4555,4558,4561,4564,4567,4572,4575,4578,4581,4592,4595,4598,4601,4607],[14,4372,4373],{},"These words are flowing from the fingertips of someone who just took a week of paid time off to get some rest & relaxation.",[14,4375,4376],{},"I'll be honest with you: It feels a little unusual to take time off while we are still in the midst of a global health as well as economic pandemic.",[14,4378,4379],{},"Even though MKG is a remote and people-first company, it took me a few days to pull the trigger on taking 4 days off to take care of myself as a human being.",[14,4381,4382],{},"Why, you ask? Well...",[132,4384,4385,4388,4391],{},[49,4386,4387],{},"Unemployment in the USA at a record high: Who am I to take time off when other people in my industry aren't working?",[49,4389,4390],{},"A global Pandemic requires a lot of communication: If I'm off for a week, how will I support Kerry and the team with internal communication as things change on a day-to-day basis?",[49,4392,4393,4394,4397],{},"Where will I go? What will I do? My wife lovingly emailed me a $400 WOW Air flight roundtrip from New York to Paris. Normally, I would have booked this flight and would be typing this update from Paris. No question - let's go! This was the first time that I had the thought: where will I go and what will I do when I am there? Wait...I can take time off and ",[52,4395,4396],{},"not go somewhere?? That's a thing people do?"," (yes, it is)",[14,4399,4400,4401,4404],{},"Fortunately my ",[206,4402,4403],{"href":1907},"business partner Kerry"," supported me in taking some time away from work.",[14,4406,4407,4408,4411,4412,4415],{},"And like all time off I take, I generally arrive at a point of ",[38,4409,4410],{},"wanting"," to get back to work again. ",[38,4413,4414],{},"Wanting"," for that first Monday back to be here soon. Because for me, that shows I am ready to re-engage my brain with the work that I do for a living.",[14,4417,4418,4419,4421],{},"Taking time off helped me reflect on a few things in my professional life. This month's ",[38,4420,2870],{}," post will take a moment to describe what I reflected on during my days off.",[24,4423,4425],{"id":4424},"reading-is-lighter-fluid-for-my-brain","Reading is Lighter Fluid for My Brain",[14,4427,4428],{},"A great basketball coach by the name of John Wooden is famous for saying the following phrase:",[2178,4430,4431],{},[14,4432,4433],{},"When you are through learning, you are through.",[14,4435,4436],{},"I'm an aggressive reader of spy novels, business literature, and (short) biographies on celebrities or public figures both alive as well as deceased.",[14,4438,4439,4440,4443],{},"Taking 4 days off (thanks to the service of our armed service men and women, I cashed in on the Memorial Day holiday here in the US to get Monday off gratis) really helped me read ",[38,4441,4442],{},"even more."," It was fantastic.",[14,4445,4446],{},"A few books that I crossed off my reading list included:",[132,4448,4449,4452,4455],{},[49,4450,4451],{},"The first three books in the Ryan Savage adventure series book (love some adventure books on the Kindle!)",[49,4453,4454],{},"The Art of Client Service, by Robert Solomon",[49,4456,4457],{},"Ask, a book that outlines what the author calls \"...a Counterintuitive Online Formula to Discover Exactly What Your Customers Want to Buy\"by Ryan Levesque",[14,4459,4460],{},"Each of those books taught or reminded me of something that I find useful. A few examples included (in order):",[132,4462,4463,4466,4469],{},[49,4464,4465],{},"A cay (known as Key or Caye), found down near the Florida Keys, is a \"small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef\" How cool is that? That means the Florida Keys are on top of a huge coral reef!",[49,4467,4468],{},"Some skills - such as earning trust in a business relationship - are timeless. They will never go out of style or lose their usefulness.",[49,4470,4471],{},"How to not ask questions if you actually want to get useful answers! Here's an example: think about excluding dinner options when you ask your significant other \"What should we have for dinner?\". Instead of saying 'iono...' back and forth for an hour start by asking what you don't want as well as why not so you can arrive at a decision.",[14,4473,4474],{},"Getting back to the title of this section: reading helps me sharpen the mental 'pencil' in my brain. It keeps me learning. Learning allows me to develop an interest in new or exciting things.",[24,4476,4478],{"id":4477},"a-team-is-a-team-no-matter-if-its-business-or-sports","A Team is a Team - No Matter if It's Business or Sports",[14,4480,4481,4482],{},"Earlier this year I started watching the documentary series ",[38,4483,4484],{},"The Last Dance.",[14,4486,4487],{},"This show documented the Chicago Bulls dynasty from the late 1980's and 90's.",[14,4489,4490],{},"As a big NBA basketball fan during that era -- Why'd you have to go and beat my beloved Supersonics in 1996 Finals, MJ!? -- I knew all about the team.",[14,4492,4493],{},"I finally had a chance to finish the series. The first thought that entered my brain was:",[2178,4495,4496],{},[14,4497,4498],{},"A team is a team - it doesn't matter if it's a marketing team at work or a professional. basketball team. Team dynamics exist everywhere in life.",[14,4500,4501],{},"Strong teams have players in all kinds of roles. Again, in business as well as basketball, there is often only one 'ball' that can be played with.",[14,4503,4504],{},"The Chicago Bulls dynasty showed the uncommon roles that were important such as:",[46,4506,4507,4510,4513,4516],{},[49,4508,4509],{},"Dennis Rodman: \"The Worm\", as he was affectionally known, was a rebounding and defensive machine. While very few people grow up playing hoops saying 'I'm going to get to the NBA so I can score 1.2 points and collect 30 rebounds every game and chase every loose ball that comes with 100 feet of me' that was who Dennis was! He was a defensive force with tons of energy.",[49,4511,4512],{},"The role players (Steve Kerr, Luc Longley, etc) stepped off the bench to give the starters a break.",[49,4514,4515],{},"The all star in the shadow of a God (Scottie Pippen): Can you imagine being one of the best players in the world ... and not even being the best player on your team? Absolutely. Scottie Pippen was exactly that person.",[49,4517,4518],{},"The coach who was more than a basketball coach. Phil Jackson was a teacher first and a basketball coach second. Very similar to John Wooden :)",[24,4520,4522],{"id":4521},"closing-out-with-a-pair-of-lessons-from-the-zen-master-himself-phil-jackson","Closing Out with A Pair of Lessons from the Zen Master Himself, Phil Jackson",[14,4524,4525],{},[75,4526],{"alt":77,"src":4527},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fphil-jackson-michael-jordan-832x447.webp",[14,4529,4530],{},"Phil Jackson - an 11 time NBA champion as a coach - was affectionately referred to as the Zen Master.",[14,4532,4533,4534,4537],{},"And while I remember him primarily as a basketball coach, watching ",[38,4535,4536],{},"The Last Dance"," reminded me that he possessed impressive mental abilities.",[14,4539,4540],{},"A few of the lessons that he taught me included:",[14,4542,4543],{},[52,4544,4545],{},"Windows of Time and the Importance of \"Now\"",[14,4547,4548,4549],{},"To Phil, everything was centered on focusing ",[38,4550,4551],{},"right now.",[14,4553,4554],{},"Not trying to do two things at once.",[14,4556,4557],{},"Not thinking about yesterday or tomorrow.",[14,4559,4560],{},"\"Now\" is the most important time. So give it your attention!",[14,4562,4563],{},"Michael Jordan understood this concept. Throughout the documentary it was mentioned that he had a maniacal focus on the present moment.",[14,4565,4566],{},"Seeing Phil and MJ focus on the present 20+ years after the fact was really helpful for me.",[14,4568,4569],{},[52,4570,4571],{},"Think Different",[14,4573,4574],{},"Phil was not your stereotypical basketball coach.",[14,4576,4577],{},"Phil liked to think differently. He liked to apply existing concepts in uncommon ways with his teams.",[14,4579,4580],{},"A few examples included:",[46,4582,4583,4586,4589],{},[49,4584,4585],{},"Native American culture and art",[49,4587,4588],{},"Breathing and mindfulness",[49,4590,4591],{},"Centering yourself to focus on the task at hand",[14,4593,4594],{},"While the phrase \"finding your breath\" is fairly common today, in the early 1990's it was not a phrase that the general public used.",[14,4596,4597],{},"Phil took these concepts of mindfulness, focusing on the breath (like in yoga) as well as preparation methods from Native American history and brought them to his teams.",[24,4599,4600],{"id":4342},"Until Next Month...",[14,4602,4603,4604,4606],{},"Don't hesitate to reach out if you want to ask me anything about the ",[38,4605,2870],{}," post this month!",[14,4608,4609],{},"We are also updating our website with a lot of new resource, service line and case study content!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":4611},[4612,4613,4614,4615],{"id":4424,"depth":291,"text":4425},{"id":4477,"depth":291,"text":4478},{"id":4521,"depth":291,"text":4522},{"id":4342,"depth":291,"text":4600},"2020-06-05","Read What CEO Mike Krass Discovered about Himself When I Took a Week of PTO During a Global Pandemic and Nationwide Recession","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-may-2020.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2020",{"title":4367,"description":4617},"View From Here - May 2020","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2020","qMHxKdg0F4uUdQDErsMOcxO8RFlsAqFvm9H48k79nTg",[1945],{"id":4627,"title":4628,"author":7,"authors":4629,"body":4630,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":4803,"description":4804,"extension":318,"img":4805,"imgAlt":7,"meta":4806,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":4807,"seo":4808,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":4809,"stem":4810,"updated":7,"__hash__":4811,"people":4812},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fbe-so-good-they-fight-over-you.md","View from Here -  April 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":4631,"toc":4796},[4632,4637,4643,4646,4649,4652,4655,4658,4661,4664,4670,4673,4677,4685,4688,4702,4713,4718,4721,4725,4728,4734,4737,4743,4746,4749,4752,4764,4769,4776,4780,4783,4786,4789],[2178,4633,4634],{},[14,4635,4636],{},"It's hard to beat a person who never gives up. -- Babe Ruth",[14,4638,4639,4640,4642],{},"Since the early days of publishing ",[38,4641,2870],{}," I always had this habit of drafting updates that were external facing.",[14,4644,4645],{},"Client ABC Corp. won an award. Woot!",[14,4647,4648],{},"Our team member was recognized as a top 30\u002F40\u002F50 under 30\u002F40\u002F50. Yahoo!",[14,4650,4651],{},"Check out this amazing pizza dinner we took a client to in Chicago. Nom! Get in my bellay!",[14,4653,4654],{},"And if I'm being honest with you: there is nothing wrong with what we've been writing.",[14,4656,4657],{},"It was real.",[14,4659,4660],{},"It was a view into life at MKG.",[14,4662,4663],{},"It highlighted our heroes -- the clients whom we serve -- on a regular basis when they accomplished amazing things.",[14,4665,4666,4667,4669],{},"Again, nothing wrong with that at all. In fact I'm very fond of those ",[38,4668,2870],{}," updates!",[14,4671,4672],{},"This month I wanted to take a moment to share an experience that I had at the end of April that has stuck with me.",[24,4674,4676],{"id":4675},"meeting-a-real-life-olympian","Meeting a Real Life Olympian",[14,4678,4679,4680,212],{},"As a team, we had the pleasure of spending an hour (virtually!) with ",[206,4681,4684],{"href":4682,"rel":4683},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.teamusa.org\u002Fusa-bobsled-skeleton-federation\u002Fathletes\u002FLauren-Gibbs",[210],"Lauren Gibbs of the US Olympic Bobsled team",[14,4686,4687],{},"She shared her journey to the Olympics in Pyeongchang (Winter 2018), which included highlights such as:",[46,4689,4690,4693,4699],{},[49,4691,4692],{},"By her early 30's, she was driving a fast sports car and managing a team of 200+ sales reps as a Regional Sales Manager while happily living in Denver, Colorado",[49,4694,4695,4696],{},"On a whim, someone convinced her to attend first round tryouts for the US Olympic bobsled team in Colorado Springs. ",[38,4697,4698],{},"She had never even seen a bobsled before that day.",[49,4700,4701],{},"Fast forward 3.5 years later, she was standing on the podium accepting a Silver medal as one of the top Bobsled athletes in the 2018 Olympic Games",[14,4703,4704,4705,4707,4708],{},"Lauren was kind enough to share her journey, the high ",[38,4706,4004],{}," low-lights, as well as answer any questions that we had as a group. She also shared an amazing ",[206,4709,4712],{"href":4710,"rel":4711},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.dropbox.com\u002Fs\u002Fmn1sbayo4u0bu13\u002FPyeongchang-Recap.mp4?dl=0",[210],"sizzle reel video of their Silver medal winning run!",[14,4714,4715],{},[75,4716],{"alt":77,"src":4717},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Flauren-gibbs-speaks-to-mkg-marketing.webp",[14,4719,4720],{},"And that is where she said something that I wanted to share with you.",[24,4722,4724],{"id":4723},"be-so-good-they-fight-over-you","\"Be So Good They Fight Over You\"",[14,4726,4727],{},"One of our team members asked how Lauren went from being an Olympic team newbie to becoming the 2nd best bobsled team in the world at those Olympic games.",[14,4729,4730,4731,4733],{},"Specifically: How do you convince a sled Driver to pick ",[52,4732,2919],{}," as their brake-woman?",[14,4735,4736],{},"Lauren's answer was simple.",[2178,4738,4739],{},[81,4740,4742],{"id":4741},"be-so-good-that-they-fight-over-you","Be so good that they fight over you.",[14,4744,4745],{},"As she shared with us, Lauren didn't know a single thing about bobsled before she went to the 1st round tryouts in Colorado.",[14,4747,4748],{},"She didn't have parents who were Olympics athletes or who trained her from a young age.",[14,4750,4751],{},"In place of these disadvantages, Lauren focused on:",[46,4753,4754,4761],{},[49,4755,4756,4757,4760],{},"Accepting coaching, critiques and criticism as a chance to get better. If somebody wants to help you get better, ",[52,4758,4759],{},"accept their help."," Let them coach you up to become that much better!",[49,4762,4763],{},"Building on the first piece of advice: Never give up on continuing to get better!",[2178,4765,4766],{},[14,4767,4768],{},"And most importantly: Focus so intensely on becoming better than other people fight to have you on their sled.",[14,4770,4771,4772,4775],{},"According to Lauren, you don't need to convince people how good you are. Or politic your way to a top spot. Her path focused on becoming so good that ",[38,4773,4774],{},"every other sled driver fought"," to have her on their sled because they knew she was determined to win and could be trusted to do her job at an Olympic level.",[24,4777,4779],{"id":4778},"translating-that-for-us-non-olympians","Translating That For Us Non-Olympians",[14,4781,4782],{},"The advice -- Be so good they fight over you -- applies to any team.",[14,4784,4785],{},"It can be a business team. Sports team. Even a hobby.",[14,4787,4788],{},"Focus on becoming so good that folks fight to pick you for their team and, according to Lauren, everything will fall into place for you.",[14,4790,4791,4792],{},"If you want to learn what life is like behind the scenes at the Olympics, you can chat with Lauren yourself by booking one of her virtual experiences on Air BnB. ",[206,4793,4794],{"href":4794,"rel":4795},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.airbnb.com\u002Fexperiences\u002F1661397",[210],{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":4797},[4798,4799,4802],{"id":4675,"depth":291,"text":4676},{"id":4723,"depth":291,"text":4724,"children":4800},[4801],{"id":4741,"depth":297,"text":4742},{"id":4778,"depth":291,"text":4779},"2020-05-01","Be so good they fight over you","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F112000335-olympic-rings-getty.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fbe-so-good-they-fight-over-you",{"title":4628,"description":4804},"View From Here - April 2020","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fbe-so-good-they-fight-over-you","R1kVczZktRry3DqktAk-ONUFyC4ksG0MpIqp4Rg4neY",[1945],{"id":4814,"title":4815,"author":7,"authors":4816,"body":4817,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":4930,"description":4931,"extension":318,"img":4932,"imgAlt":7,"meta":4933,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":4934,"seo":4935,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":4936,"stem":4937,"updated":7,"__hash__":4938,"people":4939},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-march-2020.md","View from Here - March 2020 Edition",[1855],{"type":11,"value":4818,"toc":4927},[4819,4822,4825,4831,4834,4837,4851,4858,4861,4869,4872,4875,4878,4883,4886,4890,4893,4896,4919],[14,4820,4821],{},"A lot has happened since the last edition of View from Here.\nI'm not going to repeat the highlights. We all know about the COVID-19 pandemic.",[14,4823,4824],{},"Instead, what I would like to do is write this edition from a more personal place.",[14,4826,4827,4828],{},"Because we have been asking all our clients: ",[52,4829,4830],{},"How are you doing?",[14,4832,4833],{},"Out of respect for their privacy, I won't be sharing their exact answers. But I will tell you that I've learned a tremendous amount about our clients by checking in with them as people first, and a client second.",[14,4835,4836],{},"Which led me to ask myself: how am I doing?",[46,4838,4839,4842,4845,4848],{},[49,4840,4841],{},"My family is healthy and practicing the correct dosage of physical distancing",[49,4843,4844],{},"Filled with hope (more on that below)",[49,4846,4847],{},"Blessed with friendships as well as family who care about my wife and I",[49,4849,4850],{},"Excited to rediscover passions around exercise (beach cruiser bicycle ftw!), sprucing up our garden (while not killing all the new plants), and reading more while watching less TV",[14,4852,4853,4854,4857],{},"If I could sum up ",[38,4855,4856],{},"How am I doing"," in a single sentence: I am spoiled rich with amazing things that don't come with a price tag.",[14,4859,4860],{},"Which leads me back around to Hope.",[14,4862,4863,4864,4323],{},"Seeing China and South Korea cross onto the other side of the epidemiological curve gives me hope that our day in the COVID-free sun will come, figuratively speaking. (source: ",[206,4865,4868],{"href":4866,"rel":4867},"https:\u002F\u002Fgisanddata.maps.arcgis.com\u002Fapps\u002Fopsdashboard\u002Findex.html#\u002Fbda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6",[210],"Johns Hopkins COVID-19 case dashboard",[14,4870,4871],{},"Neighbors that used to be strangers offering to help each other out with grocery store runs, supplies and - of course - toilet paper gives me hope.",[14,4873,4874],{},"An entire planet working together to limit the spread of this virus gives me hope.",[14,4876,4877],{},"Winston Churchill valued it over tanks, troops or armor during the dark moments of World War II. He was asked what the greatest weapon England possessed against the Nazi regime of Hitler: \"It was what England's greatest weapon has always been - hope.\"",[14,4879,4880],{},[75,4881],{"alt":77,"src":4882},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgive-people-hope-mkg-marketing.webp",[14,4884,4885],{},"I'm filled with hope that we will make it through this pandemic. And I hope you are too.",[24,4887,4889],{"id":4888},"do-you-need-a-dose-of-hope","Do you need a dose of hope?",[14,4891,4892],{},"Distancing doesn't mean you have to cut out social interactions.",[14,4894,4895],{},"Hit us up on social media for a conversation, a shot of hope or just to chat :)",[46,4897,4898,4905,4912],{},[49,4899,4900,4901],{},"Facebook: ",[206,4902,4903],{"href":4903,"rel":4904},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fmkgmarketinginc\u002F",[210],[49,4906,4907,4908],{},"Twitter: ",[206,4909,4910],{"href":4910,"rel":4911},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Fmkgmarketinginc\u002F",[210],[49,4913,4914,4915],{},"LinkedIn: ",[206,4916,4917],{"href":4917,"rel":4918},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fcompany\u002Fmkg-marketing\u002F",[210],[14,4920,4921],{},[38,4922,4923,4924,4926],{},"Hope is important for my own mental health (as well as Winston Churchill, too). Please note that Hope ",[52,4925,4004],{}," science combined together are what the world needs to get through the pandemic :)",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":4928},[4929],{"id":4888,"depth":291,"text":4889},"2020-04-01","The MKG team wants to know: How are you doing during COVID-19?","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fart-artistic-black-and-white-blank-311391.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-march-2020",{"title":4815,"description":4931},"View From Here - March 2020","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-march-2020","cncLauwh3vRKf2O9zlbzqyiHXFoCuPtk1gopcBp8og4",[1945],{"id":4941,"title":4942,"author":7,"authors":4943,"body":4944,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":5189,"description":5190,"extension":318,"img":5191,"imgAlt":7,"meta":5192,"minutes":586,"navigation":322,"path":5193,"seo":5194,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":5195,"stem":5196,"updated":7,"__hash__":5197,"people":5198},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fremote-work.md","Remote Work Environments like MKG",[1855],{"type":11,"value":4945,"toc":5179},[4946,4949,4954,4957,4960,4963,4966,4969,4972,4975,4978,4982,4985,4988,4991,4994,4997,5000,5003,5006,5009,5013,5020,5026,5033,5037,5040,5043,5046,5049,5053,5056,5067,5070,5074,5077,5080,5091,5094,5098,5101,5108,5111,5114,5117,5120,5127,5131,5134,5139,5142,5159,5163,5166,5172],[14,4947,4948],{},"Here is a question that we hear all the time at MKG Marketing:",[2178,4950,4951],{},[14,4952,4953],{},"How is it possible for your team to work cohesively across three different time zones and from 7 different states?",[14,4955,4956],{},"To be honest: It's a great question!",[14,4958,4959],{},"We always describe MKG as a remote-first agency. This means that it's just as likely that someone will be working from their home office as it is that they'll be at a coffee shop or even - gasp! - at one of our offices in the Seattle, Vancouver, or New Orleans areas.",[14,4961,4962],{},"By describing ourselves as remote-first, what I'm saying in layman's terms is that we built the company to operate as a completely remote environment.",[14,4964,4965],{},"Our technology stack of Slack, Google Apps, Zoom, and Asana (to name a few of many!) support remote work.",[14,4967,4968],{},"The policies in our Employee Handbook that are followed by everyone (including Kerry and myself) are centered around a successful remote environment.",[14,4970,4971],{},"Celebrations for hitting company goals, completing rocks, or other projects are celebrated remotely via Zoom (well...sometimes we get together in person :) )",[14,4973,4974],{},"So let's come back to the question we've been hearing for years now: How does a remote-first work environment work for your team?",[14,4976,4977],{},"Treat this post like a journal of our thoughts and experiences. It will be updated on a regular basis and written in a very candid format so people can see what it's like to work in a remote-first environment like the one at MKG.",[24,4979,4981],{"id":4980},"it-all-starts-with-visible-values","It All Starts with Visible Values",[14,4983,4984],{},"We work really hard to integrate our company values into everyday life here at MKG.",[14,4986,4987],{},"For example: Let's look at how team members recognize each other publicly here at MKG.",[14,4989,4990],{},"MKG uses Slack for chat with Bonus.ly to recognize a colleague. These two programs have a direct integration with one another.",[14,4992,4993],{},"It doesn't matter what your role at the company is. Bonus.ly allows you to award 'Bonus Stars' to a colleague for a job or project well done. When you award these stars, it is posted publicly to the #Praise channel of our Slack instance. When you award somebody stars, it's required that you included a #Value at the end of your message (minimum of 1).",[14,4995,4996],{},"Were they upholding the MKG standard?",[14,4998,4999],{},"Keeping the Big Picture in mind?",[14,5001,5002],{},"Leading with a People First attitude?",[14,5004,5005],{},"Slack will reject the Bonus.ly message if there isn't a company value tied to it.",[14,5007,5008],{},"What's fun about bonus.ly stars is that you can total them up to be redeemed for gift cards to Home Depot, Starbucks, or dozens of other places directly tied into the bonus.ly platform. So it's not just being recognized by a peer with a company value tied to that recognition; there are real world rewards to being recognized!",[24,5010,5012],{"id":5011},"all-hands-meetings-annual-summit","All Hands Meetings & Annual Summit",[14,5014,5015,5016,5019],{},"Every quarter we host a virtual ",[52,5017,5018],{},"All Hands"," meeting on Zoom video chat.",[14,5021,5022,5023,5025],{},"The purpose of the ",[52,5024,5018],{}," meeting is to spend ~90 minutes or so discussing the health of the company, progress against Rocks\u002FGoals, and setting up the next fiscal quarter (or year). It's also an opportunity for Q&A from the entire team.",[14,5027,5028,5029,5032],{},"Additionally, we host an ",[52,5030,5031],{},"Annual Summit in person once every year",". We fly to the same city for 2-3 days, cover some of the company news like in the All Hands meeting, but really focus on team building activities.",[24,5034,5036],{"id":5035},"team-run-meetings-of-the-minds","Team Run \"Meetings of the Minds\"",[14,5038,5039],{},"Individual team members came up with biweekly internal \"meetings of the minds\" a few years ago.",[14,5041,5042],{},"Examples include the PPC Meeting of the Minds as well as the SEO Meeting of the Minds.",[14,5044,5045],{},"These are internal meetings held every few weeks where team members in those roles (SEO Experts, PPC Experts) get together to chat about what's happening in their respective worlds. It's a chance to share information, tips, and tricks. Solve problems for a client. Or just to shoot the breeze about the industry.",[14,5047,5048],{},"In my opinion, the coolest part about these meetings is that they are planned by the PPC or SEO team members (with AD support). It's not something that ADs mandate or that Kerry or myself require. It just organically started happening a few years back and now is something that is on the calendar for those team members every month.",[24,5050,5052],{"id":5051},"planning-rituals-via-zoom","Planning Rituals via Zoom",[14,5054,5055],{},"At MKG, we follow Scrum for planning purposes. This means that we have...",[46,5057,5058,5061,5064],{},[49,5059,5060],{},"Daily standup (we are currently doing this via Slack)",[49,5062,5063],{},"Weekly work planning meetings in the form of Sprint Planning",[49,5065,5066],{},"Retrospective meetings to review what's gone on in the past week",[14,5068,5069],{},"All of these planning rituals happen over a Zoom video chat. As the team has grown, we've joked about calling ourselves the Brady Bunch.",[24,5071,5073],{"id":5072},"remote-onboarding-buddy","Remote Onboarding Buddy",[14,5075,5076],{},"Every new hire gets what we call an onboarding buddy. Imagine this person like a sherpa to help you understand how MKG operates.",[14,5078,5079],{},"These buddies are connecting - at minimum - a few times a week on topics such as:",[132,5081,5082,5085,5088],{},[49,5083,5084],{},"How does our file structure work in Google Drive?",[49,5086,5087],{},"What am I supposed to do when X happens in Asana?",[49,5089,5090],{},"Are there expectations for when I'm on\u002Foffline? (this is in the Playbook but can be reinforced from an onboarding buddy)",[14,5092,5093],{},"We like to put onboarding buddies together who are in similar roles and time zones. It's difficult (not impossible, though) for onboarding buddies to be many time zones apart as the parts of their days that overlap are naturally different.",[24,5095,5097],{"id":5096},"over-communicate","OVER-communicate",[14,5099,5100],{},"Outside of our values, over-communicating might be the most important piece of a successful remote work environment.",[2178,5102,5103],{},[14,5104,5105],{},[52,5106,5107],{},"Remember: Nobody can turn around and SEE what you are doing.",[14,5109,5110],{},"Not feeling well and need to lay down for a few minutes? Let people know via Chat and your Slack status.",[14,5112,5113],{},"Walking your kids to the bus stop? Give us a 🚌 emoji on Slack to let you know where you are headed.",[14,5115,5116],{},"Need to go heads down on an intense work project? Let us know via Slack and set an Away message on your Email inbox.",[14,5118,5119],{},"What's worked well for us is to make sure everyone was comfortable from Day 1 sharing their physical status (Where am I? How am I?) anytime there was a change.",[14,5121,5122,5123,5126],{},"You can never communicate ",[38,5124,5125],{},"too much"," in a remote setting.",[24,5128,5130],{"id":5129},"accountability-in-a-remote-environment","Accountability in a Remote Environment",[14,5132,5133],{},"We hear this question all the time:",[2178,5135,5136],{},[14,5137,5138],{},"How is everyone held accountable when they are physically in the same office?",[14,5140,5141],{},"Accountability relies on a series of systems and\u002For processes that we've adopted over the years.",[46,5143,5144,5147,5150,5153,5156],{},[49,5145,5146],{},"Daily Standup: Every day the Account Director updates their colleagues on who is doing what and due by when via Zoom Chat messages in the appropriate chat channel",[49,5148,5149],{},"Weekly Retrospective: On Friday's we reflect on the previous week. What worked? Didn't?",[49,5151,5152],{},"Weekly Sprint Planning: Account Directors plot out tasks and projects each week for every team member\u002Fclient",[49,5154,5155],{},"Weekly 1-on-1's: Team members have a weekly or biweekly 1-on-1 meeting to discuss how life is going, what's happening at work at a high level as well as anything else that is on their mind.",[49,5157,5158],{},"We use Asana for project and task management. Overdue tasks flash a bright red color as they pile up ... too many of those and anyone in the agency can see that you are falling behind for some reason or other.",[24,5160,5162],{"id":5161},"to-be-continued","To be continued...",[14,5164,5165],{},"We're just getting started! As we continue to develop our remote first culture, the team will make additions to this post. So make sure to smash that 'bookmark' button on your browser, on Pocket, etc so you can find this easily in the future :)",[14,5167,5168,5169,212],{},"Does a remote first work environment sound attractive to you? Check out the jobs page of our website to see ",[206,5170,5171],{"href":1581},"open roles",[14,5173,5174,5175],{},"Are you interested in hiring experts digital marketing to help you scale your business? Schedule some time on AnDrae and Mike's calendar to explore how we might be able to help you: ",[206,5176,5177],{"href":5177,"rel":5178},"https:\u002F\u002F1zgok.share.hsforms.com\u002F2cOmJ7URST7aHvXaKILoupg?uuid=11a19469-5397-4111-90ab-08d517b6bddc?month=2020-02",[210],{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":5180},[5181,5182,5183,5184,5185,5186,5187,5188],{"id":4980,"depth":291,"text":4981},{"id":5011,"depth":291,"text":5012},{"id":5035,"depth":291,"text":5036},{"id":5051,"depth":291,"text":5052},{"id":5072,"depth":291,"text":5073},{"id":5096,"depth":291,"text":5097},{"id":5129,"depth":291,"text":5130},{"id":5161,"depth":291,"text":5162},"2020-02-07","This Post Reads Like a Journal, Outlining How Remote Work Environments likethe One at MKG Marketing Operate. Read On!","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FRemote Work - Green PS controller.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fremote-work",{"title":4942,"description":5190},"Remote Work Environments","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fremote-work","SXJSq9fRDXaR4FTzzHeXpuqfVavLSyKvj4AIunqVMrs",[1945],{"id":5200,"title":5201,"author":7,"authors":5202,"body":5203,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":5453,"description":5454,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":5455,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":5456,"seo":5457,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":5201,"stem":5458,"updated":7,"__hash__":5459,"people":5460},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2020-update.md","View from Here -  January 2020",[1855],{"type":11,"value":5204,"toc":5446},[5205,5214,5218,5221,5224,5228,5231,5234,5239,5248,5251,5255,5258,5261,5264,5388,5392,5397,5404,5408,5415,5418,5421,5429,5433],[14,5206,5207,5208,5213],{},"The roaring 20's are here! At least, that's what the ",[206,5209,5212],{"href":5210,"rel":5211},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fsearch?q=roaring-20%27s&src=typed_query&f=live",[210],"Twitterverse"," is calling this next decade that descended upon us on January 1st :)\nBuckle your seat belt so you can learn what the MKG team (and our fantastic clients) were up to in the first month of 2020.",[24,5215,5217],{"id":5216},"mkg-takes-on-chicago-san-jose-and-seattle-in-january","MKG Takes on Chicago, San Jose and Seattle in January",[14,5219,5220],{},"The MKG team hit the road hard in the first month of this new decade!",[14,5222,5223],{},"Check out some fun photos from team members as we were out visiting clients this past month.",[24,5225,5227],{"id":5226},"informatica-recognized-as-clear-mdm-leader","Informatica Recognized as 'clear' MDM Leader",[14,5229,5230],{},"The most recent Gartner Magic Quadrant report for the Master Data Management (MDM) category was released in January 2020.",[14,5232,5233],{},"Where did our client, Informatica, place in the report?",[2178,5235,5236],{},[14,5237,5238],{},"Informatica was named a Leader in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for MDM Solutions",[14,5240,5241,5242,5247],{},"As they say on their website:\"",[206,5243,5246],{"href":5244,"rel":5245},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.informatica.com\u002Fmagic-quadrant-MDM.html#fbid=vV7UyJBWihX",[210],"It isn’t easy to be named a Leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Master Data Management Solutions 4 times in a row",". But when it comes to our commitment to providing intelligence and innovation for our customers, only the best will do.\"",[14,5249,5250],{},"Congrats to Informatica for being placed in the top Leader position of this latest Gartner MQ report!",[24,5252,5254],{"id":5253},"mkg-our-association-client-featured-on-associationsuccessorg","MKG & our Association Client Featured on AssociationSuccess.org",[14,5256,5257],{},"AssociationSuccess.org featured MKG's paid acquisition strategy on their website in January 2020.",[14,5259,5260],{},"For the communications team at the TXOGA, the value lies in building a network of supporters — not in building membership.",[14,5262,5263],{},"Our client, Haley Emerson, was quoted as saying:",[2178,5265,5271],{"className":5266,"dataInstgrmCaptioned":77,"dataInstgrmPermalink":5268,"dataInstgrmVersion":5269,"style":5270},[5267],"instagram-media","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fp\u002FB7ZPFlvHlw_\u002F?