Construction Marketing with Purpose: Recent Episodes
Monica Pitts & Stacy Brockmeier
The Construction Marketing with Purpose podcast focuses on marketing your commercial and heavy highway construction company. Sharing tools, tips, tricks, and quips to get you to your goals and make sure your marketing doesn't suck.
With all the marketing Talking Heads out there telling you that a podcast is the “new blog” I'm sure you're asking yourself, “Should I have a podcast?”
(Right alongside should I do Tiktok, start a YouTube channel or just go old school and start that cotton pickin’ blog).
Well, in this article/podcast episode my goal is to help make that decision - is podcasting the right marketing tool for you?
Because let's face it you can't do them all. You need to do the one that fits inside your strengths zone, effectively tells your story and connects with your audience.
To get you to that point where you feel super comfortable and in control, I'm going to review 10 categories I feel you should discuss with your potential web developers.
Within each of these categories, I’ll also give you specific questions to ask, so you know exactly what web lingo to use, and you can understand what you might be getting from this relationship.
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/web-design-company-interview-guide/
Are you in the market for a new computer? Then this episode is for you. We sit down with Jamie Cote from Personalized Computers in Columbia, MO and ask all the questions you need answers to when searching for the perfect computer.
TimestampsIntroducing Jamie Cote and Personalized Computers - 0:32
What is the CPU and what does it do? - 4:30
Which processor should you pick? - 8:42
What is RAM? - 14:38
How to reduce the amount of memory you are using - 15:42
What size of RAM do you need? - 19:01
What else can affect how your computer runs? - 22:06
What to look for in storage - 25:15
What is the SSD? - 26:11
What size of SSD do you need? - 31:18
What is the GPU? - 34:07
Do you need a desktop or a laptop? - 37:49
Should you get Windows 10 or Windows 11? - 43:17
How to reach Jamie and Personalized Computers - 44:39
For a full transcription, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/picking-the-right-computer-for-your-marketing-with-guest-jamie-cote/
We welcome our first international guest to the podcast, Marc Muehlberger, with Content Creation Studio Academy.
We discuss how to get the best marketing photos using just the phone you already have in your pocket. Learn how to spot a good shot, why more photos are always better than less and what you can do with those photos to make your designer’s life a little bit easier.
TimestampsIntroduction of Marc Muehlberger - 1:18
Pros and Cons of using your iPhone for marketing photos - 3:50
Finding the best light for your photos - 7:32
Paying attention to what is around you in photos - 10:48
Editing photos on your phone - 13:57
Using the right lens setting - 16:43
Tips for those in front of the camera - 19:57
Posing for photos - 22:21
Taking more photos than you think you need - 26:54
Image format suggestions - 34:12
Naming your photos - 39:29
Practicing really does make perfect - 42:49
Where to find Marc Muehlberger - 45:31
Creating an FAQ video - 47:42
Check out the full transcript for this episode on our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/getting-great-marketing-photos-using-your-phone/
We recently hosted a Live Website Planning Workshop, and as our little gift to you, we're now making it available on-demand for a limited time!
Be sure to listen to this episode before it disappears on February 16th, and check out our upcoming Better Than DIY Website Program if you'd like additional support for planning and launching your website.
We have a free downloadable offering on the MayeCreate website. It's called What to Put on Your Website. And on the success page for that download, we asked people what else do you need to know in their web planning journey. Many people said they wanted to learn about writing for their website. They are stuck trying to figure out the writing.
I’m here to say we heard you! I even dedicated an entire learning sequence about writing for your website in our upcoming Better Than DIY Website program.
So, thank you so much for your feedback, everyone. It really does help me help you on your journey to getting an awesome website that's going to grow your business.
With that in mind, let's figure out this writing thing.
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/the-dos-and-donts-of-writing-for-your-website/
There are all kinds of ways you can, through a supported system, build your website. But do you have what it takes to build your website? Let's walk through it together.
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-build-your-own-website
Unlike some other products or services, websites have a lot of moving parts that allow them to be seen and work, and they require upkeep. These moving parts also have associated costs, but many people don't know that.
Some web providers put additional costs in a package and just charge you a monthly lump sum. It’s hard to know what is all covered by your monthly payment, it just falls under the category of “WEBSITE”. You might think it's for them to update your site. And it might be! But it also probably includes things like the cost of your domain name, hosting, or other hidden costs.
To view a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/the-hidden-and-recurring-costs-of-building-a-website
You’ve decided it’s time to update your website. Or, maybe you don’t have a website yet, but you’re ready to take that step.
Let me be your guide today as we go through my tips and tricks to help you get through the design process as quickly as possible. I want you to get through this process without belly-flopping in the middle.
For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/time-saving-tips-for-a-website-redo
I’m going to help you figure out which site builder is right for you. If you're doing a complete overhaul on your website, then you're asking yourself a lot of questions. What type of website should I even have? Should it be on Wix? On WordPress? Somewhere else? Where should I build this thing?
My goal is to help you get a big picture view of the differences between these systems and their features. Hopefully, this overview will jumpstart your decision making process, so you can pick the right type of site that will ultimately help you grow.
