As a digital marketing professional, you’ve likely received a host of cold calls and emails during your career about hundreds of digital marketing tools that will “forever change the way you do marketing.” While that can’t be true of all of them, there are some digital marketing tools that are worth paying for.

American adults spend more than 11 hours per day listening to, watching, reading or otherwise interacting with media content. We’re talking videos, podcasts, news articles and blogs, social media, email – you name it. Clearly, we can’t get enough of it.

In speeches and mission statements, you often hear organizations boast about being transparent. But what does transparency mean to them, and are they actually doing it? In a time when internet misinformation runs rampant, being fully transparent can sometimes feel risky. But at the same time, there’s a higher level of distrust among the public, making transparency even more important to build that trust. In fact, studies have shown that 86% of Americans say transparency from businesses is more important than ever before.

While email may seem an archaic form of marketing compared to social media influencers and newsfeed ads on TikTok, its marketing power may surprise you. As it turns out, two-thirds of customers have made a purchase as a direct result of an email marketing message. And on average, email generates $38 for every dollar spent, leading your business to a better return on investment.

For most nonprofit organizations, fundraising is something that touches almost every area of their organization. NPO's and NGO's often use the term development because there is a continuous system that cultivates engagement for each area of the organization. Ultimately, all of those avenues of impact engage people toward a goal that ends with financial support. This is why whole teams of staff and volunteers are dedicated to development, keeping the organization focused on working toward its mission.

It’s no coincidence that you’re seeing more and more for-profit companies participate in charitable giving and volunteering, and take a moral stance on big issues. According to the 2020 Zeno Strength of Purpose Study, 94 percent of global consumers say it is important that the companies they engage with have a strong purpose. In the Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2019, 42 percent of millennials said they have begun or deepened a business relationship because they perceive a company’s products or services to have a positive impact on society and/or the environment. Further, 37 percent said they have stopped or lessened a business relationship because of the company’s ethical behavior.

Banks are developing apps, calculators, worksheets, and more to help people manage their finances and draw in new leads. It's a whole new world out there, and now is the time to embrace the tools that customers are calling out for. 2019 saw more than one trillion financial application sessions, a record high according to the 2020 Mobile Finance Apps Report from Liftoff. The Financial Times calls the uptick in financial app users a "fintech feeding frenzy," and there's plenty to go around.

If you've been in the financial industry for a bit, you know compliance is a big deal. Financial institutions must comply with a multitude of regulations based on several different acts issued by various government bureaus and commissions. Of course, compliance is essential to your company's financial health because it helps you avoid lawsuits and fines. But just as importantly, compliance is also good for your brand. It promotes transparency, trust, and a feeling of safety among your customers and prospects and helps them make accurate and informed decisions.

Many sources date the first press release back to 1906, following a Pennsylvania Railroad accident. The agency staff released coverage about the event before journalists could cover it on their own. It's rumored that some newspapers re-published the release nearly verbatim – a brilliant success for the Railroad's PR team.

Nonprofits, NGOs, and charitable organizations have transitioned heavily in the marketplace to being forces for awareness and action in Western Culture. Whereas once, marketing was focused solely on fundraising events, membership drives, or various development pitches, nonprofit branding has become a significant force of influence, as social good has become intertwined with our daily lives. As a nonprofit, the brand has the potential to be the driving force or a disassociative challenge toward your goals of creating awareness, development, or public support for your mission. An effective brand shows the areas where target audiences are aligned with your organization, calling them to partner with you toward success.