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading","13"," background:#FFF; 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height: 20px; width: 20px;",[5272,5357],{"style":5358}," width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)",[5272,5360,1043,5362,1043,5365,1043,5368],{"style":5361},"margin-left: auto;",[5272,5363],{"style":5364}," width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);",[5272,5366],{"style":5367}," background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);",[5272,5369],{"style":5370}," width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);",[5272,5372,1043,5374,1043,5377],{"style":5373},"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;",[5272,5375],{"style":5376}," background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;",[5272,5378],{"style":5379}," background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;",[14,5381,5383],{"style":5382}," color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;",[206,5384,5387],{"href":5268,"style":5385,"target":5278,"rel":5386}," color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;",[5280,5281],"A post shared by MKG Marketing Inc (@mkgmarketinginc)",[5389,5390],"script",{"async":322,"src":5391},"\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fembed.js",[2178,5393,5394],{},[14,5395,5396],{},"“We view that grassroots database as people who are energy supporters and want to stay informed with all good about industry and lend a hand when we need their support.”",[14,5398,5399],{},[206,5400,5403],{"href":5401,"rel":5402},"https:\u002F\u002Fassociationsuccess.org\u002Fengage\u002Fwhy-you-should-pony-up-the-cash-for-your-social-media-strategy",[210],"Check out the details of the post over on their website",[24,5405,5407],{"id":5406},"whats-it-like-to-be-a-cmo","What's it like to be a CMO?",[14,5409,5410,5414],{},[206,5411,5413],{"href":5412},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Faverage-cmo-tenure-2018\u002F","Last year we wrote about an incredible stat:"," The average CMO tenure at a high growth startup is only 18 months from entry to exit of the role.",[14,5416,5417],{},"That's not a lot of time to try and get a lot done!",[14,5419,5420],{},"When Karola Karlson took over as the part-time CMO of MeetFrank, a recruiting business based primarily in Europe, she wrote about the experience of the role in the eyes of the CMO.",[14,5422,5423,5424,212],{},"Curious what your CMO peers think or do in the first few months on the job? I'd highly recommend giving ",[206,5425,5428],{"href":5426,"rel":5427},"https:\u002F\u002Fkarolakarlson.com\u002Fnew-cmo-meetfrank-case-study\u002F",[210],"Karola's post a read",[24,5430,5432],{"id":5431},"until-march-my-friends","Until March, my friends!",[14,5434,5435,5436,5440,5441],{},"If you have any questions for us directly, don't hesitate to ",[206,5437,5439],{"href":5438},"\u002Fcontact\u002F","visit our contact page"," to ask them or hit us up on Twitter at ",[206,5442,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":5444},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fmkgmarketinginc",[210],"@mkgmarketinginc",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":5447},[5448,5449,5450,5451,5452],{"id":5216,"depth":291,"text":5217},{"id":5226,"depth":291,"text":5227},{"id":5253,"depth":291,"text":5254},{"id":5406,"depth":291,"text":5407},{"id":5431,"depth":291,"text":5432},"2020-02-03","Trips to Chicago, San Jose and Seattle. Clients Being Recognized as Leaders in their Space. This (and more!) in the January 2020 View from Here post.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2020-update",{"title":5201,"description":5454},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-january-2020-update","nzICR956HnnWhu7_ZXOdgPG68IHcEy2R0XnU9zLjvsY",[1945],{"id":5462,"title":5463,"author":7,"authors":5464,"body":5465,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":5880,"description":5881,"extension":318,"img":5882,"imgAlt":7,"meta":5883,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":5884,"seo":5885,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":5463,"stem":5886,"updated":7,"__hash__":5887,"people":5888},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-2019-in-review.md","View from Here -  2019 in Review",[1855],{"type":11,"value":5466,"toc":5876},[5467,5481,5484,5487,5490,5493,5496,5499,5505,5508,5516,5523,5540,5543,5558,5564,5567,5570,5574,5583,5586,5597,5603,5606,5609,5612,5622,5625,5628,5635,5638,5642,5649,5652,5655,5658,5661,5664],[2178,5468,5469,5472,5475,5478],{},[14,5470,5471],{},"You're off to Great Places!",[14,5473,5474],{},"Today is your day!",[14,5476,5477],{},"Your mountain is waiting,",[14,5479,5480],{},"So... get on your way!",[14,5482,5483],{},"For me, it's important to reflect in a space where I can allow my mind to wander.",[14,5485,5486],{},"No task list.",[14,5488,5489],{},"No time limit.",[14,5491,5492],{},"No mental boundaries.",[14,5494,5495],{},"No rules.",[14,5497,5498],{},"Like I said: just let my mind wander.",[14,5500,5501,5502],{},"As I found a quiet place to reflect earlier this month, my mind thought of the famous Dr Seuss book ",[38,5503,5504],{},"Oh, The Places You'll Go.",[14,5506,5507],{},"But instead of \"Oh, the places you'll go\" my mind kept thinking:",[2178,5509,5510],{},[14,5511,5512,5513],{},"Oh, the ",[52,5514,5515],{},"places we've been",[14,5517,5518,5519,5522],{},"And I was really thinking of the places that ",[52,5520,5521],{},"we"," as a company have been this year. Places that are points on a map such as:",[46,5524,5525,5528,5531,5534,5537],{},[49,5526,5527],{},"Denver",[49,5529,5530],{},"Hoboken, New Jersey",[49,5532,5533],{},"New York City",[49,5535,5536],{},"the Bay Area",[49,5538,5539],{},"Seattle",[14,5541,5542],{},"We also had the privilege of:",[46,5544,5545,5548,5551],{},[49,5546,5547],{},"Meeting new team members as they joined the team. They joined us from Fort Lauderdale, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Austin ... all new faces bringing their experience to the table",[49,5549,5550],{},"Striking up relationships with new clients that wanted to learn from our talented team",[49,5552,5553,5554,5557],{},"Investing more time in current client relationships to make sure we were doing everything that we could to help the client - ",[52,5555,5556],{},"the hero in our story"," - succeed",[14,5559,5560,5561],{},"As my mind continued to wander about the places we've been this year, it me like a bolt of lightning: ",[52,5562,5563],{},"this post would not be a recap of all the things that happened in 2019.",[14,5565,5566],{},"Instead, this is an opportunity to share the things I personally benefited from in 2019 that I plan to bring into the new year with me.",[14,5568,5569],{},"Put your seatbelt on. Let's talk about things that helped me in 2019 that will benefit me in 2020 as well!",[24,5571,5573],{"id":5572},"know-the-mission-you-are-on","Know the Mission You Are On",[14,5575,5576,5577,5582],{},"Kerry and I decided to read and self-implement ",[206,5578,5581],{"href":5579,"rel":5580},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.eosworldwide.com\u002F",[210],"Traction (also known as EOS",") this year.",[14,5584,5585],{},"One of the first exercises when implementing EOS is to outline your mission. They also refer to it as your ...",[46,5587,5588,5591,5594],{},[49,5589,5590],{},"Purpose",[49,5592,5593],{},"Cause",[49,5595,5596],{},"Passion",[14,5598,5599,5600],{},"After much deliberation, we uncovered that our mission at MKG is to ",[52,5601,5602],{},"Help our clients grow big. We live for our clients - the hero - to grow big and land \"whales\".",[14,5604,5605],{},"That's right: Our clients are the hero in the story of MKG.",[14,5607,5608],{},"It's our responsibility to support the heroes so we can accomplish great things together.",[14,5610,5611],{},"This is a mission statement that we are just beginning to communicate internally as well as outside of the company.",[14,5613,5614,5615,5618,5619,5621],{},"Knowing our mission has helped us clarify ",[52,5616,5617],{},"who"," we want to work with as well as ",[52,5620,1178],{}," we want to work together.",[14,5623,5624],{},"We aren't in the business of helping clients grow revenues by 1% every year.",[14,5626,5627],{},"We are working with high-growth businesses that are looking to grow by double (and sometimes even triple) digits every single year.",[14,5629,5630,5631,5634],{},"And while we aren't responsible for ",[52,5632,5633],{},"all of that growth ourselves",", we have to come to the table with a growth mindset. And a mission. A mission that we want to help our heroes GROW BIG.",[14,5636,5637],{},"You'll be hearing more about this mission in the future. Get excited :)",[24,5639,5641],{"id":5640},"an-attitude-of-gratitude-will-take-you-a-long-way","An Attitude of Gratitude Will Take You a Long Way",[14,5643,5644,5645,5648],{},"It's really difficult for me to ",[52,5646,5647],{},"be grateful"," when things aren't going well.",[14,5650,5651],{},"Being grateful helps quiet all that noise in your head.",[14,5653,5654],{},"I don't mean to say that sometimes those feelings aren't valid (or even true!).",[14,5656,5657],{},"I'm just saying that noise can drown out all the good you have to bring to the world. To your kids or spouse. To the clients who depend on you. To your neighbor who is constantly parking in your parking spot on the street.",[14,5659,5660],{},"Practice being grateful. For me, it helps to drown out all the negative thoughts in my head so that I can actually do something productive.",[14,5662,5663],{},"Over the Thanksgiving holiday a few of our team members contributed videos talking about things they were grateful for. Give it a listen in the link below. Let us know if you felt strongly about anything that we expressed gratitude for.",[2178,5665,5668],{"dataInstgrmCaptioned":77,"dataInstgrmPermalink":5666,"dataInstgrmVersion":5667,"style":5270},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Ftv\u002FB5ZYpKcHmgn\u002F?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading","12",[5272,5669,1043,5670,5672],{"style":5274},[206,5671,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5673,5674,5676],{"style":5284},[206,5675,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5677,5678,5680],{"style":5287},[206,5679,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5681,5682,5684],{"style":5290},[206,5683,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5685,5686,5688],{"style":5293},[206,5687,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5689,5690,5692],{"style":5296},[206,5691],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5693,5694,5696],{"style":5299},[206,5695,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5697,5698,5710],{"style":5302},[206,5699,5700],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5304,5701,5702],{"width":5306,"height":5306,"viewBox":5307,"version":5308,"xmlns":5309},[5311,5703,5704],{"stroke":5313,"strokeWidth":5314,"fill":5313,"fillRule":5315},[5311,5705,5706],{"transform":5318,"fill":5319},[5311,5707,5708],{},[5323,5709],{"d":5325},[5272,5711,5712,5714],{"style":5328},[206,5713,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5715,5716,5718],{"style":5331},[206,5717,5332],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5719,5720,5722],{"style":5335},[206,5721,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5723,5724,5726],{"style":5338},[206,5725,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5727,5728,5730],{"style":5343},[206,5729,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5731,5732,5734],{"style":5346},[206,5733,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5735,5736,5738],{"style":5349},[206,5737],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5739,5740,5742],{"style":5352},[206,5741,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5743,5744,5746],{"style":5355},[206,5745,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5747,5748,5750],{"style":5358},[206,5749],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5751,5752,5754],{"style":5361},[206,5753,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5755,5756,5758],{"style":5364},[206,5757,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5759,5760,5762],{"style":5367},[206,5761,1043],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[5272,5763,5764,5774,5793,5797,5800,5803,5810,5817,5823,5826,5838,5841,5848,5852,5855,5862,5865,5868],{"style":5370},[206,5765,1043,5766],{"href":5666,"style":5277},[14,5767,1043,5769,5773],{"style":5768}," margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;",[206,5770,5772],{"href":5666,"style":5771}," color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;","Would it be #thanksgiving without a #thankful video? Take a look at some of our team members and learn what they are thankful for this year! We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for you and your support.","\n ",[14,5775,5776,5779,5784,5785,5773,5791],{"style":5382},[206,5777,5778],{"href":5666,"style":5277},"A post shared by ",[206,5780,5783],{"href":5781,"style":5782},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fmkgmarketinginc\u002F?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading"," color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;"," MKG Marketing Inc"," (@mkgmarketinginc) on ",[5786,5787,5790],"time",{"style":5788,"dateTime":5789}," font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;","2019-11-28T05:04:21+00:00","Nov 27, 2019 at 9:04pm PST",[5389,5792],{"async":322,"src":5391},[24,5794,5796],{"id":5795},"be-client-friendly","Be Client Friendly",[14,5798,5799],{},"AnDrae and I spoke with a prospective client earlier this year.",[14,5801,5802],{},"This client was fairly marketing savvy.",[14,5804,5805,5806,5809],{},"He also ",[38,5807,5808],{},"knew what he didn't know."," Which is what brought him to the table to discuss bringing our team onboard.",[14,5811,5812,5813,5816],{},"He had a ",[38,5814,5815],{},"terrible"," client experience with his previous PPC agency.",[14,5818,5819,5820],{},"If you boiled it down to one key issue; the working experience was just ",[38,5821,5822],{},"not friendly for our client.",[14,5824,5825],{},"This agency had a process that was literally set in stone. There was no room for flexibility or discussion.",[2178,5827,5828],{},[14,5829,5830,5831,5834,5835],{},"It was like my needs didn't matter. The process was incredibly un-friendly for me - the client - and I felt like nothing I said would change that. That's the point that I decided to leave them. Because the process worked great for ",[52,5832,5833],{},"them"," - but it was ",[52,5836,5837],{},"awful for me!",[14,5839,5840],{},"At MKG we are constantly trying to improve the way our Directors, Experts and Strategists work with clients.",[14,5842,5843,5844,5847],{},"It's critical to remember that what is good for us ",[38,5845,5846],{},"is not always good for our client."," And like a financial planner who is a fiduciary, we should always do what is in the best interest of our clients.",[24,5849,5851],{"id":5850},"charging-into-2020","Charging into 2020",[14,5853,5854],{},"There's a lot going on with our team as we charge into the 2020 calendar year.",[14,5856,5857,5858,5861],{},"We're going to need a few sharp, smiling faces to join the team. Check out our ",[206,5859,5860],{"href":1581},"jobs page"," to see what's out there.",[14,5863,5864],{},"At the same time, we are looking to do more work with our current client portfolio. Also, we'd like to bring one or two new clients into the fold.",[14,5866,5867],{},"If you are in charge of marketing at a fast growing healthcare or technology business, we would love to listen to your goals for 2020 as well as any obstacles that are in your way. You can schedule time with AnDrae and myself by viewing our calendars.",[5272,5869,5872],{"dataUrl":5870,"style":5871},"https:\u002F\u002F1zgok.share.hsforms.com\u002F2cOmJ7URST7aHvXaKILoupg?uuid=11a19469-5397-4111-90ab-08d517b6bddc?primary_color=87e548","min-width:320px;height:630px;",[5389,5873],{"type":5874,"src":5875},"text\u002Fjavascript","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.calendly.com\u002Fassets\u002Fexternal\u002Fwidget.js",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":5877},[5878,5879],{"id":5572,"depth":291,"text":5573},{"id":5640,"depth":291,"text":5641},"2019-12-20","Oh, the places we have been in 2019. Listen to CEO Mike Krass as he talks about all the places we are going in 2020.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fthis-must-be-the-place.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-2019-in-review",{"title":5463,"description":5881},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-2019-in-review","tW6roryffUfklN2gJ4NibV_YKE6HmEhqniT8eXONzd4",[1945],{"id":5890,"title":5891,"author":7,"authors":5892,"body":5893,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":6092,"description":6093,"extension":318,"img":6094,"imgAlt":7,"meta":6095,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":6096,"seo":6097,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":6098,"updated":7,"__hash__":6099,"people":6100},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-october-2019-update.md","View from Here - November 2019 Update",[1855],{"type":11,"value":5894,"toc":6083},[5895,5898,5902,5905,5908,5911,5916,5923,5927,5936,5939,5942,5946,5958,5961,5964,5970,5974,5977,5980,5993,6001,6005,6008,6013,6016,6019,6027,6054,6058,6061,6064,6067,6072,6076],[14,5896,5897],{},"Hoping that everyone had a spooktacular month of October (couldn't help myself) and is looking forward to the approaching holidays here in November and December.\nThere was so much going on with the team and our clients in the month of October. Let's take a look!",[24,5899,5901],{"id":5900},"dan-santos-of-maxim-integrated-launches-movember-page","Dan Santos of Maxim Integrated Launches #movember Page",[14,5903,5904],{},"One of our favorite clients - Dan Santos of Maxim Integrated - is raising money for cancer research in the month of November.",[14,5906,5907],{},"What's the best way to do that? By growing an amazing mustache and accepting donations!",[14,5909,5910],{},"Hear the 'why' behind Dan's #movember 'stache below:",[2178,5912,5913],{},[14,5914,5915],{},"My motivation is always, and will always be my Grandparents who both passed away from cancer. My 30 day pledge is “Go-Go-Go Moo-Stache!” Please help me drive Awareness.",[14,5917,5918,5919],{},"Interested and able to donate towards the cause? Check out his page here: ",[206,5920,5921],{"href":5921,"rel":5922},"https:\u002F\u002Fus.movember.com\u002Fmospace\u002F14088108",[210],[24,5924,5926],{"id":5925},"team-visits-new-mariadb-hq-in-redwood-city-ca","Team Visits New MariaDB HQ in Redwood City, CA",[14,5928,5929,5930,5935],{},"After months of anticipation, our client ",[206,5931,5934],{"href":5932,"rel":5933},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.mariadb.com?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=mkglovesmariadb",[210],"MariaDB"," finally moved their entire company - along with the Clustrix team as part of that acquisition link - into their brand new office in Redwood City, California.",[14,5937,5938],{},"You can almost smell the 'new office' scent through this photo that Adam took!",[14,5940,5941],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FMariaDB Office - MKG Marketing Visit.webp')",[24,5943,5945],{"id":5944},"whats-in-the-box","\"What's in the Box?\"",[14,5947,5948,5953,5954,5957],{},[206,5949,5952],{"href":5950,"rel":5951},"https:\u002Fwww.extrahop.com",[210],"ExtraHop Networks"," published a new video to their YouTube channel that ",[38,5955,5956],{},"visually shows"," what it would be like to 'touch' or 'feel' encrypted network traffic.",[14,5959,5960],{},"Besides the visual concept of trying to guess at the content of encrypted network traffic or packets of information, it's fun to watch some of our client's try (and fail) to guess what is they are touching.",[14,5962,5963],{},"Warning: Keep your speaker volume on medium or low toward the end of the video!",[3208,5965],{"width":5966,"height":5967,"src":5968,"frameBorder":3215,"allow":5969,"allowFullScreen":322},560,315,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F1rC64UPZFSs","accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture",[24,5971,5973],{"id":5972},"coo-kerry-guard-quoted-on-inccom","COO Kerry Guard Quoted on Inc.com",[14,5975,5976],{},"Last month Kerry was asked why MKG Marketing moved away from an unlimited vacation policy. Her answer (along with 5 or 6 other business owners) was then featured on Inc.com",[14,5978,5979],{},"We'll save you the click and share Kerry's answer below.",[2178,5981,5982,5987,5990],{},[14,5983,5984],{},[52,5985,5986],{},"Implement a 'use it or lose it' policy.",[14,5988,5989],{},"While unlimited vacation sounds like a dream, most companies that implement this type of policy find that it has the opposite effect: People have no incentive to take time off if it's unlimited.",[14,5991,5992],{},"\"We realized no one was taking any vacation and were burning themselves out, so we instituted a 'use it or lose it policy' -- 20 days a year, and what you don't use does not roll over,\" says Kerry Guard, COO of MKG Marketing. \"We went from no one taking days to people using every last one!\"",[14,5994,5995,5996],{},"Want to learn from some of the other responses? ",[206,5997,6000],{"href":5998,"rel":5999},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.inc.com\u002Fyoung-entrepreneur-council\u002Fheres-how-to-get-your-hardworking-team-to-actually-use-their-vacation-days.html",[210],"Check out the story on Inc.com",[24,6002,6004],{"id":6003},"mkg-joins-instagram","MKG Joins Instagram!",[14,6006,6007],{},"As we began to serve a larger percentage of ads on Instagram this year, we paused to ask ourselves a very simple question:",[2178,6009,6010],{},[14,6011,6012],{},"Why aren't we on Instagram as MKG?",[14,6014,6015],{},"Problem solved!",[14,6017,6018],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FMKG Instagram Page.webp')",[14,6020,6021,6022],{},"You can check out our latest podcast episodes, photos of the team eating beignets as well as learn about how our company values come to life by ",[206,6023,6026],{"href":6024,"rel":6025},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fmkgmarketinginc\u002F",[210],"visiting our page",[14,6028,6029,6030,6035,6036,1043,6039,1627,6043,1491,6048,6053],{},"Big thanks to ",[206,6031,6034],{"href":6032,"rel":6033},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fchristinakay\u002F",[210],"Christina"," on our team for leading the content strategy and social media management of our Instagram ",[38,6037,6038],{},"as well as",[206,6040,6042],{"href":4903,"rel":6041},[210],"Facebook",[206,6044,6047],{"href":6045,"rel":6046},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fcompany\u002Fmkg-media-group\u002F",[210],"LinkedIn",[206,6049,6052],{"href":6050,"rel":6051},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fmkgmarketinginc\u002F",[210],"Twitter"," pages. Follow us on those networks to stay up to date with all things MKG!",[24,6055,6057],{"id":6056},"halloween-costume-remix","Halloween Costume Remix!",[14,6059,6060],{},"Did you see the throwback photos of different MKG team members from Halloween's past?",[14,6062,6063],{},"If you did: Make sure to go back and smash the 'like' button on your favorites!",[14,6065,6066],{},"If you have not: Go check them out and do the same!",[3208,6068],{"src":6069,"width":6070,"height":6071,"style":3213,"scrolling":3214,"frameBorder":3215,"allowTransparency":3216,"allow":3217},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fpost.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fmkgmarketinginc%2Fposts%2F3046487952091505&width=500",500,764,[24,6073,6075],{"id":6074},"thats-all-he-wrote","That's all He Wrote!",[14,6077,6078,6079,6082],{},"If you have any questions for us , don't hesitate to hit us up on Twitter at ",[206,6080,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":6081},[210]," where we can reply to your tweet or DM a response.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":6084},[6085,6086,6087,6088,6089,6090,6091],{"id":5900,"depth":291,"text":5901},{"id":5925,"depth":291,"text":5926},{"id":5944,"depth":291,"text":5945},{"id":5972,"depth":291,"text":5973},{"id":6003,"depth":291,"text":6004},{"id":6056,"depth":291,"text":6057},{"id":6074,"depth":291,"text":6075},"2019-11-01","Childhood Halloween Costumes. Mustache Fundraisers. MKG Joining the Wild Worldof Instagram. These Things (and more!) in the October issue of the View from Here.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-nov-2019-skydive-2500x700.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-october-2019-update",{"title":5891,"description":6093},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-october-2019-update","yPVd2KPrugAdqM953Xku-NzxHmiTq0Brn6BL4MN0XV8",[1945],{"id":6102,"title":6103,"author":7,"authors":6104,"body":6105,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":6322,"description":6323,"extension":318,"img":6324,"imgAlt":7,"meta":6325,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":6326,"seo":6327,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":6103,"stem":6328,"updated":7,"__hash__":6329,"people":6330},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2019-update.md","View from Here -  September 2019 Update",[1855],{"type":11,"value":6106,"toc":6314},[6107,6110,6124,6127,6131,6137,6140,6149,6152,6161,6164,6167,6171,6177,6180,6191,6194,6197,6200,6203,6206,6214,6223,6227,6230,6242,6245,6248,6252,6256,6259,6272,6283,6290,6294,6297,6300,6302,6305],[14,6108,6109],{},"2019 is officially two-thirds of the way over. Where has the year gone? As time continues to fly, September brings things like:",[46,6111,6112,6118,6121],{},[49,6113,6114,6115,6117],{},"Pumpkin spiced ",[52,6116,4307],{}," assaulting everyone's senses (latte's, candy corn, pie, bread, etc.)",[49,6119,6120],{},"School is back in session",[49,6122,6123],{},"Football can be found on TV at least 5 nights a week",[14,6125,6126],{},"Speaking of football, let's start there as we recap the last thirty days here at MKG Marketing.",[24,6128,6130],{"id":6129},"browns-fan-continues-to-claim-this-is-our-year","Browns Fan Continues to Claim \"This is our year!\"",[14,6132,6133,6134],{},"I've never met a fan base who was collectively ",[38,6135,6136],{},"all on brand and message.",[14,6138,6139],{},"Have you ever spoken to a Cleveland Browns fan? If so, I'm sure one of the first things that came out of their mouth was.",[2178,6141,6142],{},[14,6143,6144],{},[52,6145,6146],{},[38,6147,6148],{},"I'm telling you man this is our year!",[14,6150,6151],{},"The only other thing you'll hear them say when things are going poorly is...",[2178,6153,6154],{},[14,6155,6156],{},[52,6157,6158],{},[38,6159,6160],{},"Next year. I'm telling you next year is our year!",[14,6162,6163],{},"MKG's resident Cleveland Browns fan, Christina Kay, made it to one of their preseason games to cheer them on. Check it out!",[14,6165,6166],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FCLE Browns Preseason NFL game.webp')",[24,6168,6170],{"id":6169},"some-of-mkgs-favorite-people-are-on-the-move","Some of MKG's Favorite People are on the Move",[14,6172,6173,6174],{},"A few of our favorite people that we've worked with in the past are ",[38,6175,6176],{},"on the move.",[14,6178,6179],{},"Steven Shapiro just joined CleverTap to lead their GTM plans for the Americas. We've worked with Steven over the past few years during his time at:",[46,6181,6182,6185,6188],{},[49,6183,6184],{},"Cloud product and services marketing at VMware",[49,6186,6187],{},"DevOps lead generation efforts at Weaveworks",[49,6189,6190],{},"Organic search growth at Informatica",[14,6192,6193],{},"Please join us in clicking on this link to say 'Welcome to CleverTap' to Steven on LinkedIn.",[14,6195,6196],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FSteven Shapiro CleverTap and MKG Marketing.webp')",[14,6198,6199],{},"Another one of our favorite demand generation friends, Lindsey Reisbeck, recently joined DataStax as their Senior Director of Global Marketing Operations and Analytics.",[14,6201,6202],{},"While we sent Steven a few bottles of Napa red wine to help him ease into the new role, our team got creative and sent Lindsey a bundle of TaskRabbit credits to use as she sees fit.",[14,6204,6205],{},"Starting a new job often means long hours and TaskRabbit credits can help you get lunch delivered to your desk or have someone mow your lawn because you're just too busy to get to it!",[14,6207,6208,6209],{},"I'd also like to mention that Lindsey is hiring. Check out her ",[206,6210,6213],{"href":6211,"rel":6212},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Flindseyreisbeck_were-hiring-here-at-datastax-sr-marketing-activity-6568166765791105024-QG_x",[210],"job post here on LinkedIn!",[14,6215,6216,6217,6222],{},"![",[206,6218,6221],{"href":6219,"rel":6220},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Flindseyreisbeck%5D('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FDataStax",[210],"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Flindseyreisbeck]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FDataStax"," hiring.webp')",[24,6224,6226],{"id":6225},"talking-about-marketing-with-el-centros-cohort-4","Talking about Marketing with El Centro's Cohort #4",[14,6228,6229],{},"I had the pleasure of meeting with the new cohort at the New Orleans chapter of El Centro. El Centro's mission is to provide financial education and counseling to individuals and entrepreneurs of different nationalities Latinas.",[14,6231,6232,6233,6238],{},"Should you want to learn more about this national organization, feel free to check out their website to learn more about the services and education they provide: [",[206,6234,6237],{"href":6235,"rel":6236},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002Fwhat-we-do.html%5D(",[210],"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002Fwhat-we-do.html](",[206,6239,6240],{"href":6240,"rel":6241},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002Fwhat-we-do.html",[210],[14,6243,6244],{},"The evening was full of energy: every single one of the business owners came prepared with questions as well as confirmed that they learned 2 or 3 things that they could do immediately to help improve the performance of their digital marketing efforts.",[14,6246,6247],{},"Check out the session on their Facebook",[3208,6249],{"src":6250,"width":6070,"height":6251,"style":3213,"scrolling":3214,"frameBorder":3215,"allowTransparency":3216,"allow":3217},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fpost.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Felcentrola%2Fposts%2F435327417191784&width=500",444,[24,6253,6255],{"id":6254},"new-clients-amperity-conviva-and-octapharma-usa","New Clients: Amperity, Conviva and Octapharma USA",[14,6257,6258],{},"August was a busy month as we put pen-to-paper with three fantastic new client organizations.",[14,6260,6261,6262,6265,6266,6271],{},"We were reunited with our old colleague ",[52,6263,6264],{},"Adam Sinnett at Amperity",". ",[206,6267,6270],{"href":6268,"rel":6269},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fposts\u002Fadamsinnett_seattle-seattlestartups-linkedintopstartups-activity-6575042842769661952-LlAg\u002F",[210],"LinkedIn named Amperity one of the hottest new companies in the United States of America."," Awesome news!",[14,6273,6274,6277,6278],{},[52,6275,6276],{},"Conviva"," is developing and bringing technology to market that every single one of you sees every day. ",[206,6279,6282],{"href":6280,"rel":6281},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.conviva.com\u002Fvideo-ai\u002F",[210],"Their product is used by brands like HBO, Hulu, Netflix, CBS and many more to measure video analytics for streaming service applications.",[14,6284,6285,6286,6289],{},"Not to be left out, after discussing how to best help bring their brands into the digital age we are thrilled to announce that we will be supporting ",[52,6287,6288],{},"Wilate, NUWIQ, IgCares and Cutaquig's"," digital marketing activity across search, social and analytics beginning in September.",[24,6291,6293],{"id":6292},"sneak-peak-denver-in-person-summit","Sneak Peak: Denver In-Person Summit",[14,6295,6296],{},"Later this month the entire team will be flying to beautiful Denver, Colorado, for 48 hours of team building activities.",[14,6298,6299],{},"Stay tuned for next month's update as we post video and photos from the Summit :)",[24,6301,6075],{"id":6074},[14,6303,6304],{},"You know how this part of the post goes: we're all finished for this month!",[14,6306,6307,6308,5440,6310,6313],{},"If you have any questions for me directly, don't hesitate to ",[206,6309,5439],{"href":5438},[206,6311,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":6312},[210]," where we can reply to your tweet or DM you in response.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":6315},[6316,6317,6318,6319,6320,6321],{"id":6129,"depth":291,"text":6130},{"id":6169,"depth":291,"text":6170},{"id":6225,"depth":291,"text":6226},{"id":6254,"depth":291,"text":6255},{"id":6292,"depth":291,"text":6293},{"id":6074,"depth":291,"text":6075},"2019-09-03","The meteoric rise of the Cleveland Browns this offseason. Some of MKG's favoritepeople on the move. This (and more!) in the September 2019 *View from Here* post.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fview-from-here-october-2019.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2019-update",{"title":6103,"description":6323},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-september-2019-update","NJXsvMnga2S_Ti5h8KXUGlLG6rTetSzBXfhaAdTUjWo",[1945],{"id":6332,"title":6333,"author":7,"authors":6334,"body":6335,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":6472,"description":6473,"extension":318,"img":6474,"imgAlt":7,"meta":6475,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":6476,"seo":6477,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":6333,"stem":6478,"updated":7,"__hash__":6479,"people":6480},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-july-2019-update.md","View from Here -  July 2019 Update",[1855],{"type":11,"value":6336,"toc":6466},[6337,6352,6355,6359,6368,6377,6385,6388,6392,6395,6398,6401,6404,6407,6411,6425,6428,6439,6445,6450,6454,6457],[14,6338,6339,6340,6342,6343,1259,6347,6351],{},"We're on a roll now! July marks the third consecutive month of the ",[38,6341,2870],{}," blog series. If you didn't get a chance to read ",[206,6344,6346],{"href":6345},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2019\u002F","the May 2019",[206,6348,6350],{"href":6349},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2019\u002F","June 2019"," posts you can look them up here.",[14,6353,6354],{},"Allora (\"so...