For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/wix-weebly-squarespace-wordpress-whats-the-difference
A theme can make or break your website.It controls how it looks, functions and limits (or expands) your ability as a web administrator to expand and build your site. In this post, we'll cover Themes VS Templates, What Themes Do, Free vs. Paid Themes, and The Evolution of the MayeCreate Theme.We'll also provide you with your very own Theme Selection Checklist.For a fully-formatted article version of this content, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/picking-the-right-wordpress-theme/
I know it's an undertaking, but without a good website, growing your business is hard.Your website should be a bridge between an Internet user and your business. It's the first face of your business they see. If your website’s not good, it's a roadblock to growing your business.
If you believe these myths, you’re building roadblocks, not bridges.
For a fully-formetted article version of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/7-website-myths-that-are-total-crap/
The first step to building an awesome website is creating an awesome plan. The first step to planning your website isn’t creating a pinterest board of million dollar kitchens to inspire your peanut butter and jelly budget project.
You need to make some foundational decisions first. Decisions that will ultimately make it easier to plan and build your new site to meet your needs AND stay in your budget.
As an added bonus the answers to these questions will allow you evaluate potential web designers and enter conversations about your site with confidence (even if that designer ends up being yourself).
Five decisions to make before building your new website:
- What is going to be on your site?
- What does your site need to do?
- What are your future plans for your organization?
- Who is going to build it?
- How is it going to be built?
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/5-decisions-you-need-to-make-before-you-build-your-new-website
Here at MayeCreate, being web designers and all, we kinda think almost everyone should have a website. But notice I said “almost everyone” not “absolutely”. But someone recently asked me, “Do businesses even need websites anymore?” (After which I almost fainted in shock.) But it prompted my wheels turning.
Maybe we need to take a teensy step back. And instead of all this constant talk about what to put on your site and how to build it and what features it should have we need to first address those of you who don’t even know if you need the stinking thing.
So we made a quiz! So we put together a simple quiz to help you decide if you’re one of the special exceptions who actually don’t need a website. Keep track of your responses; by the end, you’ll have your answer!
For a fully-formatted article version of this content, visit: https://mayecreate.com/blog/quiz-do-you-even-need-a-website
You may've seen our recent posts about projects sections on construction websites. In them, we talk a lot about how useful online portfolios are for building your construction company’s credibility, increasing time visitors spend on your site, & displaying your amazing abilities as a construction crew. What these posts don’t cover is the types of layouts you have to choose from, how they look and which would work best for your own construction business. It’s about time we talked about all that.
For a fully-formatted article version of this information, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/construction-portfolio-examples-what-type-should-your-construction-company-use/
Around here, we love Halloween, and what’s Spooky Season without a few scary stories? In my over 23 years of website development, I’ve collected several stories that will make your skin crawl. From sites that just won’t die to havoc-wreaking hackers, we’ve seen just about everything. Let’s explore some of the scariest.
To view this content as a fully-formatted blog post, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/11-true-tales-from-the-crypt-website-horror-stories/
Determining whether or not to add a portfolio to your construction website is the easy part (you should). Planning your portfolio’s layout, functionality and features opens a whole other can of worms. Have no fear, because we put together a solid list of important factors to consider while you map it out.
For a fully-formatted blog post featuring this content, visit https://mayecreate.com/blog/making-a-website-portfolio-for-your-construction-company-things-to-consider/
Today’s hiring market is worlds away from where we were even just a few years ago.
So we asked our new friend, April Lopinot, Vice President at L. Keeley Construction, how she’s found success hiring in this new landscape. Unsurprisingly, it’s going to require making some changes, but she walks us all through how her company did, and how to implement some of those practices yourself.
Episode Highlights
Introduction to April Lopinot and Keeley - 1:35
Navigating the current hiring market - 5:23
Adjusting your business and recruitment practices - 10:00
Offering incentives and showing appreciation - 14:15
Finding quality candidates - 17:33
Treating hiring like running a business - 25:27
Testing new hiring practices - 27:00
Thinking outside the box - 30:48
For a fully-formatted blog post of this episode, visit our website at:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/hiring-in-todays-market-with-guest-april-lopinot/
Don’t let your domain name suck. Your domain name is the navigator for your business's digital footprint. It's important to get a good one, because we've all dealt with bad ones, spelling them on repeat on the phone, giving up and sending an email with a link instead. If you’re currently stuck doing this, it is a sign your domain name sucks. Let’s change that.
What makes an awesome domain name? There are simple steps you can take to get a great domain name, perfect for your company or organization.
- Choose the right domain name extension
- Make sure your domain name makes sense and is as close to your organization name as possible
- Keep your domain name short
- If your company name is hard to spell, buy variations of your domain name
- Make sure it can be read easily, and doesn’t say any bad things
- Purchase general domain names available for your industry and location, but get your company name as well
- Choose a registrar, and stay up to date with your payments
To read a fully-formatted article version of this episode, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-pick-a-domain-name-that-doesn39t-suck
People like LinkedIn because the content is more positive than on other platforms.
It's a social network worth investing in for construction companies.
And I’m not just saying that.
This past spring, I went to trade shows and surveyed commercial construction companies, engineering companies, and suppliers. Almost everybody I spoke to said LinkedIn was their number one network to get new hires and business.
