We all like to think we know our customers. That we have them completely figured out, that surely they think like us, and that we are as familiar with them as we are our own GamGam.

There's an old saying in marketing called The Rule of 7. Discovered by former advertising executives of the 1930s, the Rule of 7 is the average number of times a person must be exposed to your messaging before taking any action. Luckily with a solid social media strategy planned out, this becomes much easier. But it only works if your potential buyer recognizes your brand every single time they see it. For this to happen, your brand needs to be consistent across various topics, no matter the location or situation.

When social media first came out, developing a following and getting likes and shares was the task at hand. It was largely reactive, rather than proactive and responded to the trends of the day, rather than setting trends. As professional marketers expanded the social media space, being proactive and building trends became the pathway for much of the traffic. As this has continued, organic social media has taken a back seat to paid social efforts. As with most endeavors, paid advertising is what grassroots efforts use to go from local hotspot to regional or national trends.

When it comes to a website, many companies either tend to either hammer something out themselves, buy one, and then let it sit. But your website isn't a succulent you buy at the market, set on display, and ignore for months only to find it's blossomed beautifully. Think of your website instead as a garden, one that needs constant tending, with different needs and changes arising with the changing seasons. Likewise, if you ignore its existence, it won't bare you much fruit. But hey, we know you're busy. You don't have time to comb through every possible web factor that could require maintenance.

It’s here! The day that never seemed like it would come. The one we could hardly see from the depths of our quarantine stupor, sick with cabin fever and drunk on toilet paper power. Slowly but surely, however, a light began to shine on the horizon, and soon enough, it was time to ditch our robes, open the doors, and get back to work.

As the world has made significant shifts in response to health and safety in the last few months, so have businesses. Perhaps more than anyone, business owners have had to retain their sense of humor, stay flexible, and present a stalwart self. It's no easy task, and just like much of business, it's not for the faint of heart.

Social distancing is the hottest new term in our culture's arsenal. The unique side of this is that it is not so much of a social disconnection, as it is an experience of physical distance. We've had years of being social online, with people we have never met. Outside of your Mom wishing you and the kids would visit more, the pressures of distance have been eased by Facebook, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and others. Yet, the challenge that so many are experiencing right now is not how to be more socially present, but how to cooperate and collaborate well in their space.

For small to medium-sized businesses, having the right tools can mean everything when it comes to their success. When you're running an SMB (small to medium-sized business), there are always more tasks than can be done, more hours required in a day than are realistically available. With business owners facing such an enormous amount of responsibility, the tools they employ become indispensable. Business is a battle, and going in with the wrong tool can be like jumping out of the trenches with no more than a water gun in your hand.

So, your sitting in a meeting and someone starts dropping acronyms like there's no tomorrow... You're reading the P&L, making sure you've got enough ROI on your SEO, and your COO starts talking about Q2 returns YOY, and how your MQLs have been outperforming your SQLs while your COS is climbing.

As we continue forecasting what marketing trends we think will be a major hit for 2020, today, we turn our sights on branding. Easily one of the most exciting facets of the marketing world, branding just gets better and better as companies have to try harder to compete to gain the attention of overloaded customers. Today we are taking a look at the best trends of 2020 when it comes to branding, and why we're so excited about them.