\" in Italian) ... what happened at MKG Marketing in the past 30 days?",[24,6356,6358],{"id":6357},"contentstack-wins-codie-award-for-best-content-management-platform","Contentstack Wins CODiE Award for Best Content Management Platform",[14,6360,6361,6362,6367],{},"Our client Contentstack delivers a phenomenal ",[206,6363,6366],{"href":6364,"rel":6365},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.contentstack.com\u002Fcms-guides\u002Fheadless-cms",[210],"headless CMS"," product that can serve the needs of engineers, marketers as well as business users.",[14,6369,6370,6371,6376],{},"We are thrilled to mention that they've been ",[206,6372,6375],{"href":6373,"rel":6374},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.siia.net\u002FSIIA-Announces-2019-CODiE-Award-Winners-for-Business-Technology",[210],"awarded the SIIA 2019 CODiE Award for Best Content Management Platform"," this Spring. Right on!",[14,6378,6379,6380],{},"Read more about this big win on the ",[206,6381,6384],{"href":6382,"rel":6383},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.contentstack.com\u002Fblog\u002Fannouncements\u002Fbest-content-management-platform-2019-siia-codie-award",[210],"Contentstack blog.",[14,6386,6387],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbest content management platform contentstack.webp')",[24,6389,6391],{"id":6390},"john-ballard-travels-to-spain","John Ballard Travels to Spain",[14,6393,6394],{},"John just returned from a week and a half of traveling through Spain. Check out a few of his photos from his time off!",[14,6396,6397],{},"Take a look at John (in the bright green shorts!) and his wife in Montserrat in Spain. This area is rumored to have a lot of UFO activity in the area ... spooky!",[14,6399,6400],{},"![Lots of UFO and Strange activity in this area]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FJ Ballard compressed monserat.webp')",[14,6402,6403],{},"And here is John photographed in front of the Sagrada Familia. While it's been under construction for over a century, it only took John a little bit more than a decade to finally visit Barcelona and enter the church ;)",[14,6405,6406],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FJohn Ballard, Sagrada Family - MKG Marketing.webp')",[24,6408,6410],{"id":6409},"kerry-speaks-to-propellant-labs-about-people-first-culture","Kerry Speaks to Propellant Labs about People First Culture",[14,6412,6413,6418,6419,6424],{},[206,6414,6417],{"href":6415,"rel":6416},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fgeneswank\u002F",[210],"Gene Swank"," of ",[206,6420,6423],{"href":6421,"rel":6422},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.propellantlabs.com\u002F",[210],"Propellant Labs"," asked COO Kerry Guard to lead an HR and Culture discussion with the Propellant Labs incubator businesses.",[14,6426,6427],{},"Kerry covered:",[46,6429,6430,6433,6436],{},[49,6431,6432],{},"The role of Values in setting your culture",[49,6434,6435],{},"How HR is important at a fast-growing business",[49,6437,6438],{},"Q&A from other business owners",[14,6440,6441,6442],{},"If you have any questions for Kerry about culture or HR at a fast-growing company don't hesitate to mention or DM us on Twitter at ",[206,6443,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":6444},[210],[14,6446,6447],{},[75,6448],{"alt":77,"src":6449},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fkerry-guard-propellant-labs-values-20190626.webp",[24,6451,6453],{"id":6452},"thats-a-wrap","That's a wrap!",[14,6455,6456],{},"Lots of exciting things happening at MKG in the past 30 days - and even more are on the horizon!",[14,6458,6459,6460,5440,6463],{},"If you have any questions for me directly, don't hesitate to visit our ",[206,6461,6462],{"href":5438},"contact page",[206,6464,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":6465},[210],{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":6467},[6468,6469,6470,6471],{"id":6357,"depth":291,"text":6358},{"id":6390,"depth":291,"text":6391},{"id":6409,"depth":291,"text":6410},{"id":6452,"depth":291,"text":6453},"2019-07-01","Contentstack wins a CODiE Award. John Ballard Finally Visits the Sagrada Familiain Spain. Learn What Else Happened at MKG Marketing in the Past 30 Days.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FView from Here post July 2019.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-july-2019-update",{"title":6333,"description":6473},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-july-2019-update","mTk8Wd8vgAZWNenOBES0MIp6yyxIwlbYkfF_wvO6VfM",[1945],{"id":6482,"title":6483,"author":7,"authors":6484,"body":6485,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":6601,"description":6602,"extension":318,"img":6603,"imgAlt":7,"meta":6604,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":6605,"seo":6606,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":6607,"stem":6608,"updated":7,"__hash__":6609,"people":6610},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fdemand-gen-marketer-zack-wooster-cloudian.md","Voice of the Demand Gen Marketer: Zack Wooster from Cloudian",[9],{"type":11,"value":6486,"toc":6595},[6487,6490,6493,6496,6499,6502,6505,6508,6511,6525,6529,6532,6542,6545,6548,6551,6555,6560,6564,6567,6573,6577,6580,6585,6592],[14,6488,6489],{},"We're constantly looking to meet (and exceed!) the needs of our Demand Generation Marketing clients.",[14,6491,6492],{},"The team reads some of the top Demand Generation (Demand Gen) blogs.",[14,6494,6495],{},"Follows Demand Gen experts on social media.",[14,6497,6498],{},"Plans and executes Demand Gen programs across Organic Search and Digital Ads.",[14,6500,6501],{},"We analyze the results of our Demand Gen programs on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis to try to drive growth for our clients.",[14,6503,6504],{},"And really it's our clients who are the hero's here: the women and men who are leading (or a part of!) Demand Gen marketing teams at high growth businesses here in the United States.",[14,6506,6507],{},"So we wanted to give the Demand Gen Marketer a voice. We want them to be heard!",[14,6509,6510],{},"Specifically we wanted to learn more about the following:",[46,6512,6513,6516,6519,6522],{},[49,6514,6515],{},"What is the consequence of status quo in your role (and don't just say 'its bad!')",[49,6517,6518],{},"What challenges do you face on a daily basis and how do you respond to these challenges?",[49,6520,6521],{},"Is there one thing that you fear most in your role? If more than one, share the top fears you face on a daily basis.",[49,6523,6524],{},"What risks do you take in your role? When you decide to take a risk, how do you approach the decision?",[24,6526,6528],{"id":6527},"enter-the-voice-of-the-demand-gen-marketer-study","Enter: the Voice of the Demand Gen Marketer Study",[14,6530,6531],{},"We just drafted and published our Voice of the Demand Gen Marketer study. The objective is to collect insights from Demand Gen leaders across the US to understand what similarities and differences they share (in aggregate) with regards to the four questions above.",[14,6533,6534,6535,6537,6538,6541],{},"Not only do ",[52,6536,5521],{}," as MKG want to understand this; we want to aggregate, analyze and distribute the results of the study ",[52,6539,6540],{},"back to Demand Gen Marketers and Leaders"," so they can hear from their own peers!",[14,6543,6544],{},"As we are collecting responses during the open study period, we'll be publishing a select few here on the blog as well as social media as individual responses.",[14,6546,6547],{},"That being said, please give a warm Internet welcome to Zack Wooster, Demand Gen Marketer at Cloudian!",[14,6549,6550],{},"While we don't want to share every single answer that Zack provided, we did",[24,6552,6554],{"id":6553},"what-is-the-consequence-of-status-quo-in-your-role","What is the consequence of status quo in your role?",[2178,6556,6557],{},[14,6558,6559],{},"If we present our numbers at a QBR or board meeting showing stagnant growth, it reflects horribly on all of Marketing’s efforts. Each sales person relies on marketing to bring them hot and qualified opportunities. Their paychecks depend on it. If your demand generation strategy is not bringing sales qualified leads, then all of Marketing may take the heat. The worst case scenario is if your KPIs don’t show growth, the pressure will fall upon the Marketing executives. It is not uncommon to see Marketing executives let go due to stagnant growth.",[24,6561,6563],{"id":6562},"curious-to-know-the-rest-of-zacks-answers","Curious to know the rest of Zack's answers?",[14,6565,6566],{},"We'll be posting Zack's responses to the other three questions on our Facebook page over the next few weeks.",[14,6568,6569,6570],{},"You can read those by visiting us on Facebook and smashing that 'like' button to get notified when we post updates: ",[206,6571,4903],{"href":4903,"rel":6572},[210],[24,6574,6576],{"id":6575},"want-your-voice-to-be-heard","Want your voice to be heard?",[14,6578,6579],{},"Are you a demand gen practitioner or leader at a high growth business here in the US?",[14,6581,6582],{},[38,6583,6584],{},"Then we would love to hear from you!",[14,6586,6587,6588],{},"All you have to do is click the hero image below to be directed to the study. Make sure your voice is heard and learn from your peers while you're at it! Follow this Google Form to take the study: ",[206,6589,6590],{"href":6590,"rel":6591},"https:\u002F\u002Fforms.gle\u002FmeMeketY7G6a47xK7",[210],[14,6593,6594],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FShare Your Thoughts.webp')",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":6596},[6597,6598,6599,6600],{"id":6527,"depth":291,"text":6528},{"id":6553,"depth":291,"text":6554},{"id":6562,"depth":291,"text":6563},{"id":6575,"depth":291,"text":6576},"2019-06-09","Zack Wooster discusses his challenges, fears, and risks in being a Demand GenMarketer. Hear his voice.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fzack-wooster-cloudian-2.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fdemand-gen-marketer-zack-wooster-cloudian",{"title":6483,"description":6602},"Voice of the Demand Gen Marketer | Hard Questions Podcast","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fdemand-gen-marketer-zack-wooster-cloudian","2xsoAZwdOSteQeosaNyvQHFoL4tMb9D30QzXGNWEh0w",[1560,1613],{"id":6612,"title":6613,"author":7,"authors":6614,"body":6615,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":6816,"description":6817,"extension":318,"img":6818,"imgAlt":7,"meta":6819,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":6820,"seo":6821,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":6613,"stem":6822,"updated":7,"__hash__":6823,"people":6824},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2019.md","View from Here -  June 2019 Update",[1855],{"type":11,"value":6616,"toc":6806},[6617,6621,6630,6636,6647,6650,6653,6657,6660,6663,6674,6677,6697,6704,6708,6717,6720,6732,6736,6740,6743,6746,6757,6760,6765,6769,6776,6782,6786,6789,6795,6797,6799],[24,6618,6620],{"id":6619},"view-from-here-june-2019","View from Here: June 2019",[14,6622,6623,6624,6626,6627,212],{},"Last month marked the first ",[38,6625,2870],{}," post on the blog. If you didn't get a chance to read that I'd highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the format by ",[206,6628,6629],{"href":6345},"reading the May 2019 post",[14,6631,6632,6633,6635],{},"As a quick reminder the monthly ",[38,6634,2870],{}," post will cover topics such as:",[46,6637,6638,6641,6644],{},[49,6639,6640],{},"Company goals (and progress to these goals)",[49,6642,6643],{},"News and current and new team members",[49,6645,6646],{},"Victories that our clients are seeing in a not-so-humble-brag format :)",[14,6648,6649],{},"We're going to write about these topics (and more!) using the lens of the past 30 days.",[14,6651,6652],{},"So ... what happened at MKG Marketing in the past 30 days?",[81,6654,6656],{"id":6655},"quarterly-all-hands-meeting-complete","Quarterly All Hands Meeting: Complete!",[14,6658,6659],{},"All-hands meetings at MKG are important because they help us live our value of Transparency. They also help align the team as we continue to deliver first class service to our clients.",[14,6661,6662],{},"Every quarter the team puts their digital marketing pencils down to spend 90 minutes talking about:",[46,6664,6665,6668,6671],{},[49,6666,6667],{},"Company mission, goals, strategy and performance",[49,6669,6670],{},"Celebrate people and accomplishments",[49,6672,6673],{},"Live Q&A",[14,6675,6676],{},"Our Q2 2019 all hands meeting was held on Friday, May 24th. During that meeting we discussed:",[46,6678,6679,6682,6685,6688,6691,6694],{},[49,6680,6681],{},"New faces on the team",[49,6683,6684],{},"An internal promotion (more on that below!)",[49,6686,6687],{},"Financial performance through the first half of 2019",[49,6689,6690],{},"Adjustment to our team and client structure",[49,6692,6693],{},"Sales and marketing activity that didn't work as well as we wanted it to in the first part of the year",[49,6695,6696],{},"Our pivot'd sales and marketing plans for the second half of 2019",[14,6698,6699,6700,6703],{},"Does your company have a regular meeting rhythm for All Company meeting? We'd love to hear about it on Twitter at ",[206,6701,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":6702},[210]," if you do!",[81,6705,6707],{"id":6706},"digital-marketing-session-with-el-centro","Digital Marketing Session with El Centro",[14,6709,6710,6711,6716],{},"The mission for ",[206,6712,6715],{"href":6713,"rel":6714},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002F",[210],"El Centro"," is to provide financial education along with sales, marketing and business counseling to individuals and entrepreneurs of different nationalities.",[14,6718,6719],{},"In May we had the opportunity to speak to a group of 8 business owners going through the 6-week El Centro accelerator program about the basics of digital marketing for their business.",[14,6721,6722,6723,6728],{},"If you want to learn more about El Centro's mission, you can check out the 2018 annual report on their website: [",[206,6724,6727],{"href":6725,"rel":6726},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002Fimpacto.html%5D(",[210],"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002Fimpacto.html](",[206,6729,6730],{"href":6730,"rel":6731},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.elcentrola.org\u002Fimpacto.html",[210],[3208,6733],{"src":6734,"width":6070,"height":6735,"style":3213,"scrolling":3214,"frameBorder":3215,"allowTransparency":3216,"allow":3217},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fplugins\u002Fpost.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Felcentrola%2Fposts%2F394698857921307&width=500",757,[81,6737,6739],{"id":6738},"john-ballard-joins-the-team","John Ballard Joins the Team",[14,6741,6742],{},"The team has continued to grow! Last month John Ballard joined the team as an SEO Expert, bringing us to 11 full time digital marketers.",[14,6744,6745],{},"A few fun facts about John:",[46,6747,6748,6751,6754],{},[49,6749,6750],{},"When it comes to fast casual, John is a huge fan of Raising Cane's and Izzo's Illegal Burritos (we've all got our food vices!)",[49,6752,6753],{},"A native of the great state of Texas, John now calls Philadelphia, PA home with his wife and two fur babies (aka dogs)",[49,6755,6756],{},"With more than 8 years of experience as an SEO along with more years of digital marketing expertise, John brings a ton of valuable knowledge to our client accounts",[14,6758,6759],{},"If you haven't already gone to LinkedIn to digitally wave \"hello\" to John, visit the link below to make him welcome as he gets his feet under him here at MKG Marketing.",[3208,6761],{"src":6762,"height":6763,"width":6764,"frameBorder":3215,"allowFullScreen":322},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fembed\u002Ffeed\u002Fupdate\u002Furn:li:ugcPost:6533727801151938560",808,487,[81,6766,6768],{"id":6767},"adam-bullock-promoted-to-account-director","Adam Bullock Promoted to Account Director",[14,6770,6771,6772],{},"After three years at MKG Marketing, we are proud to announce that ",[206,6773,6775],{"href":2420,"rel":6774},[210],"Adam Bullock earned a promotion to the role of Account Director.",[14,6777,6778,6779],{},"If you want to say congrats on the new role directly to Adam you can leave us a post on the wall of our Facebook company page by visiting this link: ",[206,6780,4903],{"href":4903,"rel":6781},[210],[81,6783,6785],{"id":6784},"jenna-returns-to-work-on-june-3rd","Jenna Returns to Work on June 3rd",[14,6787,6788],{},"After welcoming a new addition to their family earlier this year, Jenna is returning to work on Monday, June 3rd (that's today!)",[14,6790,6791,6792],{},"Feel free to welcome her back to work by leaving a post on the wall of our Facebook company page: ",[206,6793,4903],{"href":4903,"rel":6794},[210],[81,6796,6453],{"id":6452},[14,6798,6456],{},[14,6800,6307,6801,5440,6803],{},[206,6802,5439],{"href":5438},[206,6804,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":6805},[210],{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":6807},[6808],{"id":6619,"depth":291,"text":6620,"children":6809},[6810,6811,6812,6813,6814,6815],{"id":6655,"depth":297,"text":6656},{"id":6706,"depth":297,"text":6707},{"id":6738,"depth":297,"text":6739},{"id":6767,"depth":297,"text":6768},{"id":6784,"depth":297,"text":6785},{"id":6452,"depth":297,"text":6453},"2019-06-03","The quarterly all hands meeting. Adam being promoted. Jenna returning from MaternityLeave. And John joining the team. These are a few of the exciting things that happened in May at MKG Marketing!","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FView from Here - June 2019.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2019",{"title":6613,"description":6817},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-june-2019","z9FobTKFfguzGFoQ4WzqYxzgWwKg5DKKSKfR-ke2wPE",[1945],{"id":6826,"title":6827,"author":7,"authors":6828,"body":6829,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":7049,"description":7050,"extension":318,"img":7051,"imgAlt":7,"meta":7052,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":7053,"seo":7054,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":7055,"updated":7,"__hash__":7056,"people":7057},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2019.md","View from Here - May 2019 Update",[1855],{"type":11,"value":6830,"toc":7039},[6831,6835,6841,6854,6857,6860,6865,6872,6875,6884,6890,6893,6897,6900,6906,6909,6919,6922,6931,6934,6937,6945,6948,6952,6966,6969,6978,6983,6987,6990,6993,6999,7007,7010,7016,7024,7027,7029,7032],[24,6832,6834],{"id":6833},"view-from-here-may-2019","View from Here: May 2019",[14,6836,6837,6838,6840],{},"Here at MKG Marketing we take a lot of pride in being ",[206,6839,2141],{"href":1758},"with our team, clients and partners. As one of our company values, transparency encourages us to share news internally - which I do every Monday morning when I send a Weekly 1 Page Update to the team. The Weekly 1 Page Update discusses:",[46,6842,6843,6845,6848,6851],{},[49,6844,6640],{},[49,6846,6847],{},"Scheduling updates, such as a team member being on PTO",[49,6849,6850],{},"New team members joining the team",[49,6852,6853],{},"Business development updates, including a brief description of where different prospects are at in our sales pipeline",[14,6855,6856],{},"Hearing directly from the team, the internal-facing Weekly 1 Page Update is really helpful to keep everyone up to speed on the state of the agency.",[14,6858,6859],{},"As I reflected on the simple-yet-powerful impact of the Weekly 1 Page Update internally, I asked myself a question:",[2178,6861,6862],{},[14,6863,6864],{},"What if we updated the world on the state of MKG Marketing on a regular basis?",[81,6866,6868,6869,6871],{"id":6867},"enter-my-monthly-view-from-here-post","Enter: my monthly ",[38,6870,2870],{}," post.",[14,6873,6874],{},"Each and every month I plan to publish an update to let you - our clients, partners and blog subscribers - know what is happening here at MKG.",[14,6876,6877,6878,6880,6881,6883],{},"I settled on the name ",[38,6879,2870],{}," for a simple reason: my role at MKG Marketing allows me to see and hear nearly everything happening at the agency. And in the spirit of transparency I wanted to share that view in my monthly ",[38,6882,2870],{}," updates.",[14,6885,6886,6887,6889],{},"Some updates will be short. Others will be longer. There is no predetermined length of the update. As a coach of mine once said \"It'll take as long as it takes.\" The same applies each month in the ",[38,6888,2870],{}," update.",[14,6891,6892],{},"Let's get to this first update!",[81,6894,6896],{"id":6895},"new-clients-at-mkg-marketing","New Clients at MKG Marketing",[14,6898,6899],{},"We're pleased to announce that we have begun working with Bento for Business and Maxim Integrated in the past 30 days.",[14,6901,6902,6905],{},[206,6903,1805],{"href":1803,"rel":6904},[210]," provides \"Employee Expense Cards Exclusively For Business.\" In plain English; they provide employers with the power to provide physical\u002Fdigital debit cards that employees can expense purchases with as opposed to opening up a business credit card for every single employee that needs to spend money on behalf of the business.",[14,6907,6908],{},"Employers can control how much, where and when employees spend money. You can also turn cards on\u002Foff with a single click in their online or mobile application as well as set spending limits (e.g. \"Mike has a $1,000 limit before this card gets declined\") and get real-time alerts when employees are spending money on behalf of the business.",[14,6910,6911,6914,6915],{},[52,6912,6913],{},"Also I should mention that Bento for Business is hiring!"," Check out the careers page of their website to see the engineering, marketing, ops and other open roles between their Chicago and San Francisco offices (screengrab of openings below): ",[206,6916,6917],{"href":6917,"rel":6918},"https:\u002F\u002Fbentoforbusiness.com\u002Fcareers\u002F",[210],[14,6920,6921],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fbento for business job openings april 2019.webp')",[14,6923,6924,6925,6930],{},"We are also thrilled to announce that ",[206,6926,6929],{"href":6927,"rel":6928},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.maximintegrated.com\u002Fen.html",[210],"Maxim Integrated"," has joined our active roster of SEO clients. They design, manufacture, and sell analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits.",[14,6932,6933],{},"While there are quite a few applications, Maxim Integrated develops integrated circuits (ICs) most commonly for the automotive, industrial, communications, consumer, and computing markets.",[14,6935,6936],{},"Besides bringing an exciting new client on board, we're ecstatic to be reunited with the awesome Dan Santos and his team (headed up by Jeanne Quach - hey Jeanne!) to take on large competitors like Texas Instruments (TI we're coming for you!) in the Search Engine Optimization arena.",[14,6938,6939,6940],{},"Check out some photos from our recent trip to their ",[206,6941,6944],{"href":6942,"rel":6943},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Ffeed\u002Fupdate\u002Furn:li:activity:6526942435082321920",[210],"global headquarters in San Jose, while you're at it!",[14,6946,6947],{},"![](\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F'Maxim Integrated Global Headquarters Trip - April 2019.webp')",[81,6949,6951],{"id":6950},"contentstack-and-informatica-win-industry-awardsrecognition","Contentstack and Informatica Win Industry Awards\u002FRecognition",[14,6953,6954,6955,6960,6961],{},"Contentstack was recognized by a Gartner Peer Research study as one of the \"Best Web Content Management Software of 2019 as reviewed by customers\". You can see the ",[206,6956,6959],{"href":6957,"rel":6958},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gartner.com\u002Freviews\u002Fcustomers-choice\u002Fweb-content-management\u002FApr-2019",[210],"study on Gartner's site here","as well as ",[206,6962,6965],{"href":6963,"rel":6964},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fsearch\u002Fresults\u002Fcontent\u002F?keywords=contentstack-gartner&origin=SWITCH_SEARCH_VERTICAL",[210],"see posts about the news on LinkedIn.",[14,6967,6968],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgreg luciano gartner peer award.webp')",[14,6970,6971,6972,6977],{},"As for Informatica: For the 6th year in a row ",[206,6973,6976],{"href":6974,"rel":6975},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.informatica.com\u002Fipaas-magic-quadrant.html#fbid=3A4RL01jfQ6",[210],"Informatica has been named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Integration Platform as a Service."," Makes us proud to be working with a client like that who has received such consistent recognition for being a leader in their field!",[14,6979,6980],{},[75,6981],{"alt":77,"src":6982},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fipaas-magic-quadrant-2019.webp",[81,6984,6986],{"id":6985},"who-are-the-new-faces-on-our-standup-everyday","Who are the New Faces on our Standup Everyday?",[14,6988,6989],{},"As most of our clients and partners know, MKG is a scrum-oriented company. This includes our team doing daily standup meetings to align our key priorities and tasks for the day.",[14,6991,6992],{},"There are a few new faces on these standup meetings!",[14,6994,6995,6998],{},[52,6996,6997],{},"Christina Kay"," joins the team most recently from BrightEdge as a SEO Strategist. She brings a decade of Digital Marketing experience to our clients and just recently completed her MBA in Social Media Marketing and Analytics while working full time.",[14,7000,7001,7002],{},"We are thrilled to welcome Christina to the team. ",[206,7003,7006],{"href":7004,"rel":7005},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Ffeed\u002Fupdate\u002Furn:li:activity:6521773475860930560",[210],"Do us a favor and say Hello to her by commenting on this welcome video on LinkedIn!",[14,7008,7009],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FChristina Kay @ MKG Announcement.webp')",[14,7011,7012,7015],{},[52,7013,7014],{},"CJ Johnson"," joined the team a few weeks after Christina to lend a hand with our growing PPC and Paid Demand Generation practice. She'll be working out of our New Orleans office and brings nearly a decade of Paid Media experience to the table for our clients.",[14,7017,7018,7019],{},"Same as Christina, we are thrilled to welcome CJ to the team here at MKG. ",[206,7020,7023],{"href":7021,"rel":7022},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Ffeed\u002Fupdate\u002Furn:li:activity:6524665138514063360",[210],"Please make her feel at home by commenting on the video announcement on LinkedIn!",[14,7025,7026],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FLiz Johnson welcome video - april 2019.webp')",[81,7028,6453],{"id":6452},[14,7030,7031],{},"Lots of exciting things happening at MKG in the past 30 days - and even more on the horizon in the next 30 \u002F 60 \u002F 90 day window.",[14,7033,6307,7034,5440,7036],{},[206,7035,5439],{"href":5438},[206,7037,5445],{"href":5443,"rel":7038},[210],{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":7040},[7041],{"id":6833,"depth":291,"text":6834,"children":7042},[7043,7045,7046,7047,7048],{"id":6867,"depth":297,"text":7044},"Enter: my monthly View from Here post.",{"id":6895,"depth":297,"text":6896},{"id":6950,"depth":297,"text":6951},{"id":6985,"depth":297,"text":6986},{"id":6452,"depth":297,"text":6453},"2019-05-01","Read the May 2019 Update from MKG Marketing CEO Mike Krass to Learn About New Team Members, Clients and News.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FView From Here - May 2019-1.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2019",{"title":6827,"description":7050},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fview-from-here-may-2019","SY3V5hfYcoAi8Yx-PkuWXlOhTvflpainhriKt9BW8_8",[1945],{"id":7059,"title":7060,"author":7,"authors":7061,"body":7062,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":7277,"description":7278,"extension":318,"img":7279,"imgAlt":7,"meta":7280,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":7281,"seo":7282,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7283,"stem":7284,"updated":7,"__hash__":7285,"people":7286},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2018-recap-and-2019-vision.md","2018 Recap - What We Accomplished and Where We're Headed in 2019",[1855],{"type":11,"value":7063,"toc":7270},[7064,7071,7099,7103,7106,7109,7112,7126,7129,7135,7138,7141,7145,7148,7151,7159,7169,7173,7176,7179,7219,7223,7227,7230,7233,7236,7239,7243,7246,7254,7259,7264,7267],[14,7065,7066,7067,7070],{},"2018 featured ",[38,7068,7069],{},"a lot of positive momentum"," for the team at MKG Marketing. As I sit here in the second week of 2019, a few of the highlights from last year include:",[46,7072,7073,7082,7089,7096],{},[49,7074,7075,7076,1491,7079],{},"We helped more clients exceed their ",[52,7077,7078],{},"sales",[52,7080,7081],{},"pipeline create targets than ever before in the history of MKG",[49,7083,7084,7085],{},"Our team grew by another member and ",[206,7086,7088],{"href":7087},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fpeople-first-value-for-quarterly-goal-setting\u002F","implemented quarterly goals focused on new team member onboarding",[49,7090,7091,7092],{},"BrightEdge recognized our hard work with ",[206,7093,7095],{"href":7094},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002F2018-brightedge-edgie-award-winners\u002F","Informatica as we won an Edgie18 award in the SEO Performance & Results category",[49,7097,7098],{},"Hosted our first virtual company-wide Holiday Party for team members in Washington, Oregon and Louisiana",[24,7100,7102],{"id":7101},"exceeding-sales-and-pipeline-targets","Exceeding Sales and Pipeline Targets",[14,7104,7105],{},"At the core of the relationship, clients hire us to assist in meeting or exceeding their sales or pipeline create targets.",[14,7107,7108],{},"In short: They hire us to deliver outcomes!",[14,7110,7111],{},"And deliver outcomes we did in 2018.",[14,7113,7114,7115,7120,7121,7125],{},"As ",[206,7116,7119],{"href":7117,"rel":7118},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.geekwire.com\u002F2019\u002Fseattle-hybrid-cloud-security-startup-extrahop-touts-bookings-growth-says-ipo-path\u002F",[210],"Geekwire reported yesterday",", our client ",[206,7122,5952],{"href":7123,"rel":7124},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.extrahop.com\u002F",[210],"had their best year on record, crossing the $100,000,000 bookings mark while signing nearly two dozen client deals valued in excess of $1,000,000 each (both records for the company).",[14,7127,7128],{},"While we certainly can't take credit for all of this progress, our work on the Organic Search, Digital Advertising and Analytics fronts absolutely played a part in this growth!",[14,7130,7131],{},[75,7132],{"alt":7133,"src":7134},"ExtraHop Networks CEO, CTO and CPO","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FExtraHop_GeekWire-copy-630x391.webp",[14,7136,7137],{},"Other clients like Informatica, Contentstack, and MariaDB (to name a few) saw tremendous growth in both Paid and Organic traffic, web conversions and sales\u002Fpipeline create as well in 2018.",[14,7139,7140],{},"Again: We are hired to deliver outcomes. And in 2018 we generated more measurable business outcomes for our clients than in any year before!",[24,7142,7144],{"id":7143},"mkg-team-grows-and-focuses-on-onboarding","MKG Team Grows and Focuses on Onboarding",[14,7146,7147],{},"We're excited to have Karl join our team, bringing years of Digital Advertising and Omnichannel expertise along with him.",[14,7149,7150],{},"Additionally, we doubled down with our onboarding process by dedicating our quarterly team goal to focus on learning from and teaching things to Karl as he started with us full time.",[14,7152,7153,7154,1491,7156],{},"Because you know what? The toughest part of starting a new job is that everything is ",[52,7155,1236],{},[52,7157,7158],{},"unknown.",[14,7160,7161,7162,7164,7165,7168],{},"In order to mitigate the new and unknown, as well as live through our ",[206,7163,1759],{"href":1758},", we focused the ",[206,7166,7167],{"href":7087},"Q4 quarterly company goal"," on getting Karl (and the rest of the team) up to speed on all the ins-and-outs of working at MKG.",[24,7170,7172],{"id":7171},"brightedge-recognizes-mkg-as-seo-experts","BrightEdge Recognizes MKG as SEO Experts",[14,7174,7175],{},"During their annual Edgie Awards Ceremony, BrightEdge recognized MKG Marketing as SEO Experts when they awarded us with the Performance & Results award for our work growing Informatica's SEO traffic, conversion and sales pipeline created by double-digits year-over-year.",[14,7177,7178],{},"This was the biggest industry award that we won in 2018 and put MKG's name next to other winners such as IBM, Merkle and VMware (to name a few). Truly an honor for the collective hard work of Informatica and MKG to be recognized with an Edgie18 victory!",[2178,7180,7183,7214,7215],{"className":7181},[7182],"twitter-tweet",[14,7184,6029,7187,7191,7192,7194,7196,7197,7201,7202,1734,7206,1043,7210],{"lang":7185,"dir":7186},"en","ltr",[206,7188,7190],{"href":7189},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fbrightedge?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","@brightedge"," for awarding us with the 2018 Edgie Award in Performance and Results!",[2957,7193],{},[2957,7195],{},"Major congrats to the hardworking Informatica digital team, as well as our ",[206,7198,7200],{"href":7199},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fhashtag\u002FSEO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","#SEO"," partners, ",[206,7203,7205],{"href":7204},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FMKGMarketingInc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","@MKGMarketingInc",[206,7207,7209],{"href":7208},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002Fhashtag\u002FShare18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","#Share18",[206,7211,7213],{"href":7212},"https:\u002F\u002Ft.co\u002FSkQutfKsky","pic.twitter.com\u002FSkQutfKsky","— Informatica (@Informatica) ",[206,7216,7218],{"href":7217},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002FInformatica\u002Fstatus\u002F1050166850858835968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw","October 10, 2018",[5389,7220],{"async":322,"src":7221,"charSet":7222},"https:\u002F\u002Fplatform.twitter.com\u002Fwidgets.js","utf-8",[24,7224,7226],{"id":7225},"virtual-holiday-party-1-complete","Virtual Holiday Party #1: Complete!",[14,7228,7229],{},"While our team members are concentrated in New Orleans, Washington State and Oregon, we are truly a distributed team that works equal amounts of time from physical offices together as well as remotely in a home office.",[14,7231,7232],{},"In order to throw a company-wide holiday party, we carved out two hours on one of our last workdays of the year to reflect as a team, enjoy some bubbly (in sparkling cider or Champagne form) and exchange white elephant gifts with one another.",[14,7234,7235],{},"The team collectively raved about closing out the year in a fun and reflective way - and we snapped some awesome pictures while we were celebrating!",[14,7237,7238],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FMKG Marketing Virtual Holiday Party 2018.webp')",[24,7240,7242],{"id":7241},"what-does-2019-hold-in-store","What does 2019 hold in store?",[14,7244,7245],{},"This is simple: We want to bring our people first agency culture to as many team members (current\u002Fnew) and clients as possible in 2019.",[14,7247,7248,7249],{},"Jason Fried, Founder of Basecamp, ",[206,7250,7253],{"href":7251,"rel":7252},"https:\u002F\u002Fsignalvnoise.com\u002Fposts\u002F1022-you-dont-create-a-culture",[210],"described exactly what we have been building over the past seven years:",[2178,7255,7256],{},[14,7257,7258],{},"Real cultures are built over time. They’re the result of action, reaction, and truth. They are nuanced, beautiful, and authentic. Real culture is patina.",[2178,7260,7261],{},[14,7262,7263],{},"Don’t think about how to create a culture, just do the right things for you, your customers, and your team and it’ll happen.",[14,7265,7266],{},"Kerry and I truly believe that if we continue to take care of our team members they, in turn, will deliver top-notch service and results to our clients.",[14,7268,7269],{},"And that is exactly what we are going to do :)",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":7271},[7272,7273,7274,7275,7276],{"id":7101,"depth":291,"text":7102},{"id":7143,"depth":291,"text":7144},{"id":7171,"depth":291,"text":7172},{"id":7225,"depth":291,"text":7226},{"id":7241,"depth":291,"text":7242},"2019-01-16","2018 Was a Record Breaking Year for MKG Marketing. Hear from CEO Mike KrassAbout 2018 as well as our Plans for 2019.