In this podcast/blog post combo Elizabeth, our MayeCreate social media expert, and I will cover:
- How to get started on LinkedIn
- Best things to post
- Tricks for hiring on LinkedIn
- And more!
To view a fully-formatted blog post of this information, visit our website at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-promote-your-construction-company-on-linkedin/
As a department of one, Cindy Cox, Employee Relations Manager for Lionmark, has hands in hiring, evaluations, team building and so much more. We sat down with her to learn the secrets to doing it all. Come to find out, it’s all about finding a shared purpose, building a community, and yes, sharing a walking taco or two.
Timestamps Introduction of Cindy Cox - 1:12
Overview of Lionmark - 5:30
Incorporating company values to keep employees - 9:24
How to break up staff cliques and encourage team building - 15:01
Best practices for finding new staff - 19:03
Utilizing HR software to lighten the workload - 25:10
Creating systems for time and people management - 33:01
Holding effective employee evaluations - 36:31
Where to find more about Lionmark - 42:20
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/what-team-building-and-walking-tacos-have-in-common/
Get a crash course on using Facebook to Promote your Construction Company in this weeks episode.
No. Facebook isn't dead. Research compiled by Hootsuite shares that 69% of Americans over 18 use Facebook, and it is the most popular social network for users aged 35-44.
To this day, it’s the platform where you’ll reach the widest variety of people.
Dig in with us as we dissect how to craft your Facebook Strategy: * Creating a Facebook Page * Reviving a Dormant Page * Building a Following * Get People to Interact with Your Content * Evaluating What’s Working
Read the blog post at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/using-facebook-to-promote-your-construction-company/
Today, we are going to focus on HR because I know that’s a challenge that we hear about so much in the industry. I have two awesome guests; our own Stacy Brockmeier – wearer of many hats, including HR – and Ashley Delaney-Olson, Director of Human Resources for the Wesson Group. We’re going to talk about what it takes to develop a people-centric company culture that fosters respect, action and loyalty in an era when job satisfaction is higher on prospective employee’s must-have list than ever before.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, visit our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/building-a-culture-of-respect-and-action-with-ashley-delaney-olson/
Public Service Announcement – Google Analytics is Changing This is the first major change in over a decade. My frenemy Google keeps emailing me about how stuff is changing, and my greatest fear is all those emails get stuck in your junk mail.
Google is trying to create something that will be an equally awesome as the Universal Analtyics tracking system we've enjoyed for so long without making people use cookies to track user behavior on the websites.
Universal Analytics is going to stop processing data on July 1, 2023. Having a deadline is great and all but here’s the deal. We don’t know how long your current account is going to exist, and we don’t know how long you’re going to have access to it. We all need to get on board and make the switch ASAP. In this episode I'll tell you who need to worry about it, who doesn't and what to do to keep the data rolling in!
Read this episide in blog form at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/google-analytics-4-the-time-to-freak-out-is-nigh/
Job searchers use around 7.6 job sites to find their next position. Short of paying for it you don’t have a ton of control over how online job boards display your listings.
But here’s the good news, the next step in the journey of a potential hire is to search for your company to learn more about who you are before applying. The first thing they typically find is your website. And that is something you DO have control over.
What story does your website tell about your company? In this episode we'll explain the 6 things you need to share the story job seekers are looking for:
- Put people front and center in your imagery. Show off the awesome people who work for you, and don't use those stupid stock photos.
- Provide visitors a clear route to your hiring section. Don't hide it, don't put it in a drop-down menu, don't put it at the bottom of the screen, stick it right up top on the main navigation.
- Dedicate a page for each type of person you hire, even though it's not always easy, because you're going to feel like you're saying the same things over and over again. Tailor it to each type of person you're going to hire. Then as you're writing your text, be real, be you, be transparent, be thorough, be brave and be human.
- Showcase your flexibility however you do it. You know it's super important to people, and it is an objection we need to face head-on.
- Highlight your community involvement and show potential applicants how you take care of your community.
- Make it easy to apply online. Your application needs to work on a mobile phone and be easy for your HR department to process.
The sooner you can implement these tips, the better your website will be, and the faster you can hire the people you need in your organization.
Read the blog post at: https://mayecreate.com/blog/6-ways-to-turn-your-website-into-a-hiring-machine/
Hackers suck. They’re like the armpit of humanity. They just you feel victimized. It’s like having someone break into your house or your car and steal something. But it’s worse because you’re not just out these physical possessions, you have to figure out how to remedy this really, really yucky situation.
So let’s dig in and talk about the number one way that you can protect your website from hackers.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/1-way-to-protect-your-website-from-hackers/
Once, somebody broke into my house. We came back from vacation, and we walked into the house. My oldest daughter, who was two at the time, goes, “Mama, where TV go?” I look over, and sure enough, no TV there. You know what else was gone? All the beer in our fridge. Somebody stole our beer, our TV and my husband's Big 12 championship ring, which was a real stinking bummer. We felt gross, violated and a little unsafe. That's how you feel, with a gigantic dollop of irritation plopped on top, when somebody hacks your stinking website. Why are they doing it anyway? Why do hackers hack? I'm going to tell you. They hack for three main reasons.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/why-do-hackers-hack
We have had many, many interns over the last 17 years at MayeCreate. Some of them have been terrible, and others have been amazing. One of them still works for us to this day. They’re good, they’re bad, they’re everything in between… The only thing you can manage is how you manage them. So I’m going to give you 10 intern management tips from my former interns. Yep, that’s right – intern management tips from interns! They actually wrote all of these tips for me so I could share them with you.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/10-intern-management-tips-from-my-former-interns
All of us are trying to do our jobs on a budget and accomplish great things with our marketing.
