With the fast pace of the ad industry, it can be challenging to schedule time for agency bonding experiences. However, research has shown that companies that invest in team-building activities tend to have more cohesive personnel that work better on group projects.

“Brand” isn’t just about a company’s logo, slogan, and appearance. It also refers to a company’s overall identity, and how it sets itself apart from the competition.

These days having a website that captures a user’s attention and converts them into a loyal customer isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. A poorly designed site can cause your business to lose customers and ultimately money, and unfortunately, bad web design is more common than you might expect.

Marketing strategies require input from both the company doing the campaign and the ad agency itself. Clients need to be kept "in the loop" for them to have a chance of doing their part in a campaign. Sadly, many agencies lack a defined strategy for informing clients, while many customers tend to leave the reins of the campaign fully in the hands of the agency and don’t offer their input even when required.

Wendy O’Donovan Phillips, founder and CEO of healthcare marketing agency Big Buzz, has been accepted into Forbes Agency Council, an invitation-only community for owners of and executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative, and advertising agencies.

To learn more about keyword research view the full article on UpCity and read expert recommendations on the best keyword research tools on the market today.

In the spring of 2020, I was on the frontlines of the battle fought by small businesses worldwide. I am the owner of a small business that serves small businesses. Here are a few excerpts from my writings over the last few months. I hope they will provide the knowledge that we are all in this together, a few insights on how to continue forging forward and the reassurance that we will indeed persevere.

I started my company in my guest bedroom 13 years ago from one idea: put people first, and the rest will follow. From the time I hired my first employees, I have put the team first. When we are well, we have the energy to be good as gold to our clients and our clients stick with us. When we put people before projects, we all have a more positive experience, build lasting working relationships and, I believe, produce better marketing outcomes. The philosophy served us well from day one, and especially now as we serve clients through this crisis.

Sales is generally thought of as a job function, yet it’s really a human function. At its core, the art of sales is about connecting with people. The book Sales EQ reminds us that sales is the simple act of transferring emotion from one person to the other. The education system may still miss the mark on formally teaching sales, yet more and more we are seeing schools teach children about emotional intelligence.

You don't have to retire early. You don't have to hold a prestigious position. And if your work-life balance feels off, there's a good chance your family is understanding of the pressures you're facing.