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FDreams don't work unless you do.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2018-recap-and-2019-vision",{"title":7060,"description":7278},"What We Accomplished and Where We're Headed","blog\u002Fnews\u002F2018-recap-and-2019-vision","UBt76jKSDuwWqYVjfCi9ULSTeimkBxyofm2-cQz4N6Q",[1945],{"id":7288,"title":7289,"author":7,"authors":7290,"body":7291,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":7501,"description":7502,"extension":318,"img":7503,"imgAlt":7,"meta":7504,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":7505,"seo":7506,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7507,"stem":7508,"updated":7,"__hash__":7509,"people":7510},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fpeople-first-value-for-quarterly-goal-setting.md","Bringing our People First Value into Quarterly Goal Setting",[1855],{"type":11,"value":7292,"toc":7493},[7293,7300,7304,7307,7314,7332,7336,7339,7344,7347,7355,7358,7363,7366,7377,7380,7391,7395,7398,7412,7416,7423,7426,7431,7435,7438,7443,7448,7453,7456,7459,7464,7469,7474,7478,7481,7484,7490],[14,7294,7295,7296,7299],{},"We talk about values quite a bit on our website. The ",[206,7297,7298],{"href":1758},"subject even has it's own page for reference!","\nBut how do values actually translate from words on a screen to a useful, guiding tool to make good decisions?",[24,7301,7303],{"id":7302},"one-example-here-at-mkg-quarterly-team-goals","One example here at MKG: Quarterly Team Goals.",[14,7305,7306],{},"Each quarter we set and attempt to achieve a quarterly goal as a team. This is a measurable goal or objective that helps MKG continue to grow stronger as a team as well as become better service providers for our clients.",[14,7308,7309,7310,7313],{},"Some other context for having a ",[52,7311,7312],{},"quarterly theme"," includes:",[132,7315,7316,7326,7329],{},[49,7317,7318,7319,7322,7323,7325],{},"Companies often focus only on financial goals -- e.g. Sales -- as the only goal communicated throughout the organization. While Sales activity is important (hey, nobody is working for gummy bears around here!) on it's own this singular focus falls short of the mark. ",[52,7320,7321],{},"People"," drive sales activity - both team members and clients - and we recognize that with our ",[52,7324,2196],{}," value :)",[49,7327,7328],{},"Our amazing Account Directors like to plot PPC and SEO activities on a quarterly basis. We've learned that if you plan too far in advance and the ground will shift beneath our feet and plans will need to be changed. Quarterly themes align with our laser focused client goals over the 90 day course of a fiscal quarter.",[49,7330,7331],{},"Gives MKGers a fun reason to celebrate every 90 days! With the agency growing so steadily in the past year (new team members and client requests\u002Fsize) we want to create a cadence that celebrates the outcomes of our hard work on a regular basis.",[24,7333,7335],{"id":7334},"in-october-2018","In October 2018...",[14,7337,7338],{},"...Someone new joined the team and their timing coincided with a setting the Q4 2018 Quarterly Company Goal. Kerry and I thought about our values, the fact that they were new to the team and asked each other a question:",[2178,7340,7341],{},[14,7342,7343],{},"What's it like to start a new job?",[14,7345,7346],{},"My own initial responses were:",[46,7348,7349,7352],{},[49,7350,7351],{},"It's scary walking into the 'unknown' - new colleagues, clients, processes. It's all unknown!",[49,7353,7354],{},"Building on the point above: It's all new! There is no sense of order yet in your physical workspace, your schedule, etc. It's all new to you!",[14,7356,7357],{},"To live our People First value and assist Karl in getting up to speed faster (Velocity!!!) we decided to set the following goal in Q4 2018",[2178,7359,7360],{},[14,7361,7362],{},"Every team member must learn 3 and teach 3 things to Karl this quarter (6 total)",[14,7364,7365],{},"This was selected for a few reasons:",[46,7367,7368,7371,7374],{},[49,7369,7370],{},"Accelerates the speed of Karl learning client history, work styles of his colleagues and overall workflow process at MKG.",[49,7372,7373],{},"Reminds us of our “People First” value and mentality.",[49,7375,7376],{},"Shows the importance of making time to learn from one another.",[14,7378,7379],{},"In terms of the numeric goal:",[132,7381,7382,7385,7388],{},[49,7383,7384],{},"There are 8 MKG folks in total (minus Karl who makes 9).",[49,7386,7387],{},"Each needs to learn 3 \u002F teach 3 things (6).",[49,7389,7390],{},"8 x 6 = 48 total learns\u002Fteaches this quarter",[24,7392,7394],{"id":7393},"what-happens-if-we-hit-our-goal","What happens if we hit our goal?",[14,7396,7397],{},"And of course there will need to be a celebration if we achieve this goal. So how will we celebrate if\u002Fwhen we hit 48 learns-and-teaches?",[132,7399,7400,7406],{},[49,7401,7402,7405],{},[52,7403,7404],{},"Virtual pizza party:"," Will have pizza delivered to office locations for a late lunch over Zoom where we can put some carbs down, talk as a group and celebrate reaching our goal.",[49,7407,7408,7411],{},[52,7409,7410],{},"Matinee Movie Tickets",": After our late lunch, MKG will drop some movie passes in everyone's inboxes so we can take the late afternoon off to go enjoy a movie together with your colleagues in New Orleans, Portland Metro and Seattle Metro areas.",[24,7413,7415],{"id":7414},"sodid-we-hit-it","So...did we hit it?",[14,7417,7418,7419,7422],{},"As a group we had a total of ",[52,7420,7421],{},"Fifty (50!) Teaches-and-Learns"," between the beginning of October and the end of December.",[14,7424,7425],{},"Pizza party, here we come!",[14,7427,7428],{},[75,7429],{"alt":77,"src":7430},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fpizzaparty.gif",[24,7432,7434],{"id":7433},"what-did-we-learn-from-or-teach-to-karl","What did we learn from or teach to Karl?",[14,7436,7437],{},"Of the dozens of things that were learned from getting to know Karl, a handful of examples include:",[2178,7439,7440],{},[14,7441,7442],{},"LinkedIn Targeting! Karl showed me there's a lot of different filters including our favorite: target \"first connections\" from people at a certain company. Take \"Client X\" testimonial and target first connections of \"Client X\" to serve their connections relevant content.",[2178,7444,7445],{},[14,7446,7447],{},"How he got CPCs and CPA so low for \"Client Z. Seriously, amazing numbers...and sure, there's good intent there. But it worked SO WELL because of his bid strategy. Maximize clicks is a bid strategy I steer clear of because of potential for Google to abuse it...since you are relinquishing your control over individual keyword bids. But man, with a super high QUALITY SCORE and user intent...you can really, really kill it.",[2178,7449,7450],{},[14,7451,7452],{},"A GREAT display strategy for remarketing - use an image for conquesting THEN reuse the image",[14,7454,7455],{},"On the flipside: the team taught Karl two dozen very specific things about our clients, MKG process and overall workflow.",[14,7457,7458],{},"A few examples include:",[2178,7460,7461],{},[14,7462,7463],{},"Asana! Gave a deep dive into how Asana is setup and the processes we work with so he can hopefully find his own level of comfort in how much he wants to interact with Asana vs go through the Account Directors.",[2178,7465,7466],{},[14,7467,7468],{},"I taught Karl about Smart Display. Specifically, you cannot define by device (so 95% goes to mobile) and that you cannot update ad schedules (so it'll run 24\u002F7).",[2178,7470,7471],{},[14,7472,7473],{},"About Facebook Ads; optimizing for CONVERSIONS and not for CLICKS. Lots of garbage traffic via clicks. Always get a pixel firing and always optimize for conversions for exponentially better quality traffic.",[24,7475,7477],{"id":7476},"we-use-our-values-everyday","We use our values everyday",[14,7479,7480],{},"As we mentioned before, our values assist in making important decisions and guide the day-to-day life here at MKG.",[14,7482,7483],{},"If you're curious about working at MKG, mozy on over to our Jobs boards to see what roles we're looking to add to the team in the future.",[14,7485,7486,7487],{},"Here's a direct link to the jobs boards: ",[206,7488,7489],{"href":1581},"Jobs",[14,7491,7492],{},"![Jobs - MKG Marketing]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fwork at MKG hero.webp')",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":7494},[7495,7496,7497,7498,7499,7500],{"id":7302,"depth":291,"text":7303},{"id":7334,"depth":291,"text":7335},{"id":7393,"depth":291,"text":7394},{"id":7414,"depth":291,"text":7415},{"id":7433,"depth":291,"text":7434},{"id":7476,"depth":291,"text":7477},"2019-01-11","Read How MKG Uses Quarterly, Team-Wide Goal Setting Exercises to Live Throughour Five Core Values.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FLive By The Values.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fpeople-first-value-for-quarterly-goal-setting",{"title":7289,"description":7502},"Elevate Your Company Values Via Quarterly Goals","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fpeople-first-value-for-quarterly-goal-setting","EaOW3_lccYiEHmX6oXeoCdI6WBO0TdcyZLkcKWb8Gi4",[1945],{"id":7512,"title":7513,"author":7,"authors":7514,"body":7515,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":7636,"description":7637,"extension":318,"img":7638,"imgAlt":7,"meta":7639,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":7640,"seo":7641,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7642,"stem":7643,"updated":7,"__hash__":7644,"people":7645},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fout-of-office-messages-to-create-unique-brand-memories.md","Using Out of Office Messages to Create Unique Brand Experiences",[1855],{"type":11,"value":7516,"toc":7634},[7517,7523,7526,7529,7538,7541,7544,7547,7550,7563,7573,7579,7585,7588,7591,7596,7599,7605,7608,7611,7614,7617,7620,7625],[14,7518,7519,7520],{},"A wise business leader once told me ",[52,7521,7522],{},"Every interaction with your company creates an experience, or memory, in that customers mind.",[14,7524,7525],{},"As an example: Think of the message you send by putting up an Out of Office reply on your work email account.",[14,7527,7528],{},"Most of the Out of Office messages I see go a little something like this:",[2178,7530,7531],{},[14,7532,7533,7534],{},"I will be out of the office on MONTH, DATE, YEAR. When I return to the office I will respond to you. If an emergency contact my colleague at ",[206,7535,7537],{"href":7536},"mailto:name@email.com","name@email.com",[14,7539,7540],{},"Nothing special. It's direct and to the point. It is fairly informative in the event of an emergency.",[14,7542,7543],{},"But think about the number of emails you receive in a day.",[14,7545,7546],{},"On average, I receive in the neighborhood of 150 emails per day.",[14,7548,7549],{},"What if your out of office message looked a little something like this.",[2178,7551,7552],{},[14,7553,7554,7555,7558,7559,7562],{},"Today I am out of the office for ",[38,7556,7557],{},"reason"," which will benefit you, my customers, in ",[38,7560,7561],{},"this, that and the other way",". When I return to the office I will respond to your note as soon as possible.",[14,7564,7565,7566],{},"Dale Carnegie mentions six keys to build trust with people (including customers) in his world-famous business book ",[206,7567,7570],{"href":7568,"rel":7569},"https:\u002F\u002Ffs.blog\u002F2012\u002F07\u002Fhow-to-win-friends-and-influence-people\u002F",[210],[38,7571,7572],{},"How to Win Friends and Influence People.",[14,7574,7575,7576],{},"Of the six ways to make people like you, Dale's fifth suggestion is to ",[52,7577,7578],{},"Talk in terms of the other person's interests.",[14,7580,7581,7582],{},"In short: ",[52,7583,7584],{},"Describe what's in it for them!",[14,7586,7587],{},"So when you are out of office at an industry conference ask yourself: How does this benefit my colleagues or customers.",[14,7589,7590],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FTammy Wood MKG Marketing Out of Office.webp')As a MKG Marketing client it's immediately apparent how Tammy taking time from her workday will benefit their business in the long run:",[2178,7592,7593],{},[14,7594,7595],{},"I'll be attending classes to further improve my SEO Techniques so I can be of better service to all of you.",[14,7597,7598],{},"If Tammy receives as many emails as I do each day that means that 150 individual people saw that message about her developing her SEO skillset to be a better SEO leader for their business.",[14,7600,7601,7602],{},"I'm proud of the Memory (or Experience) that Tammy created with that Out of Office message. In fact, I've followed Tammy's lead and plan to call out ",[38,7603,7604],{},"why and how my absence from the office will benefit colleagues or customers in the long run.",[14,7606,7607],{},"Just like I did last week when I was out of office at a Development meeting.",[14,7609,7610],{},"![]('\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002FMike Krass MKG Marketing Out of Office Message.webp')",[14,7612,7613],{},"Of the 150 or so emails that this auto-reply message went to, I received two separate notes from clients and partners that essentially said \"This is awesome! Have fun and learn a lot for us!\"",[14,7615,7616],{},"And that's a brand experience that will stay with the partner and client who replied to me.",[14,7618,7619],{},"If you'd like to hear a summary of this post on creating unique brand experiences please watch (and share!) my video below.",[3208,7621],{"width":7622,"height":7623,"src":7624,"frameBorder":3215,"allow":5969,"allowFullScreen":322},720,400,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F-ftpUY4uUC0?rel=0&showinfo=0",[14,7626,7627,7628,7633],{},"PS: A big 'thank you' to ",[206,7629,7632],{"href":7630,"rel":7631},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.terrapapagalli.art.br\u002F",[210],"Terra Papagalli Studios"," for the memorable cover photo of a parrot's feathers.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":7635},[],"2018-12-18","Every interaction with your company creates an experience, or memory, in your customers mind. Read a simple way to create a positive memory using your email's Out of Office message.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fout-of-office-email.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fout-of-office-messages-to-create-unique-brand-memories",{"title":7513,"description":7637},"Brand Experiences via Out of Office Messages","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fout-of-office-messages-to-create-unique-brand-memories","mILowXuiwd97KhPc_wfS0TIRTnNQiOSnYOYCIW3V-is",[1945],{"id":7647,"title":7648,"author":7,"authors":7649,"body":7650,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":7717,"description":7718,"extension":318,"img":7719,"imgAlt":7,"meta":7720,"minutes":1608,"navigation":322,"path":7721,"seo":7722,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7723,"stem":7724,"updated":7,"__hash__":7725,"people":7726},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Faverage-cmo-tenure-2018.md","Industry News - Average CMO Tenure Is About 18 Months",[1855],{"type":11,"value":7651,"toc":7714},[7652,7656,7660,7663,7666,7674,7677,7687,7690,7698,7705],[24,7653,7655],{"id":7654},"what-impact-can-your-marketing-deliver-in-547-days","What Impact Can Your Marketing Deliver in 547 Days?",[3208,7657],{"width":5966,"height":5967,"src":7658,"frameBorder":3215,"allow":7659,"allowFullScreen":322},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F4p-DPcPOk0k?rel=0&showinfo=0","autoplay; encrypted-media",[14,7661,7662],{},"Last month I was speaking with an analyst who covers high growth businesses in the United States (Bay Area, Los Angeles, Northeast, Denver).",[14,7664,7665],{},"This analyst mentioned a shocking statistic to me.",[2178,7667,7668],{},[14,7669,7670,7671],{},"The average tenure of ",[52,7672,7673],{},"CMO at a high growth company is 18 months",[14,7675,7676],{},"547 Days. That's it!",[14,7678,7679,7680,7683,7684,7686],{},"After speaking with this analyst I had another conversation with a marketing executive in San Francisco. This executive mentioned that the board at her company operates ",[38,7681,7682],{},"the exact same way:"," either you can generate measurable growth from the marketing department in 18 months ",[38,7685,4253],{}," that CMO will find him\u002Fherself on the hot seat.",[14,7688,7689],{},"This is why MKG always brings new customers into our portfolio with the following exercises:",[46,7691,7692,7695],{},[49,7693,7694],{},"Measurement and Analytics Plan (inclusive of KPIs\u002FTarget #'s)",[49,7696,7697],{},"Meet with Sales stakeholder(s) to learn about the qualification and sales process for handling marketing leads",[14,7699,7700,7701,7704],{},"We go through these exercises because at the end of the day everybody is judged on ",[52,7702,7703],{},"Sales."," While marketing generates demand, the ultimate outcome we as MKG are charged with delivering is high-quality leads that our customer sale teams can work through.",[14,7706,7707],{},[38,7708,7709,7710],{},"Link to original post on LinkedIn: ",[206,7711,7712],{"href":7712,"rel":7713},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002Fwhat-change-can-you-drive-547-days-mike-krass\u002F",[210],{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":7715},[7716],{"id":7654,"depth":291,"text":7655},"2018-09-20","Recent Analyst Discussions Show The Average Tenure of a Chief Marketing Officer is 18 Months.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F547-2500x700.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Faverage-cmo-tenure-2018",{"title":7648,"description":7718},"Average CMO Tenure Is About 18 Months","blog\u002Fnews\u002Faverage-cmo-tenure-2018","gOIa697QOBsiF0P7Y_sFOKXcRrL_hInLsmeaXq-eqp4",[1945],{"id":7728,"title":7729,"author":7,"authors":7730,"body":7731,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":7810,"description":7811,"extension":318,"img":7812,"imgAlt":7,"meta":7813,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":7814,"seo":7815,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7729,"stem":7816,"updated":7,"__hash__":7817,"people":7818},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Faccount-director-reflections-flat-organization.md","Account Director Reflections: Flat Organization",[3774],{"type":11,"value":7732,"toc":7803},[7733,7739,7743,7746,7751,7755,7758,7763,7765,7772,7777,7779,7782,7787,7790,7793,7796],[14,7734,7735,7736],{},"At MKG, one of our standout attributes is that we hire subject matter experts, people with 8+ years of experience. We’re a flat agency with a senior staff which resonates with clients because there’s no bait and switch, the A-Team is who you get 100% of the time. And as an Account Director, this has meant some big adjustments in my role compared to my previous agency life.\n",[75,7737],{"alt":77,"src":7738},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faccount-director-reflections-trust.webp",[24,7740,7742],{"id":7741},"trust","Trust",[14,7744,7745],{},"I work with a team of peers. Some of them have more than ten years more experience than I do, so these aren’t people I manage, they’re people I partner with. I handle one-on-ones with two of them and it’s a very different relationship than I’ve had previously in agencies. I provide feedback and my perspective and in-turn I listen to their feedback and concerns. They’re smart senior people who are not just automatically going to hand over authority to a title, so I’ve had to earn their trust when it comes to prioritizing requests\u002Fworkloads, advocating for them with our executive team, and providing feedback. The more trust I earn, the more it frees them up to focus on their work because they’re not stressing about client expectations or addressing work issues. That’s my job.",[14,7747,7748],{},[75,7749],{"alt":77,"src":7750},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faccount-director-reflections-accountability.webp",[24,7752,7754],{"id":7753},"personal-accountability","Personal Accountability",[14,7756,7757],{},"I work on a number of clients, as does most of my team. The only way this is possible is through everyone doing their job without needing micromanaging and appreciating each other’s strengths and understanding roles. We’re agile so we set priorities as a team each week on Monday and everyone manages their assigned tasks for the week. We have a 15 minute morning standup that we  cover anyone being overloaded or stuck and we don’t have formal work reviews as a team, these are managed as individual tasks. This leads to major efficiency through way fewer meetings and duplication of effort. But what about collaboration\u002Fbrainstorms you ask? This leaves more time for collaboration and brainstorming through not having to fight for time in a schedule full of meetings and allowing them to happen more organically. We are currently a team of 8 and it’s staggering at time how much work gets done in a week.",[14,7759,7760],{},[75,7761],{"alt":77,"src":7762},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faccount-director-reflections-transparency.webp",[24,7764,2220],{"id":2219},[14,7766,7767,7768,7771],{},"Rather than play an inefficient game of telephone, relevant team members are on every project related call with the client(s). They’re all experienced enough to be in front of clients and this way they’re able to hear everything firsthand and ask questions\u002Fprovide feedback in real time. (",[38,7769,7770],{},"Here’s a secret clients, having stakeholders hear what you want first hand actually saves time from the meetings and discussions that I’d need to have otherwise","). This also allows clients to hear from the experts rather than an Account Director on their specific ideas\u002Fquestions. It can also cut down on work because questions\u002Fproblems can sometimes be handled live. It also goes back to trust, they trust me to lead the conversation and drive discussions around timing and scope, and I trust them to own the conversation around their areas of expertise.",[14,7773,7774],{},[75,7775],{"alt":77,"src":7776},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faccount-director-reflections-people-first.webp",[24,7778,2196],{"id":2195},[14,7780,7781],{},"One of the biggest issues agencies face is turnover. When I worked in San Francisco, staying at an agency for 18 months was considered a reasonable amount of time. That can be really tough on a team because you’re constantly spending time and resources on boarding new team members and losing the strategy\u002Fvision that those team members had. As an account person, clients have always been my first priority, and working at MKG I’ve had to shift that. Yes I want to do great things for our clients, but at the end of the day my main priority is to do right by our team. At first I had a lot of clenched stomach feelings as I pushed back on some requests or enforced our work hours and our availability times, but to my surprise it’s lead to much healthier and productive client relationships. The proof in this is the vast majority of our clients come through referrals or clients moving to other companies and bringing us in. Through not over-promising I’m able to set realistic expectations with clients and they feel like they can depend on us to do great work when we say we’ll be able to. In turn, my team gives me the autonomy to manage client’s requests and our workload and make strategic decisions on how to best balance things because they see that not only am I looking out for them, but I’m also looking out for MKG with our clients. I used to struggle to get team members at other agencies to take a lunch, now I’m pushing my team to make sure they use all 20 of their vacation days. Turns out that people get a lot more done when they have regular time off to recharge.",[14,7783,7784],{},[75,7785],{"alt":77,"src":7786},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faccount-director-reflections-team-pride.webp",[24,7788,2212],{"id":7789},"team-pride",[14,7791,7792],{},"There are no departments at MKG and this is really a game changer. Previously I’ve had to manage company goals, department goals, team goals, personal goals, and client goals. A sure way to never feel like you’re doing a great job, because how can you possibly be exceeding at that many different priorities and your day job? It’s also probably why goals for the year wouldn’t end up being set until about half way through. Plus department goals differ department to department and are frequently in direct odds with each other. We actually briefly tried to segment things as we got a little larger and the team rebelled, they didn’t want to be part of separate groups, they wanted to be one team, so we went back to doing things in a more unified way. Maybe someday we’ll get large enough to need some more segmentation, but I don’t see departments being part of MKG’s future because they run counter to a flat organization and at the end of the day we measure our success as a whole.",[14,7794,7795],{},"I’m coming up on a year with MKG in August and the changes in my day-to-day have been significant, but all pointing to what I think Account Management and agency life can and should be. Change can be really hard, but it’s not impossible, if your agency needs a baby step maybe just start with having less meetings?",[14,7797,7798,7799,7802],{},"Want to work with MKG? ",[206,7800,7801],{"href":5438},"Contact Mike Krass"," today and start working with our Senior Staff now.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":7804},[7805,7806,7807,7808,7809],{"id":7741,"depth":291,"text":7742},{"id":7753,"depth":291,"text":7754},{"id":2219,"depth":291,"text":2220},{"id":2195,"depth":291,"text":2196},{"id":7789,"depth":291,"text":2212},"2018-07-31","As an Account Director, working with senior staff in a Flat Organization meant some big adjustments in my role compared to my previous agency life. Read on.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Faccount-director-reflections-flatorg.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Faccount-director-reflections-flat-organization",{"title":7729,"description":7811},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Faccount-director-reflections-flat-organization","HYsaHPTgVstwq1VrbhAihiXIi2j8derYCCLAB3YsdtM",[],{"id":7820,"title":7821,"author":7,"authors":7822,"body":7823,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8021,"description":8022,"extension":318,"img":8023,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8024,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":8026,"seo":8027,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":8028,"stem":8029,"updated":7,"__hash__":8030,"people":8031},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-7th-birthday.md","From Day 1 to 2,555 - Happy 7th Birthday to MKG Marketing!",[1855],{"type":11,"value":7824,"toc":8015},[7825,7837,7840,7845,7852,7872,7875,7879,7882,7885,7888,7891,7894,7900,7904,7907,7910,7913,7916,7919,7922,7925,7933,7936,7940,7954,7957,7963,7970,7973,7976,7982,7985,7988,7993,7997,8000],[14,7826,7827,7830,7831,7836],{},[206,7828,1415],{"href":7829},"\u002F"," is about to complete our 7th full year being in business, a feat in and of itself because only 50% of businesses survive to the 5 year mark (",[206,7832,7835],{"href":7833,"rel":7834},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.bls.gov\u002Fbdm\u002Fus_age_naics_00_table7.txt",[210],"United States Bureau of Labor",").",[14,7838,7839],{},"Pause for celebration.",[14,7841,7842],{},[75,7843],{"alt":77,"src":7844},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fchris-pratt-celebration.gif",[14,7846,7847,7848,7851],{},"Celebrating our 7th birthday starts with a few critical ",[52,7849,7850],{},"THANK YOU’s"," to people who have existed in the MKG orbit. In no particular order I’d like to thank...",[46,7853,7854,7860,7866],{},[49,7855,7856,7859],{},[52,7857,7858],{},"The MKG team."," You are the engine that makes clients sprint toward us at full speed to ask “Can we please work together?” Bravo to each and every one of us for being fearless every single day at work.",[49,7861,7862,7865],{},[52,7863,7864],{},"Clients in our Portfolio."," We exist to serve your digital marketing needs. Thank you for being brave and trusting that our process is in the best interest of growing your business.",[49,7867,7868,7871],{},[52,7869,7870],{},"Partners in our Ecosystem."," There have been too many partners to count in our ecosystem. Know that us celebrating another year serving our customers and growing our talents as a team is possible because we have amazing partners who supplement\u002Faugment gaps in our service offerings.",[14,7873,7874],{},"Because you can do anything you’d like on your birthday (har har :) I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past year at MKG.",[24,7876,7878],{"id":7877},"reflection-process-scale","Reflection: Process = Scale",[14,7880,7881],{},"In the past 365 days we added one Digital Marketing Expert to the MKG team: Jenna Hasenkampf, one of our rock-star Account Directors.",[14,7883,7884],{},"Jenna has a tremendous amount of experience implementing scalable processes that set expectations (amongst other benefits) with our clients and team members.",[14,7886,7887],{},"Thinking about all the work we’ve done in the past 365 days: I honestly feel like we are punching way above our weight class as an agency.",[14,7889,7890],{},"Process, combined with experienced Digital Marketing Experts, allow an agile agency like MKG to box with the heavyweights.",[14,7892,7893],{},"And while Jenna drove a lot of process implementation, the entire team embraced agile as a way of thinking to continuously improve these processes that allow us to serve our customers better.",[14,7895,7896,7897],{},"When asked what our secret sauce was for the past year, my honest answer would be ",[52,7898,7899],{},"Process with a heavy dose of Experience.",[24,7901,7903],{"id":7902},"reflection-product-market-fit-matters","Reflection: Product \u002F Market Fit MATTERS",[14,7905,7906],{},"For those who are unfamiliar, we begin the discovery process with new clients using a set of Scoping and Discovery questions.",[14,7908,7909],{},"These questions are a tool for the potential client to educate us about their business, industry and overarching needs.",[14,7911,7912],{},"For the first five years at MKG, we didn’t ask prospective clients to go deep on the way their product(s) or service(s) fit into the marketplace.",[14,7914,7915],{},"I have personally learned that is a mistake.",[14,7917,7918],{},"Regardless of annual revenue, years in business or capital investment, the one issue we weren't addressing completely in the discovery process with new customers was a lack of clarity around product\u002Fmarket fit.",[14,7920,7921],{},"Why does this matter?",[14,7923,7924],{},"Because without a clear, customer-driven answer to “Have we achieved product\u002Fmarket fit” our jobs become increasingly more difficult.",[46,7926,7927,7930],{},[49,7928,7929],{},"If the client doesn’t have a clear answer to product\u002Fmarket fit, how can we reach the appropriate prospects for them via SEO and PPC?",[49,7931,7932],{},"Hypothetically speaking: If we aren’t reaching prospects that represent personas of a potential customer, are we wasting our collective time, capital and energy?",[14,7934,7935],{},"Product\u002Fmarket fit matters for all businesses: Early stage ventures up to mature companies. It’s our teams job to dig deep with our clients to honestly answer “What makes you different and better?”",[24,7937,7939],{"id":7938},"reflection-strength-as-a-group","Reflection: Strength as a Group",[14,7941,7942,7943,7948,7949,2851],{},"Let’s take a ride into the wayback machine to high school history class: Who can tell me what a ",[206,7944,7947],{"href":7945,"rel":7946},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoutu.be\u002Fk5WWiqxeS0k",[210],"Roman Phalanx formation","looks like? What about a ",[206,7950,7953],{"href":7951,"rel":7952},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FTestudo_formation",[210],"Turtle formation",[14,7955,7956],{},"If you have watched the action movie 300, you’ve actually seen both formations before.",[14,7958,7959,7960],{},"From the outside looking in, the value of these formations jumps out at you: They are strong, hard-to-penetrate fighting formations that are successful when executed well ",[52,7961,7962],{},"as an entire group.",[2178,7964,7965],{},[14,7966,7967],{},[52,7968,7969],{},"In short: They are strong as a single group.",[14,7971,7972],{},"Phalanx and Turtle formations can withstand losing positions here and there. But the moment large chunks of positions are lost the strength of the group begins to break down.",[14,7974,7975],{},"How does this relate to digital marketing?",[14,7977,7978,7979],{},"Over the past year at MKG I’ve noticed on multiple occasions that we are ",[52,7980,7981],{},"Strongest Together as a Team.",[14,7983,7984],{},"Anything that draws away from our team working together as a single group, like the Romans and their Phalanx or Turtle formations, draws focus and energy away from our common goals and visions.",[14,7986,7987],{},"The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are a recent organization that highlighted Strength as a Group with their slogan \"Strength in Numbers.