There are always moments in your business where you think to yourself, “man, if I just had another set of hands, I could be much more successful.” This is why we hire interns.
I have hired a lot of interns in the 17 years I have operated my company, MayeCreate Design. Some of them have been amazing. Some of them have been not amazing.
I am going to talk you through the ins and outs of marketing interns, what they're really great at and what they're not so great at. For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/hiring-a-marketing-intern-what-theyre-good-for-and-where-to-find-them/
It’s the biggest change Facebook has made to a core functionality in a really long time, but we don’t need to panic yet.
These changes are a slow and random rollout eventually coming for all Pages. You can hold out for a little while longer, but this change is definitely coming, and it’s not going to be optional for long.
Here's what you need to know...
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/facebook-changed-pages-what-that-means-for-you
We have clients who come to us and ask this question all the time. They have one business, and their business has multiple divisions. They know that they need a website, but they don’t know if they just need one website or if they need many websites.
So Stacy has a set of questions that she has them answer. Once she gets those answers, she tells them whether they should go with one website or many websites.
So let’s let Stacy take us through those questions right now so you can understand if you need one or many websites for your business with multiple divisions.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/one-business-multiple-divisions-one-website-or-many-websites
In the beginning when people first contact MayeCreate, we have a lot of conversations about how they’re going to build their website. Some of these people have decided they’re going with a professional agency like ours, but there are lots of different types of website developers out there.
Each one comes with different things to consider, let's go through each option and define the decision-making factors. Then, you can decide which kind of designer is right for you.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/the-7-types-of-web-designers
We have been remodeling things in our office and homes for the last few years, and these experiences have made us acutely aware now of what is not included in a remodel bid.
We hadn’t remodeled anything before. No one gave us a checklist to follow…so imagine our surprise when we were presented with 1000s of dollars in “upgrades” that we thought were included in the original estimate.
Luckily website remodels tend to cost far less then home remodels. But still, no one likes being sent an extra invoice for work they thought was part of the original project plan.
Because just like we hadn’t ever gone through a home remodel before you don't build websites every day, so how can you possibly be expected to know what’s included and what’s not?
That’s what this post is all about. Uncovering the 10 most common things you might think are included. For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/whats-not-included-in-your-web-design
This is for those of you marketers who have to design – and even for you marketers who love to design. Because maybe you get stuck. Maybe it takes longer than you want it to. If you're designing things from scratch, it’s time consuming. At MayeCreate, we design things from scratch so we're always looking for ways to speed up the process, but still create beautiful, functional Websites. These are just six of our absolute favorite tools and libraries we use to get organized and get the creative juices flowing. Hopefully you can use some of them to rock out your own designs as well.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/6-design-tools-libraries-to-get-your-creative-on/
If your email marketing system isn’t doing what it needs to do for you and you’re considering switching to MailChimp or MailerLite – this review is for you.
I was a huge MailChimp fan…until I had to use it regularly myself. It has some very positive features. I’m not saying MailChimp isn’t right for you though, I support over 60 clients who use the system and love it.
Last year we switched from MailChimp to MailerLite but before making that decision I interviewed MANY email systems from SendInBlue to ConvertKit before settling into MailerLite. And you know what, it’s not perfect either. But it is better for me, sort of. At least I hate it less.
I’ve created new workarounds and I still have a stupid spreadsheet but at least now I don’t need google maps to find my way around. I’m going to give you my honest review after using MailerLite for the past year and a half and MailChimp for God knows how many so you can see which one might make you less pissed as you’re building your marketing emails. Here goes…
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/mailchimp-vs-mailerlite
Today we are going to talk about solving problems. At MayeCreate, we love solving problems. One we solve day after day for our clients is helping their businesses run smoother by leveraging their website to take some of the day to day heavy lifting off of their staff.
We’re gonna go through six different challenges that we solve for people every day (with maybe some bonuses thrown in for fun).
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/cool-website-integrations-that-save-you-time-which-saves-you-money/
Today we are going to talk about solving problems. At MayeCreate, we love solving problems. One we solve day after day for our clients is helping their businesses run smoother by leveraging their website to take some of the day to day heavy lifting off of their staff.
We’re gonna go through six different challenges that we solve for people every day (with maybe some bonuses thrown in for fun).
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/cool-website-integrations-that-will-save-you-time-and-money
Construction website trends are following many of the same trends in other industries with their own special flair.
How did I gather this data? Well to be real, I googled “Commercial Construction Websites” and then I clicked on every article reviewing websites and reviewed them as I found them; good, bad and ugly — 55 in all. The construction companies are from all over the US and range from small to large. They don’t all do exactly the same thing, as I’m sure you would expect because Commercial construction is a pretty big industry definition, filled with everything from specialists to general contractors.
