Last week, we asked, "Are You Promoting a Show or Lifestyle?" This week we're highlighting the benefits of having a point of view. For example, what values are you promoting and/or taking a stand for? At Goldstar, we think life gets better when you go out, sit or stand in a room filled with other people and experience something new (or fun or familiar). If your company believes in certain values, then most likely, your customers do, too. In her Xeim article, Molly...

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92 percent of marketing agencies confirmed the effectiveness of influencer marketing, writes Lucas Miller for Entrepreneur. In his article, Miller outlines six essential influencer-marketing truths. Below are two, then read the rest here. "Authenticity is key. In influencer marketing, authenticity is the number-one priority. It's important to find influencers that truly believe in your product. Customers can see through an influencer who's promoting a product for a paycheck. This kind of promotion won't drive sales, and it may even give your brand...

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In order to achieve success today, "you must stick out among the noise," writes Ron Lieback for Search Engine Journal. Lieback lists 10 essential elements to create and sustain brand identity. We share one tip below, then read the rest here: "Consistency Across Every Channel When creating and building your brand identity, keep your messaging and voice consistent across every channel of communication. The social media channels are obvious but don’t forget your blogs, guest blogs, website copy, PR efforts, newsletters, email replies,...

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Looking for a little #MondayMotivation? We’re pulling out past stories that are still just as relevant today. Here’s a pearl from Jim: Exactly What Was Wrong With the Comcast Customer Service Phone Call. You’ve probably heard this painful conversation between a customer trying to leave Comcast and a customer service rep struggling to keep him from doing that. It’s tough for me to listen to. I hear the customer’s frustration, and that’s bad enough, but if you listen to the rep, it’s even worse. My goal...

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Customer loyalty is harder to come by these days with so many brand choices via the internet. Chidike Samuelson writes for Entrepreneur: "Data by American Express has shown that nearly 60 percent of customers try a new brand or a company just to find better customer service. In fact, 89 percent of customers often swap to a company’s direct competitor after bad service." Customer service is more important than ever. Samuelson highlights four keys to satisfying today's customers. We share one tip...

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Jim once wrote on this blog about the irrelevance of stores and how that affects live entertainment (Hint: It's a good thing). He stated: "Where we’re going is very simple: We need fewer and fewer stores for retail goods, but we’ll either replace those with empty spaces, with residences or offices, or with experience-driven businesses." Stores must continually reinvent themselves. One way retailers are upping their game is by using employee communication platforms to better assist customers. PSFK highlights how three brands...

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"People crave and seek out great stories almost as much as food and water," writes Clifford Chi on HubSpot. Chi has compiled a list of 15 inspiring storytelling quotes from some of the world’s most insightful authors and filmmakers to help you channel your inner storyteller. We share four quotes below, then read the rest here: “The most amazing thing for me is that every single person who sees a movie, not necessarily one of my movies, brings a whole set...

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Looking for a little #MondayMotivation? We’re pulling out past stories that are still just as relevant today. Here’s a pearl from Jim: Remember the Fan Even Before You Forget. Here’s a story that shows what happens when an organization forgets that it’s about the fan, and then remembers. In Major League Soccer, there’s a team called the New York Red Bulls. If the logo looks familiar, there’s a good reason. The team is owned by Red Bull, the makers of the heinous-tasting,...

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We can't believe it either: 2019 is here! And so are the predictions about what to expect in the coming year. Entrepreneur's Deep Patel highlights the top 10 social media trends to watch for this year. We're sharing three trends below, then read the rest here. Social media is about storytelling. Social media’s popularity is rooted in the fact that it allows us to share our life experiences with friends and families. We get to tell our stories through our posts, and...

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