\"",[14,7989,7990],{},[75,7991],{"alt":77,"src":7992},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgolden-state-warriors-strength-in-numbers-wallpaper-1.webp",[24,7994,7996],{"id":7995},"what-do-the-next-365-days-have-in-store-for-mkg","What do the next 365 days have in store for MKG?",[14,7998,7999],{},"Kerry and I have a few key objectives for the next year at MKG:",[46,8001,8002,8009,8012],{},[49,8003,8004,8005,8008],{},"Follow our ",[206,8006,8007],{"href":1758},"People First value"," to ensure MKG is a place of constant opportunity and growth for everyone who works here (including Kerry and I!)",[49,8010,8011],{},"Actively listen to our current customers to hear what they love about us as well as what we could be doing better for them.",[49,8013,8014],{},"Broadcast our deep service and industry experience to the relevant marketing audience by sharing tips, advice and case studies that they can actually use or learn from.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8016},[8017,8018,8019,8020],{"id":7877,"depth":291,"text":7878},{"id":7902,"depth":291,"text":7903},{"id":7938,"depth":291,"text":7939},{"id":7995,"depth":291,"text":7996},"2018-07-25","Read our 7th Birthday Post to Hear Reflections on the Past 2,555 Days at MKG Marketing from CEO Mike Krass.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F7th-Birthday-Post.webp",{"redirect_from":8025},"\u002Fmkg-7th-birthday\u002F","\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-7th-birthday",{"title":7821,"description":8022},"From Day 1 to 2,555 - Happy 7th Birthday!","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-7th-birthday","_Yn67n867Z8ps3nJa8CGCl9bo8tKZUaYlCecb9f2tGo",[1945],{"id":8033,"title":8034,"author":7,"authors":8035,"body":8036,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8224,"description":8225,"extension":318,"img":8226,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8227,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":8228,"seo":8229,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":8230,"stem":8231,"updated":7,"__hash__":8232,"people":8233},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2017-in-review.md","It’s January 2, 2018. What just happened?",[1855],{"type":11,"value":8037,"toc":8217},[8038,8041,8044,8073,8076,8083,8087,8090,8094,8100,8103,8106,8109,8115,8119,8122,8134,8137,8148,8152,8155,8158,8164,8167,8172,8175,8180,8183,8188,8194,8199,8205,8210],[14,8039,8040],{},"2017 was an unbelievable time to be a part of MKG.",[14,8042,8043],{},"In the past 365 days…",[46,8045,8046,8049,8052,8055,8058,8061,8064,8067,8070],{},[49,8047,8048],{},"The team had two new babies and took a combined 180 days of maternity\u002Fpaternity leave (hooray for baby Lexi and Magnolia June!)",[49,8050,8051],{},"Our longest standing team member was diagnosed with lymphoma and subsequently beat back the disease between January and July of 2017",[49,8053,8054],{},"We grew from 5 to 8 full time team members",[49,8056,8057],{},"(un)officially we opened a new location (New Orleans baby!)",[49,8059,8060],{},"Gross sales were the highest ever over a 12 month period. Sales increased by nearly 64% year-on-year",[49,8062,8063],{},"MKG Marketing was invited into Google’s Elevator Program, a program that invites 200 Agency Partners across North America who have exhibited high growth potential to take part in Google sponsored business coaching, peer-to-peer training to improve operational and financial efficiencies as well as gives participants early access to sweet, sweet new Google widgets",[49,8065,8066],{},"Shed the multitude of tools, platforms and systems and made deeper commitments with our technology partners such as NinjaCat for reporting\u002Finsights as well as BrightEdge and Conductor on the SEO platform front.",[49,8068,8069],{},"Pacific Northwest team ventured to New Orleans for a week of work in the Big Easy",[49,8071,8072],{},"Separated from a small handful of customers when it became clear that MKG was no longer a good fit for in terms of services or contract size",[14,8074,8075],{},"When I look at this list of events and accomplishments I can’t help but stepping back to say:",[2178,8077,8078],{},[14,8079,8080],{},[52,8081,8082],{},"How in the heck did we survive 2017?",[24,8084,8086],{"id":8085},"how-and-why-we-survived-2017","How (and why) We Survived 2017",[14,8088,8089],{},"My experience over the past twelve months tells me we survived (and thrived) in 2017 for a few reasons.",[81,8091,8093],{"id":8092},"our-values-especially-people-first","Our Values (especially People First)",[14,8095,8096,8097,212],{},"With team members out for health or new parent reasons our values were put the test. ",[206,8098,8099],{"href":1758},"Especially “people first”",[14,8101,8102],{},"For those who were out, it was up to the rest of the collective team to pick up their responsibilities so that our clients wouldn’t even notice a difference in the quality of service we provide.",[14,8104,8105],{},"While the team was picking up additional responsibilities it was important for the team members who had taken time off (either in large chunks or sporadically here\u002Fthere) to truly be “off”.",[14,8107,8108],{},"The expectation for folks on parental and health leave wasn’t that you’d have to check emails, pull down reports or respond to client requests -- the expectation was that you’d use that time to turn your work brain “off” as much as possible while you focused on other important parts of your life (getting well again, welcoming a new child into the world, etc).",[14,8110,8111,8114],{},[52,8112,8113],{},"I won’t lie and say it was easy: It wasn’t",". But we didn’t hear any complaints from our clients (trust me - I asked quite a few of them how we were doing!) after we set the expectations of what we could accomplish with the resources we had to deploy on their behalf.\nIt took a special kind of selflessness from the entire team to make this possible.",[81,8116,8118],{"id":8117},"people-systems-and-process","People, systems and process",[14,8120,8121],{},"We produced more work for customers than in any year prior while adding three new faces to the team.\nThe difference in going from 5 team members to 8 was startling.",[46,8123,8124,8127],{},[49,8125,8126],{},"Reaching 8 team members exposed holes in system requirements and work processes",[49,8128,8129,8130,8133],{},"This also exposed some opportunities to get ",[38,8131,8132],{},"even better"," with our current written documentation and onboarding of new team members",[14,8135,8136],{},"What got us through this crazy year was a devotion to everything “process”. A few examples:",[46,8138,8139,8142,8145],{},[49,8140,8141],{},"Write down all the steps you take to perform a recurring task",[49,8143,8144],{},"Upload pre-formatted documents (PPT, Word document, etc) into our Google Drive server to quickly plug-n-play information in a pre-formatted fashion",[49,8146,8147],{},"Sharing tasks with other team members and asking them to follow your pre-written steps for recurring tasks. Can they complete the assignment as described?",[24,8149,8151],{"id":8150},"were-back-as-a-full-team","We’re back as a full team.",[14,8153,8154],{},"As of December 11, 2017 the entire gang is back together. Yahoo!",[14,8156,8157],{},"But what does “being back together” mean?",[14,8159,8160,8163],{},[52,8161,8162],{},"For our customers"," you will notice Adam (and our other team members) integrating seamlessly back into their core swim lanes. Instead of dividing up unassigned work evenly amongst the team to cover someone during an absence.",[14,8165,8166],{},"Tammy summarized this pretty eloquently:",[2178,8168,8169],{},[14,8170,8171],{},"Jessica and Spencer get to focus a bit more on individual tasks with Adam back.",[14,8173,8174],{},"Spencer revealed another silver lining benefit for our customers now that we’re all back together.",[2178,8176,8177],{},[14,8178,8179],{},"Additionally it means another person to bounce ideas off of and share giphys with in slack. (well...ok you the client won’t get to see the giphys but you’ll see the benefits of collaborating!)",[14,8181,8182],{},"Jessica mentioned the same collaborative advantage of having the entire team back.",[2178,8184,8185],{},[14,8186,8187],{},"I get my better PPC half back. Adam and I do a lot of chatting in the background about performance, ideas we have for clients, roadblocks, etc. It's nice to have that person back. We truly are a PPC team and help each other out a lot!",[14,8189,8190,8193],{},[52,8191,8192],{},"For the team"," we will be able to host our quarterly summit with all hands present so we can focus deeper on how we work, what we should do more\u002Fless of to help our clients be successful and align on our roles and responsibilities moving into the new year.\nOne example that the team mentioned of how this affects our roles:",[2178,8195,8196],{},[14,8197,8198],{},"We’d love to get in the same groove with PPC that we are with SEO. All our SEO projects work so much smoother now that Christian and Tammy have clear swim lanes and they're much better equipped to be able to pitch in and help each other.",[14,8200,8201,8204],{},[52,8202,8203],{},"For Kerry and myself"," we plan to slowly adjust our roles at MKG Marketing to work on the business more than we have in years past.\nTake the example of a seamstress: to ensure the long-term stability of her alterations shop, eventually she’ll need to sew fewer stitches each day and spend that time hiring talented tailors and seamstresses to help with those jobs. She’ll need to think about a financial plan to save money for a rainy day (one is always around the corner). She’ll need to work on marketing her business to customers who are ready to use her services today, tomorrow or even next year.\nKerry and I are hitting the point where our plan is to sew fewer stitches every day in 2018 (and beyond), instead focusing on compiling the right team and client portfolio to continue to build on the foundation we’ve seen grow in front of our eyes over the past 6 years.",[14,8206,8207],{},[52,8208,8209],{},"What does 2018 look like?",[14,8211,8212,8216],{},[206,8213,8215],{"href":8214},"\u002Fblog\u002F","Check back into the blog"," over the next 12 months to hear all the new and exciting things happening at MKG :)",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8218},[8219,8223],{"id":8085,"depth":291,"text":8086,"children":8220},[8221,8222],{"id":8092,"depth":297,"text":8093},{"id":8117,"depth":297,"text":8118},{"id":8150,"depth":291,"text":8151},"2018-01-02","As a boutique digital marketing agency we have overcome the odds last year and through it all, came out on top.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F2017-in-review.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2017-in-review",{"title":8034,"description":8225},"2017 A Year In Review","blog\u002Fnews\u002F2017-in-review","u_-_pq9C0P76OvUCevSZIDhfCGf0njVTQPu_wUKhuR8",[1945],{"id":8235,"title":8236,"author":7,"authors":8237,"body":8238,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8415,"description":8416,"extension":318,"img":8417,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8418,"minutes":1669,"navigation":322,"path":8419,"seo":8420,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":8421,"updated":7,"__hash__":8422,"people":8423},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program.md","The Google Elevator Program Will Help MKG Serve Our Customers Better (September 2017)",[1855],{"type":11,"value":8239,"toc":8407},[8240,8248,8251,8256,8259,8268,8274,8282,8287,8290,8294,8297,8303,8323,8326,8330,8333,8337,8340,8343,8346,8350,8362,8365,8376,8379,8382,8386,8392,8395,8398,8401],[14,8241,8242,8243,212],{},"For those who haven’t heard Google’s Partner team has been running their ",[206,8244,8247],{"href":8245,"rel":8246},"https:\u002F\u002Fevents.withgoogle.com\u002Felevator-na\u002F",[210],"Elevator Program for the past few years",[14,8249,8250],{},"Every year Google selects up to 250 high growth\u002Fhigh performance agency partners in North America and Europe to participate in a day of peer-led learning exercises.",[2178,8252,8253],{},[14,8254,8255],{},"The outcome Google wants to achieve is to help agency partners deliver better work products to their clients.",[14,8257,8258],{},"When we were invited to the Elevator Program event in Austin I was a bit skeptical: Was this going to be a “drink the Google Kool Aid” style event? Taking an entire day to attend an off-site in Austin, Texas, where I was spoonfed Googleisms for 9 hours wasn’t my idea of a good use of time.",[14,8260,8261,8262,8267],{},"The feeling only got worse when I navigated to google.com and searched for “",[206,8263,8266],{"href":8264,"rel":8265},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fsearch?q=google+elevator+program&oq=google+elevator+program&aqs=chrome..69i57j0j69i64.3431j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8",[210],"Google elevator program","”. Immediately I noticed past announcements of agencies that were entered into this exclusive program - in fact the first few SERP’s were almost exclusively loaded up with websites ranking for the title “We were selected! Yay us!”",[14,8269,8270],{},[75,8271],{"alt":8272,"src":8273},"\"google elevator program\" SERP September 12 2017","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program-serp.webp",[14,8275,8276,8277,8281],{},"While MKG is certainly excited to add this to our list of ",[206,8278,8280],{"href":8279},"\u002Fabout\u002F","accolades and accomplishments",", publishing a “yay look at us!” blog post wasn’t how we wanted to spend an entire day of my time.",[2178,8283,8284],{},[14,8285,8286],{},"So why did I end up attending? Because our Google strategist provided testimonials from previous sessions that showed the agency partners were given Google systems, products and processes to use to serve their clients better.",[14,8288,8289],{},"It was all about improving the agency and client relationship. And that was more than enough to get me on a plane to Austin on September 11, 2017.",[24,8291,8293],{"id":8292},"so-what-was-the-agenda-for-the-day","So: What was the agenda for the day?",[14,8295,8296],{},"Google sent out this agenda to us a few weeks before the event.",[14,8298,8299],{},[75,8300],{"alt":8301,"src":8302},"Google Elevator Program Agenda","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program-agenda.webp",[46,8304,8305,8314,8317,8320],{},[49,8306,8307,8308,8313],{},"Now that we’ve gone through the Elevator training I’m able to translate these breakout sessions into plain English:\nIntroduction: ",[206,8309,8312],{"href":8310,"rel":8311},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Falexlangshur\u002F",[210],"Alex Langshur of Cardinal Path"," told us the origin story of how Cardinal Path came to be (the tl;dr - they merged with 2 other agencies to create one singular consulting firm) and laid out the ground rules for the day:\n++ Be open to the process of learning\n++ There are no stupid questions\n++ Have fun!",[49,8315,8316],{},"Real World Strategic Planning: This lecture and accompanying group exercise helped us learn how to more effectively build strategy alongside on behalf of our customers. How can we more efficiently “click in” with our customers to provide them more value? What have clients told Google (as well as Cardinal Path) that they want more of? Less of?",[49,8318,8319],{},"Pricing Strategies: An in-depth look at how different pricing models and structures allow agencies and their clients to receive the maximum amount of value from each other in the business partnership.",[49,8321,8322],{},"Sales and Negotiating: Not every agency owner is a sales guru. These two sessions walked us through the process of identifying what clients really need, articulating that in an easy-to-read way and powering through the sales and negotiation process so that agencies can begin delivering value to their customers as soon as possible in their engagement.",[14,8324,8325],{},"Last but not least: Alex asked us to finish the day with one to three actions that we, the agency owner, could take immediately that would help ourselves and our customers be more successful.",[24,8327,8329],{"id":8328},"our-two-key-takeaways-from-the-elevator-session","Our two key takeaways from the Elevator session",[14,8331,8332],{},"Become a more disciplined business from day #1\nIdentify our position on Grenier’s Growth Curve and prepare for the next phases",[81,8334,8336],{"id":8335},"business-discipline-is-a-huge-area-of-opportunity","Business Discipline is a Huge Area of Opportunity",[14,8338,8339],{},"Our team loves to exceed the expectations of our customers. But one thing I learned that I’m guilty of is not setting crystal clear expectations with our customers at the contract stage of the relationship.",[14,8341,8342],{},"From the top-on-down I learned HR, operations and sales proposal processes as well as a few handy exercises to do a better job of being disciplined in setting expectations with our customers from day one.",[14,8344,8345],{},"Once those expectations have been established it’s critical that we communicate amongst our team internally so that everyone is aware of them and feels empowered to stick to our guns.",[81,8347,8349],{"id":8348},"mkg-at-phase-4-in-the-grenier-curve","MKG at Phase 4 in the Grenier Curve",[14,8351,8352,8356,8357,7836],{},[75,8353],{"alt":8354,"src":8355},"MKG Marketing on Grenier's Curve","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program-grenier-curve.webp","\nGrenier’s Curve helps identify, anticipate and understand the root cause of problems for a fast-growing business (",[206,8358,8361],{"href":8359,"rel":8360},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.slideshare.net\u002FStephenDann1\u002Fgreiners-growth-curve",[210],"source",[14,8363,8364],{},"Walking through the Grenier Curve was helpful because it showed the phases we have successfully grown through:",[46,8366,8367,8370,8373],{},[49,8368,8369],{},"Phase 1: Creativity and the need for strong leadership",[49,8371,8372],{},"Phase 2: Grown through the phase where everyone needs direction. We mostly skipped this stage based on the level of experience we hire into the MKG team (nobody needs their hand held).",[49,8374,8375],{},"Phase 3: Grown through the delegation phase. We have tools, process and people that help everyone delegate work projects to the best stakeholder on the MKG team.",[14,8377,8378],{},"Currently I see MKG at phase 4 company on the Grenier Curve: Our current “crisis” (Grenier’s words - not mine) that we are growing through is reducing red tape wherever possible in our workflow.",[14,8380,8381],{},"Now that we’ve identified our current phase on the Curve it’s up to us to speak transparently to work through that phase of growth.",[24,8383,8385],{"id":8384},"the-ultimate-question-would-you-do-it-again","The Ultimate Question: Would you do it again?",[14,8387,8388,8389],{},"I’d give it a resounding ",[52,8390,8391],{},"YES!",[14,8393,8394],{},"Alex was an amazing mentor to lead the all-day session. As someone who has led day-long cohorts I know how difficult it is to “drive the boat”, so to speak, while making sure everyone walks away with a truckload of value from their time investment.",[14,8396,8397],{},"As fantastic as Alex was the fellow agency partners were even better. During the breakout sessions I learned just as much (if not more!) about how they charge for their services, the types of clients (and volume) they are equipped to take on as well as their future growth plans. Frankly there could have been an entire “speed dating” session where we discussed the agency’s future vision that partners would have gotten a lot of value from.",[14,8399,8400],{},"Last and most importantly: Every partner walked out of the Elevator session with systems, tools and processes that can have an immediate positive impact on their agency\u002Fclient relationship. Investing a single day of my time in exchange for those tools as well as training us up on how to use them was a fantastic decision on our part.",[14,8402,8403],{},[75,8404],{"alt":8405,"src":8406},"Google Sign Austin Texas","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program-sign.webp",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8408},[8409,8410,8414],{"id":8292,"depth":291,"text":8293},{"id":8328,"depth":291,"text":8329,"children":8411},[8412,8413],{"id":8335,"depth":297,"text":8336},{"id":8348,"depth":297,"text":8349},{"id":8384,"depth":291,"text":8385},"2017-09-13","Learn How the Google Elevator Training Program in Austin this September will help MKG serve our customers better.","\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program.webp",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program",{"title":8236,"description":8416},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fgoogle-elevator-program","yAGRfM0O1csKISNup94OBmlwLprwnkXHUk4x4NhaKnE",[1945],{"id":8425,"title":8426,"author":7,"authors":8427,"body":8428,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8519,"description":77,"extension":318,"img":8432,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8520,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":8521,"seo":8522,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":8523,"updated":7,"__hash__":8524,"people":8525},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fexceeding-expectations-why-we-attended-the-cncf-cloud-native-road-show-in-portland-february-2017.md","Exceeding Expectations: Why We Attended the CNCF Cloud Native Road Show in Portland – February 2017",[2422],{"type":11,"value":8429,"toc":8516},[8430,8435,8438,8441,8450,8454,8457,8460,8464,8467,8472,8475,8478,8481,8486,8490,8493,8496,8500,8503,8506,8509,8512],[75,8431],{"src":8432,"alt":8433,"width":8434},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F20170207_170807-e1486677103581.webp","Cloud Native Roadshow",320,[14,8436,8437],{},"When our team heard there was an event surrounding the deployment of Kubernetes and other cloud native technologies in production, we had to get there. We have a client who is in the same space, and knew the best way to learn about their audience is to meet them face-to-face.",[14,8439,8440],{},"The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosted this particular event in Portland, Ore. on February 7, 2017. They are an open source project to advance the development of cloud native applications and services.",[14,8442,8443,8444,8449],{},"Of special note was the co-sponsor of the event ",[206,8445,8448],{"href":8446,"rel":8447},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.womenwhocode.com\u002Fportland",[210],"Women Who Code",". With over 1,800 members in the Portland, Ore., area, Women Who Code is a non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers.",[75,8451],{"src":8452,"alt":8453},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F20170207_145535.webp","Dan Kohn CNCF",[14,8455,8456],{},"Dan Kohn, the first Executive Director of Cloud Native Computing Foundation led off the afternoon, followed by Isaac Arias, CTO of Apprenda, and Brian Gracely, Director of Product Strategy at Red Hat.",[14,8458,8459],{},"Dan helped bring everything together from a 20,000 foot level, going over the brief history of the cloud. From Sun Microsystems in 2000 with non-virtualized hardware, to Heroku and the rise of PaaS in 2009, and the amazing growth propelled by Docker in 2013. The last half-decade, especially, has seen incredible growth in the space. The context of how we got to this point was valuable.",[75,8461],{"src":8462,"alt":8463},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F20170207_155540.webp","Isaac Arias Apprenda",[14,8465,8466],{},"Isaac Arias from Apprenda dove into Containers 101 and detailed what they are, jobs they execute, and more.",[2178,8468,8469],{},[14,8470,8471],{},"One of the most interesting parts of the event was a question posed to the crowd:",[14,8473,8474],{},"How many of those in attendance use containers? Half of the audience raised their hand.",[14,8476,8477],{},"Then the follow-up question:",[14,8479,8480],{},"How many of those using containers had them in production?",[14,8482,8483],{},[52,8484,8485],{},"Only two hands were raised.",[75,8487],{"src":8488,"alt":8489},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002F20170207_162254.webp","Brian Gracely Red Hat",[14,8491,8492],{},"Red Hat's Brian Gracely finished the afternoon by going over a couple of use cases from Volvo and Amadeus, and then showed off how easily one can manipulate Kubernetes on a laptop.",[14,8494,8495],{},"If there was any doubt at the popularity of Kubernetes, it was put to rest by the simple fact that it is one of the most popular open source projects on Github EVER with over 22,000 users. And we felt the excitement, especially with so many companies, large and small, contributing to it.",[24,8497,8499],{"id":8498},"why-should-marketers-attend-these-type-of-events","Why should marketers attend these type of events?",[14,8501,8502],{},"What did we learn from attending this event? MKG Marketing's analyst Spencer has found that the developers he's worked with always had issues pushing code from development to production and Kubernetes alleviates these problems by allowing development and production to be \"the same” so it’s possible to know if something will work on production ahead of time and not have multiple iterations floating around.",[14,8504,8505],{},"Not only is this beneficial to developers, it also helps marketing by ensuring that websites\u002Fapps are operating correctly and ad dollars are not wasted by sending paid traffic to a bad user experience.",[14,8507,8508],{},"Most importantly, from a marketer's perspective, attending an event like this only helps in our understanding of the audience, of what's important to them, and we can speak the same language. It increases our knowledge, and we become stakeholders in the same industry of our clients.",[14,8510,8511],{},"(We encountered a murder of crows looking especially ominous at the end of the night, bonus .gif below!)",[75,8513],{"src":8514,"alt":8515},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Fthecrows.gif","PDX Crows",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8517},[8518],{"id":8498,"depth":291,"text":8499},"2017-02-09",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fexceeding-expectations-why-we-attended-the-cncf-cloud-native-road-show-in-portland-february-2017",{"title":8426,"description":77},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fexceeding-expectations-why-we-attended-the-cncf-cloud-native-road-show-in-portland-february-2017","1NewCBoLcZpqL2C2SKPgsJhM9maHJzVmXzJd7KaV6Uw",[],{"id":8527,"title":8528,"author":7,"authors":8529,"body":8530,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8637,"description":8638,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8639,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":8640,"seo":8641,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":8642,"updated":7,"__hash__":8643,"people":8644},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-turns-five-years-old.md","MKG Turns FIVE Years Old Today",[1855],{"type":11,"value":8531,"toc":8631},[8532,8535,8538,8541,8552,8561,8565,8568,8571,8574,8578,8581,8584,8587,8590,8594,8597,8600,8607,8610,8615,8618,8621,8625,8628],[14,8533,8534],{},"Today is the day: we as a company are celebrating our fifth birthday.",[14,8536,8537],{},"To be clear, this is the day we incorporated the business officially  as a Limited Liability Corporation in the Washington state. Since then, we have become an S-Corp based in Washington state ... okay now I'm totally boring you and am going to move on.",[14,8539,8540],{},"Before we move forward, wouldn't it be fun to look backward?  As of this exact day 5 years ago Kerry and myself had:",[46,8542,8543,8546,8549],{},[49,8544,8545],{},"0 paying customers at MKG",[49,8547,8548],{},"We were going by 'MKG Media Group' and not the 'MKG Marketing' name",[49,8550,8551],{},"Had no idea what we were getting ourselves into starting a business completely from scratch",[14,8553,8554,8555,8560],{},"Our Search Marketing Director ",[206,8556,8559],{"href":8557,"rel":8558},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fchristianbullock\u002F",[210],"Christian"," likes to set up conversations with only 3 words. In the spirit of Christian's \"3 word rule\", I'm going to allow myself three words (with an explanation for each) to describe what the past 5 years has been like for me personally at MKG.",[24,8562,8564],{"id":8563},"terrified","Terrified",[14,8566,8567],{},"This one word pretty much sums up the entire 2013 calendar year for me. After we landed our second client, I developed a habit of waking up with the cold sweats and shouting something like \"I promise we'll get your conversion rate up by end of the week!\"",[14,8569,8570],{},"Bringing on new clients (and then servicing the business) was on my mind 24\u002F7. It was a terrifying (and sometimes overwhelming) experience to be leading all on my own for the very first time.",[14,8572,8573],{},"It only took a year or so to get past the terrified stage. Next up, I felt ...",[24,8575,8577],{"id":8576},"inspired","Inspired!",[14,8579,8580],{},"MKG really began to click in 2014; We were bringing on really fantastic clients, our team was growing and the sky was the limit.",[14,8582,8583],{},"It was truly inspiring to see the way our clients began to cling onto every word our team members said. We were viewed as the lead subject matter experts, which can be attributed to the fact that our entire team was seasoned in the field of search marketing.",[14,8585,8586],{},"In fact, 2014 led to a new policy we began to implement at the end of 2015: Never hire someone with less than 5 years of practical subject matter expertise.",[14,8588,8589],{},"We now only look for experienced professionals because our clients love getting \"the A team\" (their words, not mine) in terms of the best of the best. We all started as a junior marketing associate at one point - but our clients expect more from our team than being given junior associates to attempt to grow their business. And that is why we won't hire anyone with less than 5 (or more) years of hands on experience. We need to put the best talent forward TODAY for our clients.",[24,8591,8593],{"id":8592},"humbled","Humbled",[14,8595,8596],{},"While I'm not  always  incredibly humble, I have learned the value of knowing when to eat a big slice of 'humble pie'.",[14,8598,8599],{},"This knowledge has led me to always look at the big picture and understand some things about the business world in general. Allow me to tell a story that illustrates this point.",[14,8601,8602,8603,8606],{},"About 18 months ago we were ",[38,8604,8605],{},"CRUSHING IT"," for one of our large SEO retainer clients. All the keyword phrases they wanted to rank for were moving up to the 1st page (and into top 3 positions in some cases). This was exactly what they tasked us to do. \"Help us rank for these 500 phrases - tell us what to do and we'll dedicate resources to make it happen.\" Our team did that! When we went in to present our monthly results, we were all excited and happy to show them how things were going.",[14,8608,8609],{},"You know what they said?",[2178,8611,8612],{},[14,8613,8614],{},"This is great, but our ecommerce revenue is down more than 10% as a whole month over month. We're getting killed out there.\nI was so excited. We had done our jobs to a T. But all they could think about was ecomm revenue being down on the whole.",[14,8616,8617],{},"As I opened my mouth to say something like \"But look at OUR numbers\", the VP of Marketing shut me down with a curt wave of the hand. He didn't want to hear anything more from us about our 'good news', because as a whole they were hurting. That's when I realized that I needed to shut up, eat that slice of humble pie, swallow our pride and say \"Alright. What can we do to help?\"",[14,8619,8620],{},"That experience will serve me well for years to come. You have to always keep the big picture or vision in sight.",[24,8622,8624],{"id":8623},"what-do-the-next-5-years-hold","What do the next 5 years hold?",[14,8626,8627],{},"If we've got anything to say about it, a whole lot :)",[14,8629,8630],{},"Stay tuned here on the blog for updates as they are announced.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8632},[8633,8634,8635,8636],{"id":8563,"depth":291,"text":8564},{"id":8576,"depth":291,"text":8577},{"id":8592,"depth":291,"text":8593},{"id":8623,"depth":291,"text":8624},"2016-07-25","Today is the day: we as a company are celebrating our fifth birthday. See whatwe''ve learned.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-turns-five-years-old",{"title":8528,"description":8638},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-turns-five-years-old","pPcDAU_Ouje_NVqH9pOdxdL-y4BScjFSAj2z6YxTe2c",[1945],{"id":8646,"title":8647,"author":7,"authors":8648,"body":8649,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8751,"description":8752,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8753,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":8754,"seo":8755,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":8756,"updated":7,"__hash__":8757,"people":8758},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-google-premier-agency-partner.md","MKG: a Google Premier Agency Partner in 2016",[1855],{"type":11,"value":8650,"toc":8744},[8651,8655,8663,8667,8670,8673,8681,8685,8688,8691,8694,8710,8714,8717,8732,8736],[24,8652,8654],{"id":8653},"mkg-is-a-google-premier-agency-partner","MKG is a Google Premier Agency Partner",[14,8656,8657,8658],{},"Hot off the news wire: MKG has been named a ",[206,8659,8662],{"href":8660,"rel":8661},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.google.com\u002Fpartners\u002F?hl=en-US#a_profile;idtf=2090541156;",[210],"Google Premier Agency Partner!",[24,8664,8666],{"id":8665},"what-does-this-mean","What does this mean?",[14,8668,8669],{},"Google has changed the support process for their Google Ads, Analytics and Tag Manager products. In the past, every Google Agency partner had a dedicated account manager that stayed on the account for 30-90 days and then transitioned off to another agency account. This left a major onboarding\u002Fsupport gap nearly once per quarter (and 4 times in any given calendar year) for Agencies and the end client.