Here’s what I found… For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/commercial-construction-website-trends
Construction website trends are following many of the same trends in other industries with their own special flair.
How did I gather this data? Well to be real, I googled “Commercial Construction Websites” and then I clicked on every article reviewing websites and reviewed them as I found them; good, bad and ugly — 55 in all. The construction companies are from all over the US and range from small to large. They don’t all do exactly the same thing, as I’m sure you would expect because Commercial construction is a pretty big industry definition, filled with everything from specialists to general contractors.
Here’s what I found… For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/commercial-construction-website-trends
We’re going to trade shows! They’re happening! We are getting in front of each other face to face!
So if you are the person on your team tasked with making sure you have an awesome-looking booth, I’m sure right now, you’re thinking a lot about what your signage will look like for your booth.
And that’s good. Don’t be the person who just gets in and wings it. Because then you forget stuff, which stinks because signage can be costly, and you want to make an amazing first impression. Especially since it’s been so long since you’ve had the opportunity to make face-to-face first impressions. (If you’re not sure how to set up your booth for success you may want to check out our recent post – how to set up an amazing trade show booth.)
So today we’re going to outline just what to put on your signage. I am putting on my art director hat, doing the same thing I would do for any of my designers – make a checklist of what you need to put on your trade show banner. Then I’ll give you the directions you need to make sure you or the person tasked with designing your booth does a great job and has everything they need.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/5-things-you-should-put-on-your-trade-show-banner
We’re going to trade shows! They’re happening! We are getting in front of each other face to face!
So if you are the person on your team tasked with making sure you have an awesome-looking booth, I’m sure right now, you’re thinking a lot about what your signage will look like for your booth.
And that’s good. Don’t be the person who just gets in and wings it. Because then you forget stuff, which stinks because signage can be costly, and you want to make an amazing first impression. Especially since it’s been so long since you’ve had the opportunity to make face-to-face first impressions. (If you’re not sure how to set up your booth for success you may want to check out our recent post – how to set up an amazing trade show booth.)
So today we’re going to outline just what to put on your signage. I am putting on my art director hat, doing the same thing I would do for any of my designers – make a checklist of what you need to put on your trade show banner. Then I’ll give you the directions you need to make sure you or the person tasked with designing your booth does a great job and has everything they need.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/5-things-you-should-put-on-your-trade-show-banner
Marketers are always pressed for time (especially because you’re either selling your time OR you’re wearing multiple hats). While I’m not always the fastest draw in the west, I like to think I have a solid process to produce quality work with a reliable turnaround time. Finding ways to improve processes without sacrificing quality is etched into our company culture. The team is always slacking about some awesome new find or another. Don’t even get me started on my new tablet. It’s AMAZING.
Here are our favorite tools to keep creativity flowing and crush lag time.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/9-free-and-cheap-marketing-tools
My favorite list of all time is my Mexico packing list. I’m forever sharing it with friends and family for beach vacations. While trade show packing isn’t nearly as glamorous (or bulky - packing kids’ life jackets takes up A LOT of room), getting the right supplies is essential to a lasting booth set up and overall experience. Nothing’s better than loaning out your supplies to booth neighbors. Saving the day is a great way to make friends!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/44-items-that-should-be-on-your-trade-show-packing-list/
When it comes to marketing we all start where we are. And that’s OK.
What’s not OK is when we do all the work to move forward and build marketing assets but don’t use them because we never took the next step. Then those hard earned assets are about as useful for growing your business as the change sitting under your couch cushions is for buying Starbucks.
I have personally forgotten every single one of the items on this checklist at least once. Let’s take a look at my list of misadventures so you can learn from my mistakes instead of making them yourself.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/marketing-inventory-checklist/
The most common way to suck at your marketing is to just straight up not do your marketing. And I hear all the excuses. Heck I’ve made those same excuses myself.
So one of the easiest ways to start succeeding in your marketing is to actually GET IT DONE consistently. But back to those excuses again, right? Seems like all revolve around the big bad four letter “T” word…time.
Well let's blow up the “T” word. And put some ideas on the table to get work done faster so we call go back to working on all the other stuff we’re responsible for!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/8-tips-to-save-time-boost-marketing-productivity
You know what is totally lame? I reviewed 10 digital marketing benchmarks reports. The lameness stems from only finding ONE report dedicated to construction marketing. The others don’t even list “construction” as its own industry. I’m going to save you the trouble and share the construction specific data I collected from these reports -- and that's not lame, that's awesome!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/8-construction-marketing-trends-to-inform-2022
All booths start out the same: 3 sides, a curtain at the back, a table, a few chairs, all on the same carpet as the other booths. Nothing special. Consider the booth your canvas and make it your own. And I don’t mean just signage, though that’s certainly important. I mean that everything from the arrangement of your booth to the people in it all work to make it a success!
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/setting-up-for-trade-show-booth-success/
As the fiscal year comes to a close, everyone starts thinking about all the things they’ll need to do to continue growing their business next year. In my world, a big part of that planning is marketing, and all marketing decisions start with review: review the numbers and review with your people.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/annual-marketing-review-checklist/
Monica Pitts and Stacy Brockmeier of MayeCreate Design interview expert guest Len Toenjes, President of AGC Missouri, about best practices for using the latest technology to hire construction employees.
You can also find the full episode here: https://mayecreate.com/blog/using-tech-to-hire-construction-employees/
Since you are here I could probably assume that you already understand why it's important that your website loads quickly. But, alas, a good teacher starts at the beginning--and we all know how great assumptions are--so let's take a quick second and talk about why it's so important to have a fast loading website.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/fast-loading-website-formula/
Let's start with an beachy concept: your website is an island. Your marketing and search engines like Google are like boats, taking people out to your lovely website island. Without the boats, traffic to the island is slow. The more boats you have sending people to your website island, the more visitors you’ll have. So what activities constitute as a boat? Let’s talk about a few ways (a.k.a. boats) to float traffic to your site...
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/9-ways-to-drive-traffic-to-your-site/
When it comes to drones, I’ve been clinically declared an idiot. That’s okay though - because I know someone who is a drone genius. And since I know enough to know that the fastest growing commercial adopter of drone use on the job site is the construction industry, I know that this genius has some useful information for my clients who do construction! So today I’m going to bring the two of you together. His name is Bruce Bishop and he owns a drone photography business. See, I’m not a total idiot. Just a drone idiot… but after today, I won’t be.
For a fully-formatted article version, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/tips-for-drone-footage/
You used to be able to pop up a photo and a few words and you were good to go. Now social media is becoming a more integrated part of sales and marketing, forcing a good social media manager to wear a variety of hats. So, which traits are the most important ones for a good social media manager to have? Sit down - I'll tell you!
For a fully-formtted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/cmwp-who-should-be-doing-your-social-media
often the first encounter people have with your business. You want your Google listing to be as influential as possible. But with all the kinds of listings out there, how does Google determine who gets what? Read on for the nitty gritty of it, from ads to rich answers to organic results - It’s a short read, but it’s long on Google insight (pun intended)...
For a fully-formtted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/types-of-google-search-listings/
Some sites are like mean girls. There are some sites that totally stink, but many of them are quite lovely on the outside and a bit like mean girls on the inside. Basically they’re shallow. They lack the things they need to be compliant and well-rounded.
I'm going to tell you how to take that mean girl website and turn it into the girl the audience is rooting for...
https://mayecreate.com/blog/8-hidden-things-every-website-needs-copy
It’s time for you to show off the awesome landscaping job you did for a house last week. You have to make sure you’re presenting your talent well, so your picture of this must be top-notch. Does this mean you’re going to hire a professional photographer? Maybe not.
If you’re handy with a camera and pay attention to details, taking pictures can be a simple task you can easily handle. Just follow these easy steps and your website’s photos will be hard to miss: https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/construction-phone-photography-crash-course/
The goal when hiring for your company is to find the best way to connect with the most qualified people, right? Take your hiring approach to the next level using these 6 tips for how to meet prospects where they are: online.
For a fully-formtted article version of this episode, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/marketing-to-hire-online-recruitment-strategies/
Dang, I wish everyone had Google Analytics installed on their websites; it lets you see how people are using your site - for free.
I install it on every site we build. Clients get reports. I’m filled with joy by sharing all this amazing data and you know what they say to me?
“That’s pretty Monica, but I have no clue what any of it means.”
So that, my friends, is what I’m unearthing today - how to tell what people are doing on your site using Google Analytics.
For a fully-formtted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-tell-what-people-are-doing-on-your-website
Your patrons are as much a part of your marketing team as your marketing director.
Most people think of marketing as just their logo, business cards or a sign on the side of their truck (and maybe, if we’re lucky, their website too). While those are indeed important and essential marketing assets, they’re not what builds the reputation of your company.
Your ability to effectively communicate with your prospects and customers directly influences their happiness with your end product. So, how can we adjust our communication and marketing to exceed customer expectations and send a clear message of excellence to our audience?
For a fully-formtted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/podcast/marketing-to-turn-prospects-into-promoters/
Tech can be scary. I’ve seen extremely successful people shut down when the conversation turns to changing their marketing practices to integrate technology.
While using technology in marketing is change, it’s certainly not an eraser. When you're using it the right way, you're not changing your message or erasing a process, you're just adjusting the way you present it to your audience so they can intake it more effectively. That’s the technological sweet spot — take something good but aging and make it better, like chocolate covered bacon.
Let's explore a few technologies you might find useful to communicate your marketing message.
For a fully-formtted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/podcast/7-ways-to-use-technology-to-improve-your-marketing/
My husband, Mike, always says how much he hates social media. He says people aren’t real and they’re always just griping or posting randomness. I tell him he’s just using social media the wrong way.
See, I hardly ever hangout in my own news feed filled with posts from ex-colleagues, high school friends and business acquaintances. That place holds no magic for me.
I use social media to observe prospects from afar and connect with them using groups. I explain my strategy in our latest podcast episode, give it a listen!
For a fully formatted version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/podcast/connecting-outside-the-show-using-social-media-groups-2/
The cycles and trends of the stock market are very similar to the cycles and trends of generational marketing. Now I'm not saying you have to be an expert trader to know how to market to millennials... but if you understand these parallels, targeting millennials becomes a whole lot less mysterious! Let me explain...