\nAfter getting a lot of qualitative feedback on the ineffectiveness of this program, Google decided to not offer dedicated account managers to every single agency partner beginning in May of 2016.",[14,8671,8672],{},"Now, only 30% of all identified agencies receive dedicated Google account support. These agencies are considered Google Agency partners.",[14,8674,8675,8676,8680],{},"Of those 30%, only 10% are considered ",[206,8677,8679],{"href":8660,"rel":8678},[210],"Premier Agency Partners"," - we are one of them!",[24,8682,8684],{"id":8683},"what-does-this-status-get-you","What does this status get you?",[14,8686,8687],{},"Our status as a Google Premier Agency partner allows us to access resources that only a select few partners have access to.",[14,8689,8690],{},"The best part? This is NOT just limited to Google Ads support!",[14,8692,8693],{},"See the resources that we, MKG Marketing, have access to below:",[46,8695,8696,8699,8702],{},[49,8697,8698],{},"Google Analytics: Technical support for Google Analytics standard and Data Studio (standard). As many marketers know, Google Analytics support for their standard suite of products is non-existent. Our Premier status unlocks resources that are impossible to access without a Premier agency partner.",[49,8700,8701],{},"Google Tag Manager: Technical support for the Google Tag Manager product, regardless if you are deploying a Google product tag or another vendor tag.",[49,8703,8704,8705,8709],{},"Google Ads: Get a 1st look at all new ",[206,8706,8708],{"href":8707},"\u002Fblog\u002Fppc\u002Fcase-study-what-8-mm-in-sales-taught-us-about-youtube-advertising\u002F","beta products (such as offline conversion tracking",", new ad products, etc), support for new\u002Fexisting campaigns, unlimited translation of campaigns into any language (for free) and more. Really the access to beta products itself is worth it's weight in gold, as these opportunities are at our fingertips months (or even years) before they are available to other Google customers.",[24,8711,8713],{"id":8712},"a-few-benefits-that-we-glossed-over","A few benefits that we glossed over",[14,8715,8716],{},"I know this is all a lot to take in. But as Billy Mays used to say … “But wait … there’s more!”",[46,8718,8719,8722,8725],{},[49,8720,8721],{},"Translation Services for FREE: We have access to human, on-the-ground translation services provided by Google for more than 30 different major languages spoken across the globe. For any of our clients that run Search Network, Display Network or Video campaigns we can tap into those translation resources (Google employees in the field) to translate any Google Ads campaign copy as well as check for geo-political factors in the Google Ads creative (display, text and video). Most translation services charge $0.05 to $0.20 per word to translate Google Ads creative - we are able to cut that expenditure for our clients.",[49,8723,8724],{},"Unpublished Industry Research: Our Google account manager can share unpublished industry research for all Google Ads campaigns specific to a client, industry or category. This is especially helpful for benchmarking your performance against other advertisers across the Display, Video and Search Networks.",[49,8726,8727,8728,8731],{},"Digital (and Physical) Events: With a single phone call we can bring google resources to a virtual or physical meeting to provide strategic and\u002For technical support for your Google Ads, Analytics and Tag Manager needs. All you have to do is ask and ",[38,8729,8730],{},"voila"," Google will whisk off a dedicated human resource to help solve any issues you are having.",[24,8733,8735],{"id":8734},"want-to-know-more","Want to know more?",[14,8737,8738,8739,8743],{},"Then give us a call at 415-678-1331 or email Mike Krass at ",[206,8740,8742],{"href":8741},"mailto:mike@mkgmarketinginc.com","mike@mkgmarketinginc.com"," to pose any problem your company needs help solving across Google Ads, Analytics and Tag Manager.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8745},[8746,8747,8748,8749,8750],{"id":8653,"depth":291,"text":8654},{"id":8665,"depth":291,"text":8666},{"id":8683,"depth":291,"text":8684},{"id":8712,"depth":291,"text":8713},{"id":8734,"depth":291,"text":8735},"2016-06-27","MKG has been named a Google Premier Agency Partner! Read what this means for you as a client.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-google-premier-agency-partner",{"title":8647,"description":8752},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-google-premier-agency-partner","BRBWKeueQzh4HJLbntZexKW8HYSzp5bcgBKUS4se8ME",[1945],{"id":8760,"title":8761,"author":7,"authors":8762,"body":8763,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8864,"description":77,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8865,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":8866,"seo":8867,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":8868,"updated":7,"__hash__":8869,"people":8870},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwe-have-to-go-back-adam-bullock-is-back.md","We Have to Go Back! Adam Bullock is BACK",[2422],{"type":11,"value":8764,"toc":8860},[8765,8768,8771,8775,8781,8784,8787,8807,8810,8815,8818,8823,8827,8830,8837,8845,8848,8851],[75,8766],{"src":8767},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Flost-we-have-to-go-back.gif",[14,8769,8770],{},"It's my second time with MKG Marketing and I could not be more thrilled to be working with this exceptional team!",[24,8772,8774],{"id":8773},"professional-background","Professional Background",[14,8776,8777,8780],{},[75,8778],{"src":8779},"\u002Fimages\u002Fblog\u002Ftwins.webp"," Adam's on the top, Christian below. We took pictures of each eating breakfast. We're like that.",[14,8782,8783],{},"My name is Adam Bullock and I've been in the digital marketing game for quite some time, ever since I graduated from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) in 2005, in fact. I've spent time in the financial industry working with heavily regulated industries, at an ad agency working with local businesses, along with experience in the ecommerce realm running paid advertising over a couple of holidays.",[14,8785,8786],{},"In many professional career, I've been:",[46,8788,8789,8792,8795,8798,8801,8804],{},[49,8790,8791],{},"the paid advertising guy",[49,8793,8794],{},"the search engine optimization guy",[49,8796,8797],{},"the email marketing guy",[49,8799,8800],{},"the coffee guy ( gotta keep that pot full )",[49,8802,8803],{},"the content guy",[49,8805,8806],{},"and even the website guy",[14,8808,8809],{},"I love the simplicity and value of a good a\u002Fb test... and it just so happens my initials are AB.",[14,8811,8812],{},[52,8813,8814],{},"COINCIDENCE?",[14,8816,8817],{},"And finally, Christian Bullock, the Director or SEO here at MKG Marketing, is my twin brother.",[2178,8819,8820],{},[14,8821,8822],{},"I know some clients wish he had a clone and I'm happy to inform them that he kind of does.\nHere at MKG I'm the paid advertising guy with a little search engine optimization guy tossed in for good measure.",[24,8824,8826],{"id":8825},"personal-interests","Personal Interests",[14,8828,8829],{},"I'm currently enrolled as a graduate student at City University of Seattle in their Master in Teaching program, and studying to become a special education teacher. While marketing is a passion of mine, I'm looking forward to obtaining my teaching credentials and working with children with special needs. It remains to be seen if I'll find a way to transition to a life that includes both teaching and marketing, but doubt that my love for advertising will ever just fade away.",[14,8831,8832,8833,8836],{},"Don't worry, though, I'm ",[52,8834,8835],{},"all in"," when it comes to MKG Marketing, Inc.! I'm just spotlighting as a special education teacher in training on the weekends ( and sometimes very late nights... ).",[14,8838,8839,8840,212],{},"Aside from a massive amount of schoolwork and time in the classroom, I'm a mentor with 4Results Mentoring of Vancouver, Washington. So many children in the world need a positive influence, someone to listen, and someone to look up to. Consider becoming a mentor and make a difference in the life of a child. If you're in the Portland, Oregon\u002FVancouver, Washington area, I wholeheartedly recommend you checking out ",[206,8841,8844],{"href":8842,"rel":8843},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.4resultsmentoring.org\u002F",[210],"4Results Mentoring",[14,8846,8847],{},"I'm a parent, a husband, an uncle, a son, and a brother, and take each of those very seriously :)",[14,8849,8850],{},"I enjoy reading, good ( and yes, admittedly, kind of terrible ) television, and playing ice hockey.",[14,8852,8853,8854,8859],{},"Drop me a tweet at ",[206,8855,8858],{"href":8856,"rel":8857},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002FMrAdamBullock",[210],"@MrAdamBullock"," if you have any digital marketing questions, want to chat The Bachelor\u002Fette (I told you,  terrible television), or want to say hi!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8861},[8862,8863],{"id":8773,"depth":291,"text":8774},{"id":8825,"depth":291,"text":8826},"2016-05-31",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwe-have-to-go-back-adam-bullock-is-back",{"title":8761,"description":77},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fwe-have-to-go-back-adam-bullock-is-back","eHBanG5ZkOnz58_UiHZyii-1CMRuxfVaAX_h7CJ-HFs",[],{"id":8872,"title":8873,"author":7,"authors":8874,"body":8875,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":8912,"description":8879,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":8913,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":8914,"seo":8915,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":8916,"updated":7,"__hash__":8917,"people":8918},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-team-member-jessica-ward.md","New Team Member: Jessica Ward",[2417],{"type":11,"value":8876,"toc":8908},[8877,8880,8883,8885,8894,8897,8899],[14,8878,8879],{},"I know what you’re thinking, “She’s not new. I’ve been working with her since at least November, maybe even October.”",[14,8881,8882],{},"Well, you’re right! We've just been so busy, that I haven't been able to write this post until now. :)",[24,8884,8774],{"id":8773},[14,8886,8887,8888,8893],{},"I got the opportunity to work in digital marketing right out of college and haven’t looked back. I’ve worked in-house and at agencies. I’ve worked with companies that specialize in healthcare, SaaS products, consumer goods, and so many others that I’m having a hard time remembering them all at the time of this writing. I’m currently on the board for ",[206,8889,8892],{"href":8890,"rel":8891},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.sempdx.org\u002F",[210],"SEMpdx",", a professional organization based in Portland, Oregon dedicated to informing and educating the community about Digital Marketing.",[14,8895,8896],{},"At MKG, I am the SEM Manager and Digital Strategist. Which means that I guide the strategy for our Paid Media accounts (paid search, display advertising, and social advertising) and also help with the every day management of these accounts.",[24,8898,8826],{"id":8825},[14,8900,8901,8902,8907],{},"I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, partaking in the many activities that Pacific Northwest affords its residents, reading a great book, and dancing around the house with my son. I also enjoy volunteering for ",[206,8903,8906],{"href":8904,"rel":8905},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org\u002F",[210],"Shriner's Hospital for Children in Portland",", which is an amazing organization. If you don't know about the services they provide, make sure to check out their website.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":8909},[8910,8911],{"id":8773,"depth":291,"text":8774},{"id":8825,"depth":291,"text":8826},"2016-05-17",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-team-member-jessica-ward",{"title":8873,"description":8879},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fnew-team-member-jessica-ward","b4ZM1HAfv0g-6cl7DfZ9ZT4BDwAoLDej6XZBqpizeMk",[],{"id":8920,"title":8921,"author":7,"authors":8922,"body":8923,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9030,"description":9031,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9032,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":9033,"seo":9034,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":9035,"stem":9036,"updated":7,"__hash__":9037,"people":9038},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fvalue-based-pricing.md","Value Based Pricing for Marketing Agencies",[1855],{"type":11,"value":8924,"toc":9024},[8925,8933,8938,8946,8949,8953,8967,8970,8987,8991,8994,8999,9003,9006,9017,9021],[14,8926,8927,8932],{},[206,8928,8931],{"href":8929,"rel":8930},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FTheodore_Levitt",[210],"Ted Levitt from Harvard"," said it best:",[2178,8934,8935],{},[14,8936,8937],{},"...nobody ever buys a three-quarter-inch drill; they buy the expectation of a three-quarter-inch hole.",[14,8939,8940,8941,8945],{},"Traditionally ",[206,8942,8944],{"href":8943},"\u002Fexpert-digital-marketing-services\u002F","marketing services and consulting contracts","were priced in hours; each hour represented a single unit of billable time.",[14,8947,8948],{},"Makes sense, right?",[24,8950,8952],{"id":8951},"not-according-to-tim-williams","Not according to Tim Williams!",[14,8954,8955,8956,8961,8962,212],{},"Tim runs ",[206,8957,8960],{"href":8958,"rel":8959},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ignitiongroup.com\u002F",[210],"Ignition Group",", a consulting firm that consults with (ironically) ad and marketing agencies. And Tim says that selling ",[206,8963,8966],{"href":8964,"rel":8965},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fpulse\u002F20140818014955-2042198-why-outcomes-are-worth-more-than-services",[210],"outcomes  is far more accurate than selling services",[14,8968,8969],{},"Outcomes take the form of ...",[132,8971,8972,8975,8978,8981,8984],{},[49,8973,8974],{},"Business outcomes",[49,8976,8977],{},"Marketing specific",[49,8979,8980],{},"Customer related",[49,8982,8983],{},"Channel specific",[49,8985,8986],{},"Internal victories or political moves",[24,8988,8990],{"id":8989},"the-mkg-team-tends-to-agree-with-tim","The MKG Team Tends to Agree With Tim",[14,8992,8993],{},"Regardless of the specific type of services we contract with our clients, no 2 projects ever begin and end exactly the same.",[2178,8995,8996],{},[14,8997,8998],{},"In other words, no two contracts are ever alike",[24,9000,9002],{"id":9001},"so-how-do-we-price-our-contracts","So how do we price our contracts?",[14,9004,9005],{},"The variables we consider from a value and outcomes standpoint include:",[46,9007,9008,9011,9014],{},[49,9009,9010],{},"Unique-ness of the Scope of Work: Is this pretty straightforward or will it be highly custom based on what this client needs?",[49,9012,9013],{},"Outcome Desired: What are we asking to do here - grow traffic\u002Frankings nominally or affect bigger impact?",[49,9015,9016],{},"Total resources required: This includes human resources (hours invested), internal stakeholder resources (client marketing + engineering teams), tools and other financial resources we're likely to expend on the project",[24,9018,9020],{"id":9019},"how-does-your-company-purchase-consulting-services","How does your company purchase consulting services?",[14,9022,9023],{},"Share how you purchase consulting services in the comments section below.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9025},[9026,9027,9028,9029],{"id":8951,"depth":291,"text":8952},{"id":8989,"depth":291,"text":8990},{"id":9001,"depth":291,"text":9002},{"id":9019,"depth":291,"text":9020},"2016-01-20","How brands and digital marketing agencies can build trust by having agencies get paid based on the client's outcomes.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fvalue-based-pricing",{"title":8921,"description":9031},"Digital Marketing Value Based Pricing","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fvalue-based-pricing","jl1PziPTlQMnOZDPS9_h084lDFrtkcl0D1mJyK8ro_c",[1945],{"id":9040,"title":9041,"author":7,"authors":9042,"body":9043,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9084,"description":9085,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9086,"minutes":1608,"navigation":322,"path":9087,"seo":9088,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9089,"updated":7,"__hash__":9090,"people":9091},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Four-newest-addition-chris-trammell.md","The Newest Addition to MKG: Chris Trammell",[1855],{"type":11,"value":9044,"toc":9080},[9045,9049,9052,9063,9066,9070,9077],[24,9046,9048],{"id":9047},"i-joined-the-mkg-team-at-the-start-of-the-year-as-their-digital-marketing-strategist-intern","I joined the MKG team at the start of the year as their Digital Marketing Strategist intern.",[14,9050,9051],{},"A bit about myself:",[46,9053,9054,9057,9060],{},[49,9055,9056],{},"Before joining MKG, I spent two years with BBVA Compass Bank. I worked in their customer analytics division.",[49,9058,9059],{},"At BBVA, I helped build out the customer segmentation rules. We work with the retail banking division to develop reporting around product usage, cross-sell rates, retention, and other KPIs critical to marketing initiatives.",[49,9061,9062],{},"Did I forget to mention? I have three years experience in data mining and marketing analytics :)",[14,9064,9065],{},"Working at BBVA helped to sharpen my data mining and analytics skill set.  This in my core focus here at MKG; supporting our the analytics efforts for SEO and SEM clients.",[24,9067,9069],{"id":9068},"okay-let-me-tell-you-about-myself-outside-of-work","Okay ... let me tell you about myself outside of work",[14,9071,9072,9073],{},"When I am not building out marketing campaigns, I like to run trails and brew my own beer.  I also follow the financial markets and enjoy listening to talking heads make predictions they know nothing about.  You can find me on LinkedIn and ",[206,9074,6052],{"href":9075,"rel":9076},"https:\u002F\u002Ftwitter.com\u002F@T_rammell",[210],[14,9078,9079],{},"Last but not least: I hold an MBA from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. Before living in Germany I earned an M.A. in Economics from the University of Alabama.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9081},[9082,9083],{"id":9047,"depth":291,"text":9048},{"id":9068,"depth":291,"text":9069},"2016-01-06","Meet Chris Trammell. Our newest MKG addition from BBVA has joined to sharpen our Analytics Capabilities.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Four-newest-addition-chris-trammell",{"title":9041,"description":9085},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Four-newest-addition-chris-trammell","IxI8XPRYS1Jacw6rKuQgQDBfcrKVi4_r8OHdD9N0Z_Y",[1945],{"id":9093,"title":9094,"author":7,"authors":9095,"body":9096,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9147,"description":9148,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9149,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":9150,"seo":9151,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9152,"updated":7,"__hash__":9153,"people":9154},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fadam-bids-mkg-media-group-adieu.md","Adam Bids MKG Marketing Adieu",[2422],{"type":11,"value":9097,"toc":9145},[9098,9101,9104,9107,9110,9113,9128,9131,9134,9142],[14,9099,9100],{},"Well gang, this is it. I'm hanging up my MKG watch.",[14,9102,9103],{},"I have made the exciting ( and, admittedly, somewhat intimidating ) decision to actively pursue a career in education. From my time as a mentor and volunteering in a 2nd grade classroom, working with children in a learning environment has become a passion of mine and I decided to not wait another second and get after it!",[14,9105,9106],{},"I've had the honor of working with the incredibly passionate and talented team at MKG Marketing for nearly a year. I can undoubtedly say that you would not be able to find a more dedicated, detail-oriented and hard-working digital marketing agency as MKG Marketing.",[14,9108,9109],{},"It's a small group...but they're dynamic, resourceful and nimble.",[14,9111,9112],{},"And that small group includes my identical twin brother, Christian.",[14,9114,9115,9116,9121,9122,9127],{},"It's been an unforgettable experience working with Christian. I've been able to witness him in his element. He's one of the foremost experts on search engine optimization ( while remaining somewhat of a hidden gem ), and has been able to conjure some amazing tricks out of his hat for MKG clients. In fact, he's running a project called ",[206,9117,9120],{"href":9118,"rel":9119},"https:\u002F\u002F365daysofseo.com\u002F",[210],"365 Days of SEO",", and you should ",[206,9123,9126],{"href":9124,"rel":9125},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fchannel\u002FUCNVdI1wEdvv_jj3IUvT31qA",[210],"subscribe to his YouTube channel"," for daily videos!",[14,9129,9130],{},"Being able to work together, we were able to have lunches together. And those lunches turned into running together. So, naturally, we decided to run a half-marathon! Going through the training and conquering the Columbia River Gorge Half-Marathon in October 2014 with him will be a memory I will always cherish.",[14,9132,9133],{},"I'm incredibly grateful to Mike and Kerry for believing in the Bash Brothers, and I'm proud of the results we all made together.",[14,9135,9136,9141],{},[206,9137,9140],{"href":9138,"rel":9139},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.twitter.com\u002Foriginaladman",[210],"Find me on Twitter",", where I'll likely be informing you of my own personal domain on the World Wide Web soon. I'll need SOMEWHERE to put my random marketing thoughts into the ether.",[14,9143,9144],{},"Bon voyage, MKG! I can't wait to see what you do next...",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9146},[],"2015-01-30","Adam is off in pursuit of a new career as an educator. Read about his experience at MKG and his future plans as a teacher.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fadam-bids-mkg-media-group-adieu",{"title":9094,"description":9148},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fadam-bids-mkg-media-group-adieu","4tJugp7KujGbtRWmIDl1Plcm5058xK1qTudCrdX4dNE",[],{"id":9156,"title":9157,"author":7,"authors":9158,"body":9159,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9291,"description":9292,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9293,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":9294,"seo":9295,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9296,"updated":7,"__hash__":9297,"people":9298},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2014-year-review-spoiler-awesome.md","2014 Year in Review (Spoiler: It Was Awesome)",[2422],{"type":11,"value":9160,"toc":9285},[9161,9169,9172,9175,9180,9184,9187,9190,9194,9197,9201,9206,9209,9214,9217,9237,9242,9245,9250,9259,9262,9267,9275,9279,9282],[14,9162,9163,9164,9168],{},"We used the word ",[206,9165,9167],{"href":9166},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2013-in-review-for-mkg-media-group\u002F","'kickass' to describe 2013",". Well, how did we follow up a 'kickass' year?",[14,9170,9171],{},"With an awesome 2014!",[14,9173,9174],{},"(Playing the song below will significantly enhance this blog post - it's recommended you jam out.)",[3208,9176],{"width":3560,"height":9177,"scrolling":3214,"frameBorder":3214,"allow":9178,"src":9179},300,"autoplay","https:\u002F\u002Fw.soundcloud.com\u002Fplayer\u002F?url=https%3A\u002F\u002Fapi.soundcloud.com\u002Ftracks\u002F128399415&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true",[24,9181,9183],{"id":9182},"our-awesome-clients","Our AWESOME Clients",[14,9185,9186],{},"We can't overstate how much we appreciate our clients. They believe in us and we constantly strive to go above and beyond their expectations.",[14,9188,9189],{},"We sincerely thank each and everyone client that we've had the opportunity to work with, past and present. We look forward to continuing to achieve and exceed business goals!",[24,9191,9193],{"id":9192},"our-awesome-group","Our AWESOME Group",[14,9195,9196],{},"We grew from three to five employees over the past year. Adam Bullock joined in March, and Jenna Forstrom hopped aboard in October. This has allowed us to become even more agile, turning around requests for clients in record time and has led to electrifying brainstorm sessions!",[24,9198,9200],{"id":9199},"our-awesome-highlights-of-2014","Our AWESOME Highlights of 2014",[14,9202,9203],{},[52,9204,9205],{},"What If...? Conference Philadelphia",[14,9207,9208],{},"Kerry and Christian not only attended the What If...? Conference in Philadelphia, but both had an opportunity to present! Kerry presented her talk which was called What If We Could Fly at 30,000 Feet? (embedded below) and Christian held a workshop called SEO for Startups .",[14,9210,9211],{},[52,9212,9213],{},"Actionable Blog Posts",[14,9215,9216],{},"We came STRONG this year! Here is a list of some of our favorites...",[46,9218,9219,9225,9231],{},[49,9220,9221],{},[206,9222,9224],{"href":9223},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fautomate-social-media-success-with-if-this-then-that\u002F","Automate Social Media Success with IFTTT (If This Then That)",[49,9226,9227],{},[206,9228,9230],{"href":9229},"\u002Fblog\u002Fppc\u002F5-words-use-website-5-words-avoid\u002F","5 Words to Use on Your Website (and 5 Words to Avoid)",[49,9232,9233],{},[206,9234,9236],{"href":9235},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fknowledge-graph-optimization-serp-thought-leader\u002F","Knowledge Graph optimization (or: Be a SERP thought leader)",[14,9238,9239],{},[52,9240,9241],{},"A Focus on Visual",[14,9243,9244],{},"The entirety of the Internet transitioned into a much more visual space. We had the sincere pleasure of running several visual campaigns for our clients and saw the power of the visual medium! We can't wait to integrate visual concepts into our campaigns moving forward.",[14,9246,9247],{},[52,9248,9249],{},"Supporting a Local Tech Movement",[14,9251,9252,9253,9258],{},"It's important to give back and support the community, and Christian and Adam took an opportunity to partner with the ",[206,9254,9257],{"href":9255,"rel":9256},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ipzgetin.com\u002F",[210],"Innovation Partnership Zone (IPZ)"," in southwest Washington State to help support the local tech community. We look forward to more networking functions and opportunities to nurture the growth of tech in the Pacific Northwest!",[14,9260,9261],{},"They even put Christian and Adam in their partners picture (and if that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is...).",[14,9263,9264],{},[52,9265,9266],{},"MKG Day in November 2014",[14,9268,9269,9270],{},"The awesomeness of the year culminated in a team get-together in November 2014. The entire team was able to get together, review the previous year, and plan for the year moving forward. ",[206,9271,9274],{"href":9272,"rel":9273},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fmedia\u002Fset\u002F?set=a.752467351493588.1073741830.200444246695904&type=3",[210],"Check out our photo album on Facebook!",[24,9276,9278],{"id":9277},"what-does-2015-hold","What Does 2015 Hold?",[14,9280,9281],{},"From kickass, to awesome, to _____? We can't wait to make 2015 the best year it can be!",[14,9283,9284],{},"Stay tuned for case studies, tips 'n tricks and insightful news you can use on the MKG Blog.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9286},[9287,9288,9289,9290],{"id":9182,"depth":291,"text":9183},{"id":9192,"depth":291,"text":9193},{"id":9199,"depth":291,"text":9200},{"id":9277,"depth":291,"text":9278},"2015-01-02","We used the word 'kickass' to describe 2013. Well, how did we follow up a 'kickass year? With an awesome 2014!",{"iframe":7},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2014-year-review-spoiler-awesome",{"title":9157,"description":9292},"blog\u002Fnews\u002F2014-year-review-spoiler-awesome","H36HrdrboMkFhe7yBrrAvyrG4euOF-9X8S7UOZPcv4E",[],{"id":9300,"title":9301,"author":7,"authors":9302,"body":9303,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9469,"description":9470,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9471,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":9472,"seo":9473,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":9474,"stem":9475,"updated":7,"__hash__":9476,"people":9477},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-mkg-marking-is-thankful-for-this-thanksgiving.md","What MKG Marketing is Thankful For This Thanksgiving",[2422],{"type":11,"value":9304,"toc":9460},[9305,9313,9316,9319,9323,9326,9332,9335,9338,9341,9344,9348,9351,9354,9357,9378,9382,9385,9416,9420,9425,9428,9431,9434,9438,9441,9444,9450,9453,9457],[14,9306,9307,9308,9312],{},"It's that time of the year! Being thankful isn't a new concept for the gang here at MKG Marketing. We spend time ",[206,9309,9311],{"href":9310},"\u002Fblog\u002Fculture\u002F5-things-ive-learned-in-the-32-month-journey-of-mkg-media-group\u002F","every single Friday"," discussing the things we're thankful for during the work week.",[14,9314,9315],{},"I decided to gather some thoughts from the team and share it with the world!",[14,9317,9318],{},"In order of response...",[24,9320,9322],{"id":9321},"what-adam-is-thankful-for","What Adam is Thankful For",[14,9324,9325],{},"This time of year is my absolute favorite. I love seeing family, friends and colleagues be so reflective and come together.",[14,9327,9328,9329,212],{},"I have to say ",[52,9330,9331],{},"family",[14,9333,9334],{},"And that doesn't just mean Mothers, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters: I mean the family that we find ourselves surrounded by in life.",[14,9336,9337],{},"It's the family of my work colleagues that make every day a pleasure. We challenge each other, help each other and do our best work when we work together.",[14,9339,9340],{},"It's the family of volunteers and educators that I've met in my recent foray into the world of giving back to the community.",[14,9342,9343],{},"And it's the family of clients that we have the honor of working with. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for our clients and we strive to meet and exceed their expectations every single day.",[24,9345,9347],{"id":9346},"what-christian-is-thankful-for","What Christian is Thankful For",[14,9349,9350],{},"I am thankful for the Internet.",[14,9352,9353],{},"Why?",[14,9355,9356],{},"Without the Internet I wouldn’t have:",[46,9358,9359,9362,9365,9368,9375],{},[49,9360,9361],{},"Met my wife",[49,9363,9364],{},"Been able to be a Dad to the two best kiddos in the word",[49,9366,9367],{},"Have a job as a Director of Search",[49,9369,9370],{},[206,9371,9374],{"href":9372,"rel":9373},"https:\u002F\u002Ffireballwhisky.com\u002Frecipes\u002Fchristmas-hug\u002F",[210],"Been able to see how to make a Christmas Hug",[49,9376,9377],{},"Been able to \"be thankful\" for the Internet for MKG’s 2014 thankful Thanksgiving post ( Editor's note: Ooooh, so meta, Christian! )",[24,9379,9381],{"id":9380},"what-jenna-is-thankful-for","What Jenna is Thankful For",[14,9383,9384],{},"Jenna’s five things she’s super thankful for this Thanksgiving (in no particular order):",[132,9386,9387,9393,9399,9405,9411],{},[49,9388,9389,9392],{},[52,9390,9391],{},"Her amazing family and the ability to travel and see them."," Since last Thanksgiving, I’ve been able to go to San Fran to see my younger brother and his girlfriend, New England to see my extended family and Cambodia on holiday with my parents.",[49,9394,9395,9398],{},[52,9396,9397],{},"The “froommates” (friend + roommates)"," who come over for dinner every Wednesday night at the House on Holgate. I can’t image doing life without them.",[49,9400,9401,9404],{},[52,9402,9403],{},"Bridgetown Inc."," and their work providing for the homeless and low income families in the Portland metro area. We delivered 155 Thanksgiving baskets to low income families last weekend and it was a joy to help in that effort.",[49,9406,9407,9410],{},[52,9408,9409],{},"BULLET"," – My pup who’s about to celebrate his third birthday. For providing such comedy within the house as well as protection, warmth and snuggles.",[49,9412,9413,9415],{},[52,9414,1415],{}," – Being employed, with the freedom from working from home, with an awesome team of people who care about the work we do and each other. It’s been such a blessing to join the team.",[24,9417,9419],{"id":9418},"what-kerry-is-thankful-for","What Kerry is Thankful For",[14,9421,9422],{},[52,9423,9424],{},"People!",[14,9426,9427],{},"Our incredible teamwork of pulling together and helping one another. It’s been a theme this year and continues to impress me as we continue to get stronger as a team and remind ourselves that no one is on an island. We all succeed together and we all fail together, learning from our mistakes and working as a team to put process in place so we don’t have the same failures again.",[14,9429,9430],{},"We’ve had some tough times in learning this the hard way, but we continue to learn and grow and get better!",[14,9432,9433],{},"I love us. I love coming together in the morning, planning our day, and kicking our days off together. We’re awesome.",[24,9435,9437],{"id":9436},"what-mike-is-thankful-for","What Mike is Thankful For",[14,9439,9440],{},"Mike is thankful for sun, sand and surf.",[14,9442,9443],{},"(He's soaking up the sun in Hawaii right now, so I'll answer for him...)",[14,9445,9446,9447,9449],{},"Mike has recently posted a love letter to the automation goodness that is IFTTT (check out ",[206,9448,9224],{"href":9223},"), so I'm sure he's thankful for cool tech.",[14,9451,9452],{},"And, on a personal note, we're all so thankful for Mike that I know he's thankful for the rest of the team.",[81,9454,9456],{"id":9455},"have-a-wonderful-thanksgiving-holiday-from-the-team-at-mkg-marketing","Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday from the team at MKG Marketing!",[14,9458,9459],{},"Kudos to robyn_weisman on Instagram for the fun veggie turkey idea used in our cover photo!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9461},[9462,9463,9464,9465,9466],{"id":9321,"depth":291,"text":9322},{"id":9346,"depth":291,"text":9347},{"id":9380,"depth":291,"text":9381},{"id":9418,"depth":291,"text":9419},{"id":9436,"depth":291,"text":9437,"children":9467},[9468],{"id":9455,"depth":297,"text":9456},"2014-11-26","It's that time of the year! Being thankful isn't a new concept for the gang here at MKG Marketing. We spend time every single Friday discussing the things we're thankful for during the work week.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-mkg-marking-is-thankful-for-this-thanksgiving",{"title":9301,"description":9470},"The Importance of Gratitude","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-mkg-marking-is-thankful-for-this-thanksgiving","fyciHR5wjlLvhB9z6wkudgnlxiHclPbMYyN12qiPWEM",[],{"id":9479,"title":9480,"author":7,"authors":9481,"body":9482,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9544,"description":9545,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9546,"minutes":1608,"navigation":322,"path":9547,"seo":9548,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":9549,"stem":9550,"updated":7,"__hash__":9551,"people":9552},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-if-conference-in-philadelphia.md","How To Build An Intersectional Digital Marketing Team of Experts",[2422],{"type":11,"value":9483,"toc":9539},[9484,9488,9497,9500,9503,9510,9514,9522,9526,9529,9532],[24,9485,9487],{"id":9486},"get-ready-philly","Get ready, Philly!",[14,9489,9490,9491,9496],{},"Members of MKG Marketing will be presenting at the ",[206,9492,9495],{"href":9493,"rel":9494},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.thewhatifconference.com\u002Fattend",[210],"What If...? Conference"," in Philadelphia, PA.",[14,9498,9499],{},"The What If...? Conference is meant to bring entrepreneurs, technophiles, thought leaders, status quo challengers and more together to shake up the world! Focused on quick, actionable sessions, participants will get hands-on and work with presenters during workshops.",[14,9501,9502],{},"We are proud to be a sponsor of the conference and are sending two of our members to participate!",[14,9504,9505,9506,9509],{},"MKG Marketing CEO and Analytics Guru ",[206,9507,1855],{"href":9508},"\u002Fabout\u002Fteam\u002Fmike-krass\u002F"," will be presenting on the topic:",[24,9511,9513],{"id":9512},"what-if-you-stripped-away-all-your-data-points-but-1","What if... you stripped away all your data points but 1?",[14,9515,9516,9517,9521],{},"Director of Search ",[206,9518,9520],{"href":8557,"rel":9519},[210],"Christian Bullock"," will be hosting a workshop during the \"What If...? Playground\" titled:",[24,9523,9525],{"id":9524},"what-if-you-were-findable-online-what-would-people-think","What if... you were findable online - what would people think?",[14,9527,9528],{},"If you will be in or around the Philadelphia area on October 17-18, consider attending the \"What If...? Conference.