For a fully formatted version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/podcast/reaching-millennials-marketing-like-a-401k/
Website scams are actually quite common.
We were in our weekly meeting this morning and realized that more than one of us had clients who were dealing with fraudulent claims last week so we thought now would be as good of time as any to educate our listeners about common spam schemes and how to steer clear of them.
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/3-common-website-scams-how-to-spot-them
Over half of project management happens before you even begin working. While beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, beautiful project management lies in the hands of the planner. Planning is key to smooth project management. It’s not improv — it’s a fully rehearsed production. In this episode I tell you the steps to success and then chat with the MayeCreate Project Managers about how they get it all done.
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/podcast/get-it-done-project-management-101/
This is the second part of our series Connecting Outside the Show, and my second advice for you to connect outside the show is...drumroll please...using email.
Don't stop reading yet, okay? Because I am going to tell you four different ways you can automate your emails, and why you should keep sending them. I swear emails actually, really do work - Email is not dead.
For a fully-formatted article version of this episode, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/podcast/connecting-outside-the-show---part-2---using-email-automation/
Marketing is like doing the limbo – you can’t go to the next round unless you measure. Whether you're just getting started or you've been marketing for a while, you need to be continually in contact with your marketing metrics to gauge whether it's working.
In this podcast, I share with you what you need to identify the right marketing metrics and use that data to evaluate your past or ongoing campaigns to make decisions about your future marketing efforts.
For a fully formatted blog post of this episode, visit: https://mayecreate.com/podcast/reviewing-your-digital-marketing-data-to-make-decisions/
How do we connect with people when we aren't in front of them and don’t have those convenient trade shows to facilitate the connections?
We’ve spent the last 9 months exploring this very thing at MayeCreate, experimenting in a number of different ways for ourselves and our clients. And over the next few weeks I'm going to share them with you and give you some ideas that you can take or you can leave - Plus some tips to pull them off.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/connecting-outside-the-show-part-1-using-live-streams/
Every year as you’re reviewing all the numbers in your business, you also need to review your website so you can see what’s working and what’s not. Give it an annual physical and make a checklist of what you can do to make it better. Which in some cases is updating it and in others is just trashing your current site and getting a new one…but how do you make this checklist, where do you look? What do you review?
This my friends is where I can help.
In this podcast, I'll go over the four different components we review when we do end-of-year website evaluations for our clients:
- Aesthetics
- Site Content
- Infrastructure
- Data
Find a fully-formatted blog post for this episode on our website: https://mayecreate.com/podcast/end-of-year-construction-website-reconnaissance-mission/
Get tips on where to start with your marketing and learn more on how to gear up for 2021 in this podcast episode!
Rick Briemann, Director of Business Development in St. Louis for the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association, says the most important thing you can do to gear up for 2021 is to:
Focus on marketing and selling your solution to your potential customers’ problems.
In our latest podcast episode, Rick shares real-world examples and applications for marketing and selling solutions in the paving industry.
https://mayecreate.com/marketing-or-selling-a-solution-with-guest-rick-biermann/
Today we're going to talk about time-saving tips for promoting and running your online event. While this is our first nonprofit focused podcast, it really applies to anyone running an online event. So business listeners, don't just tune this out because there are definitely some great nuggets in here for you too. Today I'm going to go over five different tips that will help you save time while promoting and running your online event.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/time-saving-tips-for-promoting-running-your-online-event/
In our opinion, the most important aspect when it comes to email is actually sending the darn thing! But once you’ve done that a few times, now what? In this episode, we're talking about reviewing your email marketing data. We're gonna go through what to review, tools to make that review easier, how to interpret your metrics, and how often to review. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed by the intangible information, take a deep breath and head to our website where we have a lovely episode goodie bag with a transcription, links to tools, and more! https://mayecreate.com/blog/digging-into-data-part-3-reviewing-email-data/
It's our first TOOL TIP TUESDAY (TTT) podcast! We decided to do short podcasts to talk about our team's favorite tools that we use all the time and can't get enough of! For our first TTT we are covering the graphic design platform, Canva! We love it, Canva can be used for presentations, social media, posters, and so much more! Our social media managers here at MayecCreate swear by it—no more messing around in photoshop!