\" Not only will you be attending a truly unique conference, but you'll also be able to meet two members of the MKG team! Win\u002Fwin situation!",[14,9530,9531],{},"We hope to see you there!",[14,9533,9534],{},[206,9535,9538],{"href":9536,"rel":9537},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.eventbrite.com\u002Fe\u002Fwhat-if-conference-philadelphia-tickets-12397405975",[210],"Join Now!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9540},[9541,9542,9543],{"id":9486,"depth":291,"text":9487},{"id":9512,"depth":291,"text":9513},{"id":9524,"depth":291,"text":9525},"2014-08-29","Kerry Guard and Christian Bullock to present at the What If...? Conference in Philadelphia. Look for updates on what they presented!",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-if-conference-in-philadelphia",{"title":9480,"description":9545},"Build A Intersectional Digital Marketing Team | MKG Marketing","blog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-if-conference-in-philadelphia","--rZ2w7QqOm3rKI2gxSf6Rml3949csr8ZgFboCdeY0g",[],{"id":9554,"title":9555,"author":7,"authors":9556,"body":9557,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9705,"description":9706,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9707,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":9708,"seo":9709,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9710,"updated":7,"__hash__":9711,"people":9712},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2013-in-review-for-mkg-media-group.md","2013 in Review",[9],{"type":11,"value":9558,"toc":9698},[9559,9562,9566,9569,9572,9576,9579,9582,9586,9589,9592,9595,9606,9609,9660,9664,9667,9691,9695],[14,9560,9561],{},"As we're approaching 2014, we wanted to take some time to reflect on how 2013 treated us. To be frank: 2013 was a kick-ass year for MKG Marketing. Allow us to explain why!",[24,9563,9565],{"id":9564},"our-clients","Our Clients",[14,9567,9568],{},"We couldn't be in the position that we are in now without our clients - both past and current. You trusted us to help grow your business, and we hope that our work rose to the occasion and delivered on your needs.",[14,9570,9571],{},"Many thanks goes out to you for allowing us to be your online marketing partner.",[24,9573,9575],{"id":9574},"our-people","Our People",[14,9577,9578],{},"2013 was the first year Christian Bullock, our Director of Search Engine Marketing (SEM), worked for MKG Marketing full time. Adding his skills to our team on a full-time basis supported a lot of the growth we experienced this year.",[14,9580,9581],{},"We would also like to thank Jammin' Jamin, who was our Summer intern this year and really took to his role with passion and gusto. He's now a Google Student Ambassador and we couldn't think of a better individual to fill in those shoes.",[24,9583,9585],{"id":9584},"our-focus-on-giving-back-to-the-internet","Our Focus on Giving Back to the Internet",[14,9587,9588],{},"Our entire team focused on producing timely, useful content for marketers to read and learn from.",[14,9590,9591],{},"This focus on developing quality content paid off -- big time!",[14,9593,9594],{},"As you can see in the Google Analytics screenshot, we made the following gains:",[46,9596,9597,9600,9603],{},[49,9598,9599],{},"6,303 more visits year-over-year",[49,9601,9602],{},"5,000 unique visitors year-over-year",[49,9604,9605],{},"7,843 pages viewed year-over-year",[14,9607,9608],{},"On that note, we also wanted to share our most-visited blog content for the past year. Below is a list of our top seven blog posts from 2013:",[46,9610,9611,9618,9625,9632,9639,9646,9653],{},[49,9612,9613,9617],{},[206,9614,9616],{"href":9615},"\u002Fblog\u002Fmarketing-analytics\u002Fhow-to-calculate-lifetime-value-of-a-loyal-customer\u002F","How to Calculate Lifetime Value of a Loyal Customer"," - this post breaks down the factors on how to calculate this value as well as an easy formula that can help you figure out this important metric for your own organization.",[49,9619,9620,9624],{},[206,9621,9623],{"href":9622},"\u002Fblog\u002Fmarketing-analytics\u002Fgoogle-tag-manager-what-it-is-3-fixes-to-common-problems\u002F","Google Tag Manager - What Is It and Three Fixes To Common Problems"," - this post explains what Google Tag Manager (GTM) is, what it is useful for, and some solutions for three common problems many users are experiencing with the tool.",[49,9626,9627,9631],{},[206,9628,9630],{"href":9629},"\u002Fblog\u002Fmarketing-analytics\u002Fthree-interactive-dashboarding-tools-your-company-should-be-using\u002F","Three Interactive Dashboarding Tools Your Company Should Be Using"," - this post  goes over three dashboard tools - Dashzen, Leftronic and GoodData - and goes over pros and cons for all three options.",[49,9633,9634,9638],{},[206,9635,9637],{"href":9636},"\u002Fblog\u002Fmarketing-analytics\u002Ffour-characteristics-of-a-loyal-customer\u002F","Four Characteristics of a Loyal Customer"," - read four characteristics loyal customers all tend to share to help you identify and target potential loyal customers for your product or service.",[49,9640,9641,9645],{},[206,9642,9644],{"href":9643},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fcontent-marketing-bible-8-great-content-types-to-produce\u002F","Content Marketing Bible: 8 Great Content Types to Produce"," - view 8 types of content that tend to be well received in a content marketing strategy that you are looking to produce.",[49,9647,9648,9652],{},[206,9649,9651],{"href":9650},"\u002Fblog\u002Fseo\u002Fgoogle-authorship-a-how-to-guide\u002F","Google Authorship: A How-To Guide"," - see how you can follow 4 easy steps to get your Google+ profile hooked up to your site content so you can start getting authorship attribution on Google's search engine result pages.",[49,9654,9655,9659],{},[206,9656,9658],{"href":9657},"\u002Fblog\u002Fppc\u002Ffour-things-to-consider-when-evaluating-banner-ad-creative\u002F","Four Things to Consider When Evaluating Banner Creative"," - we walk you through our process of evaluating whether or not banner creative is informative, eye-catching and actionable.",[24,9661,9663],{"id":9662},"so-what-does-2014-hold-in-store","So, What Does 2014 Hold in Store?",[14,9665,9666],{},"This next year holds quite a lot in store for the MKG Marketing team. Let us give you an idea of what we have planned:",[132,9668,9669,9676,9685,9688],{},[49,9670,9671,9672,9675],{},"Company Growth -- We're looking to add another talented digital marketer to the team in 2014. If you think you may be that individual, please ",[206,9673,9674],{"href":5438},"contact us"," and tell us why you believe you'd be a good fit for the team!",[49,9677,9678,9679,9684],{},"Revenue Growth -- In June, we set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (",[206,9680,9683],{"href":9681,"rel":9682},"https:\u002F\u002Fmoz.com\u002Frand\u002Fvision-based-framework\u002F",[210],"BHAG term courtesy of Moz founder Rand Fishkin",") looking to triple our quarterly revenue by June 2014. Why this number? Because it allows us to comfortably add another member to the team, invest in our company and host fun company-wide events like National Go to San Diego Day (oh yes -- it's happening!)",[49,9686,9687],{},"Our Company Purpose Revealed: We'll be announcing our purpose as a company; the real reason why we exist in this world and how we strive to make a difference. Stay tuned for that!",[49,9689,9690],{},"Website Redesign -- With our company purpose exercise comes a ... SITE REDESIGN! Keep your eyes peeled for that as well.",[24,9692,9694],{"id":9693},"thats-a-wrap-on-2013","That's a Wrap on 2013!",[14,9696,9697],{},"With that in mind, we wish everyone a Happy New Year!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9699},[9700,9701,9702,9703,9704],{"id":9564,"depth":291,"text":9565},{"id":9574,"depth":291,"text":9575},{"id":9584,"depth":291,"text":9585},{"id":9662,"depth":291,"text":9663},{"id":9693,"depth":291,"text":9694},"2013-12-23","As we approach 2014, we wanted to take some time to reflect on how 2013 treated us. To be frank, 2013 was a kick-ass year for MKG Marketing. Here's why!",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002F2013-in-review-for-mkg-media-group",{"title":9555,"description":9706},"blog\u002Fnews\u002F2013-in-review-for-mkg-media-group","ghOMEslooazOmh0I790qXcplBc_4aq15wANwlL60g6s",[1560,1613],{"id":9714,"title":9715,"author":7,"authors":9716,"body":9717,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9776,"description":9777,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9778,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":9779,"seo":9780,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9781,"updated":7,"__hash__":9782,"people":9783},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmarketing-tests-strategic-or-tactical.md","Marketing Tests: Strategic or Tactical?",[9],{"type":11,"value":9718,"toc":9773},[9719,9723,9726,9731,9734,9737,9745,9748,9768],[81,9720,9722],{"id":9721},"how-do-you-properly-run-a-marketing-test","How Do You Properly Run a Marketing Test?",[14,9724,9725],{},"We were chatting with a prospective client the other day when she made the following comment.",[2178,9727,9728],{},[14,9729,9730],{},"I like this proposal. Let's run a test for the next six months to see how it performs.",[14,9732,9733],{},"\"That sounds great,\" I found myself saying \"But, we want to align on whether this is a Strategic Marketing test or a Tactical Marketing test.\"",[14,9735,9736],{},"In our opinion, the difference between the two is:",[46,9738,9739,9742],{},[49,9740,9741],{},"Tactical Marketing tests: These tests pit one marketing line item against another in a survival of the fittest. Two may enter -- only one will leave!",[49,9743,9744],{},"Strategic Marketing tests: These tests focus on a testing a larger strategic direction -- investing stronger in brand marketing to widen your prospective customer funnel, for example -- than a battle royale test of two tactics.",[14,9746,9747],{},"The client asked us how we approach determining the type of test. We mentioned using the following three guidelines:",[46,9749,9750,9756,9762],{},[49,9751,9752,9755],{},[52,9753,9754],{},"Success Criteria:"," How will success be decided? Is there a single metric success is judged upon, or are there a series of metrics involved?",[49,9757,9758,9761],{},[52,9759,9760],{},"Test Length:"," What is the appropriate test length in order to declare a winner? Understanding statistical significance of the data produced will help answer this question.",[49,9763,9764,9767],{},[52,9765,9766],{},"Action on Findings:"," Does the client plan to make widespread changes based on test results? That's likely a strategic test. If findings determine a small portion of marketing efforts, that could likely be a smaller tactical test.",[14,9769,9770],{},[52,9771,9772],{},"When was the last time you ran a strategic test? A tactical test? Tell us about your findings!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9774},[9775],{"id":9721,"depth":297,"text":9722},"2013-08-29","Learn the Difference Between a Strategic & Tactical Marketing Test, as well as the Benefits and Outcomes of Each One.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmarketing-tests-strategic-or-tactical",{"title":9715,"description":9777},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fmarketing-tests-strategic-or-tactical","jOyDPyho3LFq021-9xu94O5Azfj1TZjdVNmEPBzEQhg",[1560,1613],{"id":9785,"title":9786,"author":7,"authors":9787,"body":9788,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9845,"description":9792,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9846,"minutes":297,"navigation":322,"path":9847,"seo":9848,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9849,"updated":7,"__hash__":9850,"people":9851},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwelcoming-christian-bullock-to-the-mkg-team.md","Welcoming Christian Bullock to the MKG Team",[9],{"type":11,"value":9789,"toc":9837},[9790,9793,9797,9800,9803,9807,9810,9814,9817,9821,9824,9827,9831,9834],[14,9791,9792],{},"We're extremely happy to official announce:",[24,9794,9796],{"id":9795},"christian-bullock-has-joined-mkg-marketing-as-our-director-of-paid-search-marketing","Christian Bullock has joined MKG Marketing as our Director of Paid Search Marketing.",[14,9798,9799],{},"Christian joins us from Amplify Interactive, a search marketing agency based in Portland, Oregon, and brings more than seven years of paid search experience across a number of different clients & verticals with him.",[14,9801,9802],{},"Specific to our working relationship, Christian is going to lead the charge in establishing paid search best practices and driving measurable results for our clients who utilize our paid search marketing expertise.",[24,9804,9806],{"id":9805},"in-properly-welcoming-him-to-the-team-we-wanted-to-let-christian-tell-us-a-little-more-about-himself","In properly welcoming him to the team, we wanted to let Christian tell us a little more about himself.",[14,9808,9809],{},"So without further ado ...",[81,9811,9813],{"id":9812},"how-did-you-get-into-the-digital-marketing-industry","How did you get into the digital marketing industry?",[14,9815,9816],{},"It was pretty accidental, to be honest! After graduating from Washington State University (go Cougs!), I did what many tend to do: move back home with your parents. After about a week of watching The Price is Right and eating extremely sugary cereal for all three of my daily meals, I started looking for marketing jobs. I came across an ad that talked about \"search marketing\" and had never heard about it before (this is after majoring in Communications with an emphasis in Advertising). Read up a little about the fairly burgeoning industry at the time, thought it was something I could really prosper at, and the rest is history.",[81,9818,9820],{"id":9819},"why-do-you-like-working-in-the-digital-marketing-industry-and-paid-search-specifically","Why do you like working in the digital marketing industry (and paid search specifically)?",[14,9822,9823],{},"I feel like paid search strikes a great balance between art and science. The \"art\" aspect is learning about a client's industry, reading up on not only their solutions but who their competitors are and what their solutions entail, and figuring out the best way to cram a key benefit into a fairly restricted number of characters for a paid search ad. It's challenging but it's also pretty fun to learn about new industries.",[14,9825,9826],{},"The \"science\" aspect is all about testing. After you create different versions of ad copy: which one will outperform the others? After running an experiment and digging through the results,  why did one ad copy variation outperform the others? What's the next test? I definitely feel like I should be wearing a lab coat when I'm head-down in Excel worksheets and analyzing data.",[81,9828,9830],{"id":9829},"what-do-you-like-to-do-for-fun","What do you like to do for fun?",[14,9832,9833],{},"After watching ice hockey for years and loving the sport, I recently made the decision to start playing. One thing you should know: ice is slippery! Especially when you're wearing a shoe with a big, long blade on the bottom of it! This past summer my twin brother and I purchased hockey equipment, started taking skating lessons (because we needed to actually learn how to skate) and began playing for the Rangers, a C-level league team. We're currently in our league playoffs, but I'm happy to say that during my first \"regular season\" I had a goal, two assists and a handful of penalties. Pretty good!",[14,9835,9836],{},"I also like spending time with my family. Not that I'm biased, but I have the best daughter a Dad could ever ask for. My wife is a speech language pathologist and has gotten a kick out of analyzing her \"babble\" speech sounds and teaching her sign language.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9838},[9839,9840],{"id":9795,"depth":291,"text":9796},{"id":9805,"depth":291,"text":9806,"children":9841},[9842,9843,9844],{"id":9812,"depth":297,"text":9813},{"id":9819,"depth":297,"text":9820},{"id":9829,"depth":297,"text":9830},"2013-01-07",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwelcoming-christian-bullock-to-the-mkg-team",{"title":9786,"description":9792},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fwelcoming-christian-bullock-to-the-mkg-team","av2aB0SFrbTYWIP6mzHaVH6dKuLT3IQJwqilxHUxAjU",[1560,1613],{"id":9853,"title":9854,"author":7,"authors":9855,"body":9856,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":9915,"description":9916,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":9917,"minutes":1608,"navigation":322,"path":9918,"seo":9919,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":9920,"updated":7,"__hash__":9921,"people":9922},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-media-group-wins-an-omma-award-for-online-advertising-creativity.md","MKG Marketing Wins an OMMA Award for Online Advertising Creativity",[9],{"type":11,"value":9857,"toc":9910},[9858,9862,9883,9887,9892,9897,9901,9907],[24,9859,9861],{"id":9860},"big-news-coming-off-the-mkg-marketing-presses-we-won-our-first-award","Big news coming off the MKG Marketing presses: We won our first award!",[14,9863,9864,9865,9870,9871,9876,9877,9882],{},"In partnership with one of our favorite creative shops, ",[206,9866,9869],{"href":9867,"rel":9868},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.ryanpartnership.com\u002F",[210],"Ryan Partnership San Francisco",", the work we did for ",[206,9872,9875],{"href":9873,"rel":9874},"https:\u002F\u002Fbox.com",[210],"cloud collaboration client Box"," was honored with a ",[206,9878,9881],{"href":9879,"rel":9880},"https:\u002F\u002Fmediapost.com\u002Fommaawards",[210],"Media Post OMMA 2012"," award for online advertising creativity.",[24,9884,9886],{"id":9885},"also-take-a-look-at-what-ryan-partnership-had-to-say-about-mkg-marketings-involvement-in-the-campaign","Also, take a look at what Ryan Partnership had to say about MKG Marketing's involvement in the campaign:",[2178,9888,9889],{},[14,9890,9891],{},"MKG Marketing were essential partners in the success of the Box campaign. Their thought leadership and media creativity were essential in making this campaign a success. Kerry and Mike were on top of the details and negotiated great programs and rates with the pubs. We could not have won this award without them.",[46,9893,9894],{},[49,9895,9896],{},"Mark Yesayian, President of Relationship Marketing @ Ryan Partnership",[24,9898,9900],{"id":9899},"finally-click-on-the-screenshot-below-to-check-out-the-fantastic-mood-video-that-ryan-partnership-compiled-to-showcase-all-the-fantastic-results-of-the-box-words-campaign-to-the-omma-award-committee","Finally, click on the screenshot below to check out the fantastic mood video that Ryan Partnership compiled to showcase all the fantastic results of the Box 'Words' campaign to the OMMA award committee: ",[14,9902,9903],{},[206,9904,9906],{"href":9905},"https:\u002F\u002Fvimeo.com\u002F44129924","Video",[14,9908,9909],{},"Excited to have won our first client award and looking forward to many more to come!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":9911},[9912,9913,9914],{"id":9860,"depth":291,"text":9861},{"id":9885,"depth":291,"text":9886},{"id":9899,"depth":291,"text":9900},"2012-10-22","In conjunction with Ryan Partnership we won our first OMMA Award for the Box Words Campaign.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-media-group-wins-an-omma-award-for-online-advertising-creativity",{"title":9854,"description":9916},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fmkg-media-group-wins-an-omma-award-for-online-advertising-creativity","PaXyCXbXVD6FMS5bOT7Jt-8fq2GLwyhXrFnV6u5vPIo",[1560,1613],{"id":9924,"title":9925,"author":7,"authors":9926,"body":9927,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":10022,"description":10023,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":10024,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":10025,"seo":10026,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":7,"stem":10027,"updated":7,"__hash__":10028,"people":10029},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fhighlights-from-id48-sf.md","Highlights from #ID48",[1855],{"type":11,"value":9928,"toc":10016},[9929,9938,9941,9945,9948,9953,9958,9962,9965,9970,9975,9979,9982,9987,9992,9996,9999,10002],[14,9930,9931,9932,9937],{},"Earlier this evening we had the pleasure to attend ",[206,9933,9936],{"href":9934,"rel":9935},"https:\u002F\u002Fideamensch.com\u002Fsan-francisco\u002F",[210],"IdeaMensch 48",", a 48 state tour put on my good friend Mario to help gather people who want to bring ideas to life.",[14,9939,9940],{},"In honor of a great evening, we wanted to share a couple highlights from a few speakers ...",[24,9942,9944],{"id":9943},"philip-rosedale-founder-of-second-life-coffee-and-power","Philip Rosedale \u002F\u002F Founder of Second Life & Coffee and Power",[14,9946,9947],{},"Philip discussed how amazing silicon valley is for people with great ideas and a drive to change the world.",[2178,9949,9950],{},[14,9951,9952],{},"'People think that entrepreneurs are crazy, but in fact starting a company in San Francisco is a safe bet. There is 10 times the start up density of other American cities here in Silicon Valley -- that's 5 times better than New York City and 3 times better than Seattle.'",[2178,9954,9955],{},[14,9956,9957],{},"'9 out of 10 companies do in fact fail, and being in an environment that is flush with these connections is priceless. San Francisco is a great place to completely bomb a company walk into a bar and meet next employer, co-founder or conceive the next big idea.'",[24,9959,9961],{"id":9960},"sarah-lacy-founder-of-pandodaily","Sarah Lacy \u002F\u002F Founder of PandoDaily",[14,9963,9964],{},"The most important thing we pulled from Sarah's speech revolved around hiring.",[2178,9966,9967],{},[14,9968,9969],{},"'I have a 24 hour hiring window. If we make an offer to a prospective employee, they have exactly 24 hours to accept or deny that offer before it is completely taken off the table.'",[2178,9971,9972],{},[14,9973,9974],{},"'We don't want to have to over sell employees. As we recruit new employees, we we hire individuals who are either immediately 100% in or not.'",[24,9976,9978],{"id":9977},"aaron-schwartz-founder-of-modify-industries","Aaron Schwartz \u002F\u002F Founder of Modify Industries",[14,9980,9981],{},"Aaron couldn't say it enough: customer service is the most important facet of Modify Watches customer experience.",[2178,9983,9984],{},[14,9985,9986],{},"'Customer service is focus #1 of everything that we do. We want to be proactive in the way that we make the customer's experience as great as possible.'",[2178,9988,9989],{},[14,9990,9991],{},"'Word of mouth is the result of a positive customer experience.'",[24,9993,9995],{"id":9994},"bring-wong-founder-of-kiip","Bring Wong \u002F\u002F Founder of Kiip",[14,9997,9998],{},"Brian's discussion centered around one central idea: Getting lucky.",[14,10000,10001],{},"He had a few pieces of advice to help generate some lucky.",[132,10003,10004,10007,10010,10013],{},[49,10005,10006],{},"Start Playing: Stop going to coffee, talking about it endlessly or comping up new designs ... Go out and start something!",[49,10008,10009],{},"Surround Yourself With Other Lucky People: Lucky people surround themselves with other successful individuals.",[49,10011,10012],{},"It's All About Relative Luck: Seeing the 'big picture' is important, but it's critically important to reward mini-victories along the way.",[49,10014,10015],{},"Think Really Big: Think really big!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10017},[10018,10019,10020,10021],{"id":9943,"depth":291,"text":9944},{"id":9960,"depth":291,"text":9961},{"id":9977,"depth":291,"text":9978},{"id":9994,"depth":291,"text":9995},"2012-07-05","In honor of a great evening, we wanted to share a couple highlights from a few speakers from #ID48.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fhighlights-from-id48-sf",{"title":9925,"description":10023},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fhighlights-from-id48-sf","FLaCSDInBtgI4uCdFgzwjLPKGMhKshQ_xGBoi3_-5fk",[1945],{"id":10031,"title":10032,"author":7,"authors":10033,"body":10034,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":10242,"description":10243,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":10244,"minutes":2104,"navigation":322,"path":10245,"seo":10246,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":10032,"stem":10247,"updated":7,"__hash__":10248,"people":10249},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fvision-moving-forward-for-mkg-media-group.md","The Future of MKG Marketing",[9],{"type":11,"value":10035,"toc":10228},[10036,10040,10054,10062,10065,10068,10073,10076,10080,10083,10086,10100,10104,10107,10130,10133,10137,10140,10143,10146,10149,10153,10156,10160,10163,10167,10170,10173,10177,10180,10183,10186,10189,10193,10196,10199,10203,10206,10209,10212,10216,10222,10225],[24,10037,10039],{"id":10038},"a-lot-has-been-happening-with-us-here-at-mkg-marketing","A lot has been happening with us here at MKG Marketing!",[14,10041,10042,10043,10047,10048,10053],{},"We've continued to work with ",[206,10044,10046],{"href":9873,"rel":10045},[210],"our first client",", brought on a new ",[206,10049,10052],{"href":10050,"rel":10051},"https:\u002F\u002Fyoueye.com",[210],"SaaS client here in the Bay Area",", started working with 'secret national retailer X' (more details to come!) and have a surprise client or two up our sleeve that we're excited to introduce publicly.",[14,10055,10056,10057,10061],{},"Our newest client, ",[206,10058,10060],{"href":10050,"rel":10059},[210],"YouEye",", has given us office space.",[14,10063,10064],{},"Mike has stopped doing hot yoga (and is miserable without it).",[14,10066,10067],{},"Okay, maybe the last one was a little bit off track ...",[14,10069,10070],{},[52,10071,10072],{},"... But ...",[14,10074,10075],{},"... great news isn't all that we wanted to share with you -- We wanted to give you, our readers & clients, an update on the vision of where this agency is going and how we are continuing to improve our services every single day.",[24,10077,10079],{"id":10078},"our-history","Our History",[14,10081,10082],{},"We used to simply sell ourselves as a display media buying shop -- all we did was plan & buy display media space for clients.",[14,10084,10085],{},"That quickly (and quite rapidly) began to change. In our companies lifetime, we have transitioned to providers of ...",[46,10087,10088,10091,10094,10097],{},[49,10089,10090],{},"Planning and buying display media only",[49,10092,10093],{},"Introduced mobile & social, giving us the ability to communicate across multiple digital media channels",[49,10095,10096],{},"Grew to focus on measurable media across all channels (including traditional) with a heavy emphasis in digital",[49,10098,10099],{},"Continue to represent a measurable media offering, but our 'secret sauce' has changed in the way that we deliver these results -",[24,10101,10103],{"id":10102},"our-updated-vision-the-not-so-secret-sauce","Our Updated Vision -- The 'Not-So-Secret Sauce'",[14,10105,10106],{},"Our original model of how we delivered results for our clients was -",[46,10108,10109,10115,10121],{},[49,10110,10111,10114],{},[52,10112,10113],{},"Reach:"," Understand who your actionable audience is and reach as many of those users across the web",[49,10116,10117,10120],{},[52,10118,10119],{},"Teach:"," Teach these users about your brands product \u002F service",[49,10122,10123,10126,10127],{},[52,10124,10125],{},"Convert:"," Convert this audience, analyze their characteristics, and go acquire more users like them\nWe have recently shifted to a more powerful model of acquiring and, more importantly, ",[52,10128,10129],{},"retaining customers.",[14,10131,10132],{},"The one liner to describe what we are focusing on is ...",[24,10134,10136],{"id":10135},"were-in-the-business-of-generating-customers-not-transactions","We're in the business of generating customers -- NOT transactions ",[14,10138,10139],{},"An example of a transaction is when I go to the mall and buy a pair of Vans sneakers once a year.",[14,10141,10142],{},"A customer is someone that will purchase a pair of Vans sneakers every single month.",[14,10144,10145],{},"See the difference?",[14,10147,10148],{},"12 product purchases compared to 1. We want to identify and nurture existing 'transactions' into becoming loyal 'customers'.",[24,10150,10152],{"id":10151},"so-how-does-it-work","So how does it work?",[14,10154,10155],{},"There are three key components to our 'not-so-secret sauce' ...",[81,10157,10159],{"id":10158},"step-1-conversion","Step 1: Conversion",[14,10161,10162],{},"Focus on converting users across the web. We'd like to deliver a tangible return on media investment metric back to you, the client.",[81,10164,10166],{"id":10165},"step-2-what-do-these-users-look-like","Step 2: What do these users look like?",[14,10168,10169],{},"Analyze and interpret the demographic, psychographic, purchase behaviors, and other big data characteristics of our converting audience.",[14,10171,10172],{},"Turn this data into actionable insights to feed into our conversion engine and deliver more qualified leads for you -- the client.",[81,10174,10176],{"id":10175},"step-3-lead-nurturing","Step 3: Lead nurturing",[14,10178,10179],{},"Not only do we want to drive conversions and understand what those users look like; we want to utilize tools and create strategies that will continue to nurture these 'transactions' into 'customers'.",[14,10181,10182],{},"In our opinion, lead nurturing is one of the most under serviced capabilities in our market. Many agencies that I speak with find that it's the 'clients job' to nurture their own leads  -- that the agencies role is simply to 'bring the horse to the trough to eat'",[14,10184,10185],{},"NO WAY, JOSE",[14,10187,10188],{},"We are in it together with our clients, and we want to provide the ability to not only 'bring the horse to the trough' but to keep the lines of communication open with said 'horses' by continually engaging and nurturing these users into becoming loyal customers.",[24,10190,10192],{"id":10191},"how-will-this-help-you-our-readers","How will this help you -- our readers?",[14,10194,10195],{},"For our readers, you're going to see a wider range of marketing \u002F technology related content published here on the Digi Rules blog.",[14,10197,10198],{},"To deliver on our 'not-so-secret sauce', we need to be on top of every new opportunity -- that's one of our core values as an agency.",[24,10200,10202],{"id":10201},"how-will-this-help-you-our-prospective-and-existing-client-base","How will this help you -- our prospective and existing client base?",[14,10204,10205],{},"For prospective and existing clients, we'll continue to refine the process of generating and nurturing qualified leads, and as this happens our ability to deliver 'customers' instead of 'transactions' will continue to improve over time.",[14,10207,10208],{},"This sounds so simple, and that's the way we want it to be: We continue to work our MKG tails off and make our 'not-so-secret sauce' better and better -- You continue to reap the benefits and look like a rock star within your organization.",[14,10210,10211],{},"We'd have it no other way :-)",[24,10213,10215],{"id":10214},"thanks-for-stopping-in-were-looking-forward-to-the-future","Thanks for stopping in. We're looking forward to the future!",[14,10217,10218,10219,212],{},"Please, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you have in by sending us an ",[206,10220,10221],{"href":5438},"email here",[14,10223,10224],{},"Go Forth & Conquer,",[14,10226,10227],{},"Mike",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10229},[10230,10231,10232,10233,10234,10239,10240,10241],{"id":10038,"depth":291,"text":10039},{"id":10078,"depth":291,"text":10079},{"id":10102,"depth":291,"text":10103},{"id":10135,"depth":291,"text":10136},{"id":10151,"depth":291,"text":10152,"children":10235},[10236,10237,10238],{"id":10158,"depth":297,"text":10159},{"id":10165,"depth":297,"text":10166},{"id":10175,"depth":297,"text":10176},{"id":10191,"depth":291,"text":10192},{"id":10201,"depth":291,"text":10202},{"id":10214,"depth":291,"text":10215},"2012-04-30","We have shifted from simple media planning and buying. See where we're going.",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fvision-moving-forward-for-mkg-media-group",{"title":10032,"description":10243},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fvision-moving-forward-for-mkg-media-group","mI4Gi8-e-_lXen9z--PxxK8XnHOmUXcm2mivBSsphRc",[1560,1613],{"id":10251,"title":10252,"author":7,"authors":10253,"body":10254,"caption":7,"category":1550,"date":10318,"description":10258,"extension":318,"img":7,"imgAlt":7,"meta":10319,"minutes":291,"navigation":322,"path":10320,"seo":10321,"seodescription":7,"seotitle":10252,"stem":10322,"updated":7,"__hash__":10323,"people":10324},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-daytona-500-can-teach-us-about-marketing.md","What The Daytona 500 Can Teach Us About Marketing",[9],{"type":11,"value":10255,"toc":10315},[10256,10259,10263,10266,10276,10279,10285,10297,10310],[14,10257,10258],{},"Monday's latest rendition of the Daytona 500 featured it all: A super wreck on the second lap, drivers updating their Twitter accounts mid-lap and even someone slamming into a maintenance vehicle on the track.",[24,10260,10262],{"id":10261},"but-id-like-to-explore-a-couple-things-that-the-daytona-500-can-teach-us-marketers","But I'd like to explore a couple things that the Daytona 500 can teach us marketers ...",[14,10264,10265],{},"Here are a couple selling points I've noticed that Daytona presents itself with that marketers within other verticals could learn from:",[14,10267,10268,10271,10272,10275],{},[52,10269,10270],{},"Element of Scarcity:"," There are 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup races every single season, yet how many non-race fans can actually name an event outside of the Daytona 500? That's right: There are literally ",[52,10273,10274],{},"thirty seven"," other races to watch in the Sprint Cup Series, yet Daytona takes the cake every single year as the race.",[14,10277,10278],{},"This false sense of scarcity generates an organic super buzz around the Daytona 500 that is unseen in any other event. NASCAR does a great job of selling up their coup-de-grace; their Super Bowl, so to speak, just like Apple coyly convinces grown men and women to wait outside their stores as they release the newest version of the iPhone, iPad, iWhatever ...",[14,10280,10281,10284],{},[52,10282,10283],{},"Communicate Across Channels:"," NASCAR blankets television, local radio stations and online channels with a very simple message -- watch in person \u002F on television as a group of grown men drive in circles for the next four hours. They understand that their current and potential fans consume content across a variety of different mediums and go out of their way to make sure that they have messaging strategies in place that speak to any and all potential viewers in their native media environment.",[14,10286,10287,10290,10291,10296],{},[52,10288,10289],{},"Identifying Unlikely Communication Channels:"," When ",[206,10292,10295],{"href":10293,"rel":10294},"https:\u002F\u002Fiwantherjob.com",[210],"my good friend"," told me she was taking her social chops to the next level by accepting a job at Phoenix International Raceway, I was a little unsure of how she could apply her unquestionably amazing skillset within the NASCAR circle. Then she reminded me: she became friends via Twitter with NASCAR movers and shakers at all levels.",[14,10298,10299,10300,10305,10306,10309],{},"Still think the NASCAR audience is still mainly an analog crowd? Social media is so popular within NASCAR that driver Brad Keselowski actually ",[206,10301,10304],{"href":10302,"rel":10303},"https:\u002F\u002Ftechland.time.com\u002F2012\u002F02\u002F28\u002Fdaytona-500-crash-brings-nascar-driver-100000-twitter-followers\u002F",[210],"tweeted"," while waiting for the race to re-start following a fiery crash during the race. The result? Keselowski nearly ",[52,10307,10308],{},"quadrupled his follower count"," (from 65,000 to more than 200,000) and received nearly as much earned media play time as the eventual race winner, Matt Kenseth.",[14,10311,10312],{},[52,10313,10314],{},"What other industries or brands are doing a great job of marketing themselves like NASCAR?",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10316},[10317],{"id":10261,"depth":291,"text":10262},"2012-02-28",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-daytona-500-can-teach-us-about-marketing",{"title":10252,"description":10258},"blog\u002Fnews\u002Fwhat-daytona-500-can-teach-us-about-marketing","aNy6nYorwrOxgjFpvaepbSCIww_9CUiQuOHAycywfpk",[1560,1613],[10326,10372,10426,10473,10520,1560,10569,10617,1613,10679,1945,10746,10782,10825,10869],{"id":10327,"title":10328,"body":10329,"date":7,"description":10360,"extension":318,"images":10361,"isLeader":322,"jobTitle":10363,"linkedIn":10364,"meta":10365,"name":1490,"navigation":322,"path":10366,"quote":10367,"quoteCite":10368,"ref":10364,"seo":10369,"sequence":297,"stem":10370,"team":1610,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10371},"team\u002Fteam\u002Falanna-moman-rawden.md","Alanna Moman Rawden",{"type":11,"value":10330,"toc":10357},[10331,10335,10338,10341,10344,10346],[14,10332,10334],{"className":10333},[1567],"Alanna graduated from the University of Alabama in 2004. She started her career at an advertising agency in Birmingham, AL, and has spent most of her career in Account Leadership roles working on consumer brands like Verizon Wireless, Books-A-Million, Toys ‘R’ Us, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos. In 2015, she left the agency world with a desire to gain more digital advertising experience, which led to her running a one-person digital department for a regional credit union.",[14,10336,10337],{},"Account Direction has always been a natural fit for Alanna because she enjoys managing projects, big picture strategy, and building relationships. She chose to come back to the agency world when she learned about MKG and our People First values.",[14,10339,10340],{},"She is most proud of the impact she had on her previous company by creating a positive and supportive environment for those she managed. ",[14,10342,10343],{},"Alanna enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage daughters, has a very eclectic taste in music, and is an obsessive Hamilfan.",[81,10345,1587],{"id":1586},[46,10347,10348,10351,10354],{},[49,10349,10350],{},"In college, she won a radio contest for her youngest brother to have dinner with Nickelback. The band spent the entire evening trying to convince her, then 15-year-old, brother to drop out of school.",[49,10352,10353],{},"She once spent 3 hours convincing a famous country singer to get off his tour bus to shoot a commercial that her client had contracted him to be in.",[49,10355,10356],{},"Her family is a big fan of True Crime, and they binge Crime Junkie on every road trip.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10358},[10359],{"id":1586,"depth":297,"text":1587},"Meet Alanna Moman-Rawden, one of MKG Marketing’s amazing Account Directors, bringing 15+ years of account leadership and direction to the table.",{"landscape":10362},"alanna-moman-rawden.webp","Director, People & Culture","alanna-moman-rawden",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Falanna-moman-rawden","I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable. I am an original.","Aaron Burr, Hamilton",{"description":10360},"team\u002Falanna-moman-rawden","WPmQvGfbA7GjEpvcVEps9YUFm4Ihb7jAlxEbp7tr3IA",{"id":10373,"title":10374,"body":10375,"date":7,"description":10414,"extension":318,"images":10415,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10417,"linkedIn":10418,"meta":10419,"name":10374,"navigation":322,"path":10420,"quote":7,"quoteCite":10368,"ref":10421,"seo":10422,"sequence":10423,"stem":10424,"team":10417,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10425},"team\u002Fteam\u002Falicia-antonow.md","Alicia Antonow",{"type":11,"value":10376,"toc":10412},[10377,10382,10385,10390,10393,10398,10401,10406,10409],[14,10378,10379],{},[52,10380,10381],{},"How I Got Into Digital Advertising",[14,10383,10384],{},"With a background as a nurse, my journey into digital advertising began unexpectedly when I back to Ann Arbor, Michigan. A Google Partner approached me to assist with healthcare content and ads. I quickly discovered a passion for the field, and with Google Ads sales training followed by SEM training, I was hooked.",[14,10386,10387],{},[52,10388,10389],{},"What I Love About Paid Search",[14,10391,10392],{},"Every campaign is like a unique puzzle, even within the same industry. Variations in geography, audiences, and keywords make each project different. I enjoy leveraging the full suite of Google products—Search, Display, Demand Gen, and YouTube—because they work best when integrated. The ever-evolving nature of the work keeps me inspired and challenged.",[14,10394,10395],{},[52,10396,10397],{},"Why I Chose MKG Marketing",[14,10399,10400],{},"I was drawn to MKG Marketing for its people-first culture. The company recognizes that we are all human, with lives outside of work, and fosters a supportive environment that values balance and well-being.",[14,10402,10403],{},[52,10404,10405],{},"Fun Facts About Me",[14,10407,10408],{},"I’m an avid traveler and love immersing myself in different cultures. Before having kids, my husband and I spent at least three months each year exploring the world.",[14,10410,10411],{},"I take cooking classes with locals wherever I go and love scuba diving whenever there’s water nearby.\nMy kids are my world—seeing their faces light up when experiencing something new brings me the greatest joy.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10413},[],"Meet Alicia Antonow, one of MKG Marketing’s saavy digital ads experts, bringing 15+ years of hands on execution and strategy to the table.",{"landscape":10416},"alicia-antonow.webp","Digital Advertising Experts","alicia-a-36459bb5",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Falicia-antonow","alicia-antonow",{"description":10414},54,"team\u002Falicia-antonow","dX6MgSjdInEGV2mLfl0Uv4cjJ2Si5idzNXLe33_xMZY",{"id":10427,"title":10428,"body":10429,"date":7,"description":10460,"extension":318,"images":10461,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10463,"linkedIn":10464,"meta":10465,"name":10428,"navigation":322,"path":10466,"quote":7,"quoteCite":7,"ref":10467,"seo":10468,"sequence":10469,"stem":10470,"team":10471,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10472},"team\u002Fteam\u002Favery-davis.md","Avery Davis",{"type":11,"value":10430,"toc":10457},[10431,10435,10438,10441,10444,10446],[14,10432,10434],{"className":10433},[1567],"\nAvery began his digital marketing career at a tech startup focused on ID scanning and facial recognition software. In addition to gaining a deep understanding of paid media and analytics, this peaked his interest in cybersecurity and tech in general. He then transitioned to agency life where he specialized in SaaS marketing.\n",[14,10436,10437],{},"Over the years, Avery has touched a variety of verticals including health and beauty, eCommerce, medical\u002Fpharma, education, and more. He is drawn to agency life because of the variety of clients he is able to work with and, in turn, learn from.",[14,10439,10440],{},"Although he’s touched several areas of digital marketing, Avery feels most at home when doing Account\u002F Project Management as well as Copywriting.",[14,10442,10443],{},"As is the theme with many of our staff, Avery was drawn to MKG because of our culture. In Avery’s words “MKG shares the same values as I do in both my professional and my personal life. When I saw that we meshed so well, this was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse!”",[81,10445,1587],{"id":1586},[46,10447,10448,10451,10454],{},[49,10449,10450],{},"Avery is an avid racquetball player. Having first gotten into the sport in college, he’s had lots of fun playing over the years. He tries to get to the court at least once a week.",[49,10452,10453],{},"Avery is a hobby bartender and enjoys making, tasting, and learning about different drinks. He’s mainly a Kentucky bourbon guy but also loves Japanese whisky!",[49,10455,10456],{},"Avery is a black belt in Pasaryu. This is a Korean mixed martial art which includes karate, kung fu, and Taekwondo. He has also trained and competed with weapons: nunchucks and samurai sword just to name a couple!",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10458},[10459],{"id":1586,"depth":297,"text":1587},"Avery Davis is an Account Superivor here at MKG Marketing.",{"landscape":10462},"avery-davis.webp","Account Supervisor","avery-davis-114055191",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Favery-davis","avery-davis",{"description":10460},59,"team\u002Favery-davis","Account Services","ysXkJK5t3F27trCgdjC7IRHXNs-Qxp9YxjH9QT3gDqQ",{"id":10474,"title":10475,"body":10476,"date":7,"description":10506,"extension":318,"images":10507,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":1533,"linkedIn":10509,"meta":10510,"name":10475,"navigation":322,"path":10511,"quote":10512,"quoteCite":10513,"ref":10514,"seo":10515,"sequence":10516,"stem":10517,"team":10518,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10519},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fjared-gerling.md","Jared Gerling",{"type":11,"value":10477,"toc":10504},[10478,10481,10484,10487,10490,10493],[14,10479,10480],{},"Jared's journey into digital marketing started with answering a classified ad for a company looking for people with writing backgrounds for a position in SEO. As a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Creative Writing, this sounded like the perfect opportunity.",[14,10482,10483],{},"This small agency taught him SEO from the ground up, and, after taking a break from digital marketing to receive his MA from DePaul University, Jared jumped back into the field at a medium-sized agency out of Chicago as an SEO analyst.",[14,10485,10486],{},"Since then, Jared has worked for large and small marketing agencies for over a decade, providing expert SEO services in almost every industry that has a website on the internet. And with his background in writing, Jared feels most at home in the content and customer facing side of SEO and digital marketing.",[14,10488,10489],{},"It was first and foremost the people that drew Jared to MKG. Everyone at MKG has been so in tune with his values and his personality, and they've made his time at MKG easily the best experience of his career.",[14,10491,10492],{},"Fun Facts:",[46,10494,10495,10498,10501],{},[49,10496,10497],{},"I love to travel with my wife. We've been to many incredible places over the years, and are always on the lookout for our next destination.",[49,10499,10500],{},"I was a college rower in my younger days. I rowed mostly eights as a port, and competed against some of the best schools in the nation...and lost to most of them.",[49,10502,10503],{},"I love a really good French Martini.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10505},[],"Meet Jared Gerling, one of MKG Marketing’s thoughtful SEO Experts, bringing 10+ years of experience, intentionality, and creativity to the team.",{"landscape":10508},"jared-gerling.webp","jaredgerling",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Fjared-gerling","The truth is, most of us discover where we are heading when we arrive.","Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)","jared-gerling",{"description":10506},55,"team\u002Fjared-gerling","SEO Experts","1TbRdjbaY8GvD4YbpM3Pm85IGECKXrMtdVY8OquXFkg",{"id":10521,"title":10522,"body":10523,"date":7,"description":10556,"extension":318,"images":10557,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10559,"linkedIn":7,"meta":10560,"name":10562,"navigation":322,"path":10563,"quote":7,"quoteCite":7,"ref":10564,"seo":10565,"sequence":10566,"stem":10567,"team":7,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10568},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fkathy-obrien.md","Kathy Obrien",{"type":11,"value":10524,"toc":10553},[10525,10529,10532,10537,10540,10542],[14,10526,10528],{"className":10527},[1567],"\nKathy loves details and has managed the finer details of business her entire career.  She started her career in Center City, Philadelphia working for several law firms.  After she was married and had her first son, she left the bustling city to work closer to home at an international publishing company.  In 1994, Kathy and her husband Bill moved with their two sons to Charlotte, North Carolina.  They eventually completed their family with two more boys born in Charlotte.\n",[14,10530,10531],{},"In 2000 they relocated to Chester County, a suburb of Philadelphia. After a hiatus and four sons, Kathy returned to work in Chester County. This time, she gave retail a whirl so that she could be home when her school age boys were home. She quickly found out Ann Taylor was employing one of their best customers. Kathy then spent the following 10+ years in the Non-Profit arena where she did whatever needed to be done to further the mission. No job was too big, small, or unimportant to tackle.",[2178,10533,10534],{},[14,10535,10536],{},"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.\nMother Teresa",[14,10538,10539],{},"By February 2020, Kathy was eager to build something for herself and her family. She set off on a new adventure of starting her own business when she was connected with Kerry, Mike, and MKG. Having commuted and worked outside of the home for 10+ years, she was ready to work from home and have a better life balance. She followed the rainbow and found MKG in her pot of gold. MKG is like no other firm or organization for which Kathy has worked. Their standard of people first is evident in every team member, every decision, every meeting, every interaction. They live their standard.",[81,10541,1587],{"id":1586},[46,10543,10544,10547,10550],{},[49,10545,10546],{},"Kathy’s dislikes: fruit & chocolate together and Tuesday.",[49,10548,10549],{},"Family: Kathy met her husband Bill in Wildwood, New Jersey after their high school graduations during “Senior Week”. They have 4 sons and 2 grandsons. There hasn’t been a girl born in the O’Brien family in 32 years! You will often hear Kathy saying her boys are the best 4 gifts she’s ever been given.",[49,10551,10552],{},"Special talent: Baking. Her boys’ (Bill included) favorites are Spritz Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies. There is a running family debate as to whether Ricotta Cookies are cookies or biscuits. At Christmas time, Kathy has been known to hide cookies to save some for guests.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10554},[10555],{"id":1586,"depth":297,"text":1587},"Meet Kathy O’Brien, MKG Marketing’s amazing executive assistant who consistently supports all of MKG across the many needs of the company.",{"landscape":10558},"kathy-obrien.webp","Executive Assistant",{"imageDescription":10561},"Kathy O’Brien, MKG Marketing’s Executive Assistant, in front of a gray background | MKG Marketing","Kathy O'Brien","\u002Fteam\u002Fkathy-obrien","kathy-obrien",{"description":10556},80,"team\u002Fkathy-obrien","lRwZA7wCSBsHC6ufODo6kKfYgfp9Nf-RTYoTK1zEMo0",{"id":10570,"title":10571,"body":10572,"date":7,"description":10605,"extension":318,"images":10606,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10608,"linkedIn":10609,"meta":10610,"name":10571,"navigation":322,"path":10611,"quote":7,"quoteCite":7,"ref":10612,"seo":10613,"sequence":10614,"stem":10615,"team":10417,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10616},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fleigh-snyder.md","Leigh Snyder",{"type":11,"value":10573,"toc":10602},[10574,10578,10581,10584,10587,10590,10593,10596,10599],[14,10575,10577],{"className":10576},[1567],"\nLeigh has over 15 years of experience of managing Paid Search campaigns. She started her career at Solid Cactus, a full service eCommerce agency in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania. Having no experience in Paid Search, she learned as she went, starting out in the earlier days of Google Adwords, when Adwords Editor wasn't even being used yet.\n",[14,10579,10580],{},"Leigh loves to create accounts and watch them grow, even more she loves to take a poorly performing account and turn it around. Watching the KPIs increase from changes she has made or new ideas she implements, keeps her career exciting.",[14,10582,10583],{},"Managing a wide variety of accounts that include local car dealerships, worldwide clothing stores, online supplement shops to plastic surgeons and much much more, Leigh brings a vast knowledge of creative ways in managing accounts.",[14,10585,10586],{},"While working the majority of her career in local offices, the options for expanding her career were becoming less and less. She decided to apply for a remote job (before it was the norm) and was able to get experience that wasn't as prevalent in the smaller area in which she resides.",[14,10588,10589],{},"After working from home for the past 6 years the opportunities kept coming and when MKG reached out to her, she knew that there was something special about them and decided to take the leap. The people first environment is not just talked about here, but it is practiced everyday. MKG Marketing is unlike anywhere she has ever worked.",[14,10591,10592],{},"Outside of work, Leigh enjoys spending time with her husband Dustin, their blended family (Emma, Casey, Jake & Brayden) and their dog Millie.",[14,10594,10595],{},"The kitchen is where you will always find her, she loves to cook and bake all things Gluten Free and no one ever knows. When they are not at a swim meet or a baseball game they love swimming in their pool, long walks on the local trails, renovating their house and binging shows.",[81,10597,10598],{"id":1586},"Fun Facts",[14,10600,10601],{},"Although it was just was a short time, at age 19 Leigh drove cross country from a small town in PA and moved to Hollywood Hills, CA. Her view from her kitchen window was the Hollywood sign. Not a bad first apartment.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10603},[10604],{"id":1586,"depth":297,"text":10598},"Meet Leigh Snyder, one of MKG Marketing’s amazing digital advertising experts, bringing 15 plus years of experience to the team",{"landscape":10607},"leigh-snyder.webp","Digital Advertising Expert","leighasnyder",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Fleigh-snyder","leigh-snyder",{"description":10605},50,"team\u002Fleigh-snyder","tY2JnqulQK9AU4TGRfATRnob3Thk9e9yAPu6iKBPA_s",{"id":10618,"title":10619,"body":10620,"date":7,"description":10667,"extension":318,"images":10668,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10670,"linkedIn":10671,"meta":10672,"name":10619,"navigation":322,"path":10674,"quote":10675,"quoteCite":10619,"ref":10671,"seo":10676,"sequence":321,"stem":10677,"team":7,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10678},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Fceleste-jacroux.md","Celeste Jacroux",{"type":11,"value":10621,"toc":10664},[10622,10630,10633,10640,10644],[14,10623,10625,10626,10629],{"className":10624},[1567],"\nCeleste Jacroux is a Go-to-Market architect for companies ready to graduate from \"random acts of marketing\" to a predictable revenue engine. As the Founder of ",[52,10627,10628],{},"Swell Marketing Advisors"," and a strategic partner to MKG, she brings deep expertise in aligning product, sales, and marketing into a cohesive GTM strategy.",[14,10631,10632],{},"Celeste understands that for founders, the hardest phase is often bridging the gap between a great product and the market that needs it. She specializes in clarifying positioning, defining ideal customer profiles (ICPs), and building the strategic roadmap that turns vision into traction.",[14,10634,10635,10636,10639],{},"At MKG, Celeste steps in as a Marketing Leader for our ",[52,10637,10638],{},"Marketing Leadership + Activation"," clients. She provides the senior-level direction and GTM rigor, working hand-in-hand with MKG’s activation teams to ensure that strategy doesn't just sit in a deck—it gets executed, measured, and optimized for growth.",[81,10641,10643],{"id":10642},"expertise","Expertise",[46,10645,10646,10652,10658],{},[49,10647,10648,10651],{},[52,10649,10650],{},"Go-to-Market Strategy:"," Launching new products and entering new markets with precision.",[49,10653,10654,10657],{},[52,10655,10656],{},"Positioning & Messaging:"," Translating complex tech into clear customer value.",[49,10659,10660,10663],{},[52,10661,10662],{},"Sales & Marketing Alignment:"," Ensuring the revenue team is fighting the same battle.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10665},[10666],{"id":10642,"depth":297,"text":10643},"Meet Celeste Jacroux, a strategic GTM partner to MKG and Founder of Sweel Marketing Advisors. She leads Go-to-Market strategy for high-growth companies.",{"landscape":10669},"celeste-jacroux.webp","Fractional GTM Leader | Founder, Swell Marketing Advisors","celeste-jacroux",{"imageDescription":10673},"Celeste Jacroux, Founder of Swell Marketing Advisors and MKG Partner","\u002Fteam\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Fceleste-jacroux","A great product doesn't win on its own. It wins when the story, the strategy, and the sales motion all pull in the exact same direction.",{"description":10667},"team\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Fceleste-jacroux","xCdtcFdNV4sp78oidUDMCvxluqrG5iEdRJkxxEAOYq0",{"id":10680,"title":10681,"body":10682,"date":7,"description":10733,"extension":318,"images":10734,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10736,"linkedIn":10737,"meta":10738,"name":10740,"navigation":322,"path":10741,"quote":10742,"quoteCite":10740,"ref":10737,"seo":10743,"sequence":586,"stem":10744,"team":7,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10745},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Flaura-mcaliley.md","Laura Mcaliley",{"type":11,"value":10683,"toc":10730},[10684,10688,10699,10702,10708,10710],[14,10685,10687],{"className":10686},[1567],"\nLaura McAliley is the growth strategist founders call when they are ready to turn early traction into sustainable momentum. As the Founder of Pebble Marketing and a key Marketing Leadership partner for MKG, Laura bridges the gap between high-level vision and the gritty execution required to scale.",[14,10689,10690,10691,10694,10695,10698],{},"Her track record speaks the language of investors and boards. She has successfully scaled SaaS startups from seed stage through to exit, most notably orchestrating a ",[52,10692,10693],{},"3x revenue lift"," at ",[52,10696,10697],{},"Security Journey"," that led to a successful acquisition.",[14,10700,10701],{},"Laura thrives in the \"messy middle\" of growth. Whether she is navigating the complexities of a Fortune 100 account or launching a scrappy go-to-market strategy for a new startup, her approach is the same: build the brand, unlock the revenue, and get the business investor-ready.",[14,10703,10704,10705,10707],{},"At MKG, Laura acts as a Fractional CMO for our ",[52,10706,10638],{}," clients, bringing the senior firepower needed to professionalize your marketing function without the full-time executive headcount.",[81,10709,10643],{"id":10642},[46,10711,10712,10718,10724],{},[49,10713,10714,10717],{},[52,10715,10716],{},"SaaS Scaling:"," From Seed to Exit",[49,10719,10720,10723],{},[52,10721,10722],{},"Revenue Operations:"," Aligning marketing spend with sales outcomes",[49,10725,10726,10729],{},[52,10727,10728],{},"Brand Strategy:"," Positioning startups for acquisition and investment",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10731},[10732],{"id":10642,"depth":297,"text":10643},"Meet Laura McAliley, a strategic partner to MKG and Founder of Pebble Marketing. She serves as a Fractional CMO, helping founders scale from seed to exit.",{"landscape":10735},"laura-mcaliley.webp","Fractional CMO | Founder, Pebble Marketing","laura-mcaliley",{"imageDescription":10739},"Laura McAliley, Fractional CMO and Founder of Pebble Marketing","Laura McAliley","\u002Fteam\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Flaura-mcaliley","Founders don't need another slide deck. They need a roadmap to revenue and a partner willing to get their hands dirty to build it.",{"description":10733},"team\u002Fmarketing-leadership\u002Flaura-mcaliley","ke5GsAQwur6LBbt6guZUCgKQT6MJJm8UL5XCaXjVnZM",{"id":10747,"title":1538,"body":10748,"date":7,"description":10768,"extension":318,"images":10769,"isLeader":322,"jobTitle":10771,"linkedIn":10772,"meta":10773,"name":1538,"navigation":322,"path":10774,"quote":10775,"quoteCite":10776,"ref":10772,"seo":10777,"sequence":2104,"stem":10778,"team":10779,"twitter":10780,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10781},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fnathan-stenberg.md",{"type":11,"value":10749,"toc":10766},[10750,10754,10757,10760,10763],[14,10751,10753],{"className":10752},[1567],"Our SEO Expert, Nathan, comes to MKG with an extensive background in digital marketing from front-end development to omni-channel marketing strategy.",[14,10755,10756],{},"He discovered SEO as part of a tech support job with a template website company where he was supporting clients with their websites. There he defined and developed the standards and processes that the SEO team would use for keyword research as well as the writing and implementation of the optimization. He then leveraged these standards to create an add-on subscription-based SEO product called “SEO Boost” which provided clients with a more proactive SEO service for their websites. This resulted in him providing keyword research and optimization recommendations for close to 1,500 websites during his tenure.",[14,10758,10759],{},"From there Nathan moved into the agency world, staring with a small boutique firm in Portland, OR, providing SEO audits and recommendations for clients ranging from small businesses to enterprise e-commerce companies.",[14,10761,10762],{},"He then moved to a larger agency and, once again, developed the SEO Team processes as the agency transitioned from an email-focused agency to a full-service digital marketing agency. During this time, Nathan was able to explore different areas of digital marketing strategy and really developed an understanding and passion for omni-channel marketing.",[14,10764,10765],{},"When Nathan is not working, he enjoys spending time with his partner and two children. You can find him playing casual sports, music, and Overwatch as well as snowboarding and cooking.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10767},[],"Meet Nathan Stenberg, one of MKG Marketing’s Digital Marketing Strategist, with an extensive background in digital marketing from front-end development to omni-channel strategy. ",{"landscape":10770},"nathan-stenberg.webp","Director, Strategy","nathan-stenberg",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Fnathan-stenberg","Repetition is the path to mastery.","Zenyatta",{"description":10768},"team\u002Fnathan-stenberg","Marketing Strategists","natestenberg23","1moy0e42nEoQgH0weNaASdQ6FTDWXwC5TDftv5YS3tU",{"id":10783,"title":10784,"body":10785,"date":7,"description":10813,"extension":318,"images":10814,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10608,"linkedIn":10816,"meta":10817,"name":10784,"navigation":322,"path":10818,"quote":10819,"quoteCite":1605,"ref":10820,"seo":10821,"sequence":10822,"stem":10823,"team":10417,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10824},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fnick-bare.md","Nick Bare",{"type":11,"value":10786,"toc":10811},[10787,10791,10794,10797,10800],[14,10788,10790],{"className":10789},[1567],"Nick Bare's college offered a digital technology and culture degree and heI ended up taking some communications and marketing classes as well and liked the thought of them all lining up with each other. Once he graduated, he landed a role in paid search and has been doing it for nine+ years now.",[14,10792,10793],{},"He loves that there's always a challenge to tackle. He enjoys taking on new accounts and getting into the weeds to see what can help them turn around and start driving more efficient leads.",[14,10795,10796],{},"He's most proud of being a dad.",[14,10798,10799],{},"Interesting facts:",[46,10801,10802,10805,10808],{},[49,10803,10804],{},"Born with a cleft lip and palate and has had seven surgeries in his life",[49,10806,10807],{},"Watched the Seahawks win Super Bowl 48 with his dad in New York",[49,10809,10810],{},"Travels around the country to visit all the MLB stadiums with his son",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10812},[],"Meet Nick Bare, one of MKG Marketing’s Digital Advertising Expert, bringing 15 plus years of experience to the team. ",{"landscape":10815},"nick-bare.webp","nickbare",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Fnick-bare","We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can't have both.","nick-bare",{"description":10813},52,"team\u002Fnick-bare","yVusNcEIbiAvdPE02qyDKE_aINcQ0QMXSeyOKv9x5PE",{"id":10826,"title":10827,"body":10828,"date":7,"description":10813,"extension":318,"images":10855,"isLeader":1664,"jobTitle":10857,"linkedIn":10858,"meta":10859,"name":10827,"navigation":322,"path":10860,"quote":10861,"quoteCite":10862,"ref":10863,"seo":10864,"sequence":10865,"stem":10866,"team":10867,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10868},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fprachi-sarin.md","Prachi Sarin",{"type":11,"value":10829,"toc":10853},[10830,10833,10836,10839],[14,10831,10832],{},"Prachi has worked in marketing for over 10 years across various industries, but digital marketing has always been her true interest. She finally got the opportunity to pursue it when she moved to the United States and joined MKG as an apprentice, embarking on her digital marketing journey.​",[14,10834,10835],{},"Why I Joined MKG Marketing:\nI joined MKG Marketing because of its people-first culture, transparency, and commitment to growth. It’s a place where I can learn, contribute, and work with a team that genuinely cares.",[14,10837,10838],{},"Fun Facts About Me:",[46,10840,10841,10844,10847,10850],{},[49,10842,10843],{},"I love to read detective, thriller, and mystery books and watch shows in the same genre.",[49,10845,10846],{},"I’m a mom to twin girls—they are my world! Watching them grow, learn, and explore life brings me joy.",[49,10848,10849],{},"I love cooking for my family. It started with my husband, who’s a foodie, and now we cook together for our daughters.",[49,10851,10852],{},"Our family also enjoys playing video games—it’s our way to unwind and have fun together.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10854},[],{"landscape":10856},"prachi-sarin.webp","Digital Marketing Coordinator","prachisarin",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Fprachi-sarin","We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we're curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.","Walt Disney","prachi-sarin",{"description":10813},75,"team\u002Fprachi-sarin","Digital Marketing","LjXpVTmZn-XwzExAyq2igbw_fHhrVcf4nOLoEmURbEQ",{"id":10870,"title":10871,"body":10872,"date":7,"description":10886,"extension":318,"images":10887,"isLeader":322,"jobTitle":10889,"linkedIn":10890,"meta":10891,"name":10871,"navigation":322,"path":10892,"quote":10893,"quoteCite":10894,"ref":10895,"seo":10896,"sequence":291,"stem":10897,"team":1610,"twitter":7,"updated":7,"website":7,"__hash__":10898},"team\u002Fteam\u002Fsam-ellsworth.md","Sam Ellsworth",{"type":11,"value":10873,"toc":10884},[10874,10878,10881],[14,10875,10877],{"className":10876},[1567],"Sam has over 15 years of experience managing the development of marketing campaigns for national and global brands. She started her career in San Francisco, working in account management at ad agencies, where she managed a range of successful marketing campaigns from Super Bowl TV spots and fully-integrated product launches to social media campaigns and events.",[14,10879,10880],{},"After 12 years in San Francisco, Sam and her husband decided it was time to leave the big city and find a slower pace of life, settling down outside of Burlington, Vermont. Sam spent her first couple years in Vermont working remotely for a San Francisco agency and then as the Marketing Director at a local craft brewery before joining the MKG team. She was drawn to MKG due to our people first value and the opportunity to get to focus on a few specific, results driven marketing tactics.",[14,10882,10883],{},"Outside of work, Sam spends her time with her husband, 4-year-old daughter and chocolate lab exploring Vermont and all it has to offer — from hiking, skiing and enjoying all the local food to growing their backyard garden and working on a never-ending list of house renovations.",{"title":77,"searchDepth":291,"depth":291,"links":10885},[],"Meet Sam Ellsworth, one of MKG Marketing’s amazing Account Directors, who brings over 15 years experience managing marketing campaign development. ",{"landscape":10888},"sam-ellsworth.webp","Director, Client Services","samantha-ellsworth-40875866",{},"\u002Fteam\u002Fsam-ellsworth","Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.","Dr. Seuss","sam-ellsworth",{"description":10886},"team\u002Fsam-ellsworth","Xb0ljkUHaVzTObdBxfiOxIpE5jcK9HSfgiMlBhd8fuc",1787835199647]