For a full transcription of this podcast, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/tool-tip-tuesday-canva/
There’s nothing more irritating than clicking on a recipe and being greeted by a wall of text. The recipe is hidden at the bottom of the page under a wall of stories and kitschy photos of the dish. But as annoying as it is, recipe bloggers’ tactics work! There’s a reason we found that recipe. Wondering how they did it? We are covering the 6 things you can learn about SEO from a Recipe Blogger so you can understand how they are showing up in search results. And maybe the next time you end up on a recipe blog you can just give ‘em a nod for a job well done before scrolling to the bottom of the page to find what you want!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/6-things-you-can-learn-about-seo-from-a-recipe-blogger-2/
44.5% of getting traffic to your website is about website content and user behavior—is your site up to snuff? On this podcast, we are tackling nine website must haves. These are the things that you need on your site to leave a lasting impression and to get visitors to stick around and consider doing business with you. Turn up the volume and let’s make your website visitors happy!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/basic-website-must-haves-for-2020/
WHOA NOW. Are you ready for part 2 of our Digging into Data Series? We hope you’re enjoying this data deep dive as much as we are. In this podcast we are reviewing social media data! We’re covering what you should review, the tools you can use to make it easier, how to interpret those tricky social metrics, and how often you need to review it. Social media isn’t just for millennials, we should all understand if it’s working or not!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/digging-into-data-part-2-reviewing-social-media-data/
This episode is not for the SEO experts, it's for SEO beginners. It's for the people who want to have a big picture understanding of how SEO works and those who want to do a survey of their own site and see how it meets up to Google's expectations. In this podcast, we are covering what SEO is, what it means, and if you need it, and then we break it down into five big components about how it works. Lastly, we will provide the tools so you can audit your own site and see how you stack up!
For a full transcription of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-google-ranks-sites-1/
We want you to be able to not only access your website data but to actually understand what all those weird words and strange numbers mean. As businesses, we put so much time and effort into our websites, right? I mean it’s 2020, you have to have a web presence and you need to know if it's working. This podcast covers how to review your website data with these four steps: what you should be reviewing, what tools you need to make it easier, what those metrics actually mean, and how often you should be reviewing.
This podcast is the first of a three-part series about reviewing your marketing data. The next two in the series will cover how to review your social media data and email marketing.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/digging-into-data-part-1-reviewing-website-data-2/
How much does a website cost? That is a great question. And I bet you’re having a very difficult time getting a straight answer—that’s because any salesperson worth their salt won’t tell you how much a website costs until you’re willing to sit down and listen to their sales pitch. In this podcast we break down the cost for you by explaining the different types of websites, the common ways sites are built, and how much each of those ways cost! Want an actual online quote on how much a website would cost you? We have a Website Price Calculator Tool free to use.
For a full transcription of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-much-does-a-website-cost-2/
Having an email with your company name is not only professional but also acts as insurance so you can keep it for however long you want too. When we say email with your company name, we mean yourname@yourcompany.com or monica@mayecreate.com for example. If your email name is tied to a provider instead of your domain name or company name, turn the volume up and get ready to learn how to get your new email name and how it can save you a lot of hassle in the future.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/setting-up-an-email-address-with-your-company-name/
When I talk about blogging, I’m not referring to telling stories about your kids or debriefing your day. I’ll leave that special attention-seeking ridiculousness to fame-seeking lifestyle bloggers. Some of you might be thinking: “Wait, there’s more to blogging?” Yes, there is. 67% more leads for your business, specifically… but it's important that you know: it's not all rainbows and butterflies. How could an activity like blogging produce results like that? Let’s find out…
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/blogging-more-is-better/
Does anyone else get super overwhelmed in their work email and end up consumed for hours? We feel your pain. Without proper management, a work email just seems like an endless black hole. That’s why in this podcast we are talking about how to improve email efficiency so you guys can keep it under control and improve your lives. Less time in email means more time doing everything else.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-organize-your-gmail-inbox-8-tips-for-managing-your-email-efficiently-2/
Websites are like cars - you can't drive them forever. You have to change the oil, you have to fill up the gas, you've got to rotate the tires. These are things that you're going to do with your website, and the frequency with which you do them will improve the shelf life of your website.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-extend-the-life-of-your-website/
We absolutely love working with construction companies because, like us, they have to take clients through a project from start to finish on a timeline, and they understand what it is to design and build something. They've been wonderful to work with, and from my experience, I'd like to share some advice about what needs to go into a great construction website.
I would also like to give a disclaimer that a lot of the things we're going to talk about in this podcast apply to more than just construction websites. If you offer any kind of service, if you want to show examples of your work, or if you're trying to hire people, these are great tips and best practices for all industries, you just have to apply it to your own.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/what-makes-a-good-construction-website/
The prospect of choosing the right marketing mix and actually finding the time to implement it can feel pretty daunting. Just last week I was planning out my own digital marketing campaign for MayeCreate, and even though I do it every single day, I felt totally overwhelmed. Here are a few of the concepts I used as ground rules to guide myself and the workshop attendees as we began to plan their digital marketing strategies; my favorite tried and true.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/digital-marketing-strategies-so-good-youll-want-seconds-2/
When you budget for a big project, like a website redesign, you might wonder, “How long until I have to budget for this again?”
Odds are good the cost of web development is more now than it was when you originally had your website built. That makes “How long does a website last?” a super valid question, and one that I hope I can shed some light on today.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-long-does-a-website-last-2/
Today, we thought we would talk about heartbreak, specifically, how to break up with your web designer. Sounds better than breaking up with your boyfriend, right? Which, of course, we're not encouraging you to do. We'll let that be your own decision.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website:
https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-break-up-with-your-web-designer-2/
There is an art to sending emails. The first step to creating said art is following the three basic golden rules, which are: don’t spam, be a friend and automate your emails.
If you’re going to start implementing email marketing as part of your marketing mix, you probably also want to know all of the ins and outs about making emails – unfortunately they don’t just magically appear no matter how hard you stare at your computer screen. Let’s just say I know from experience.
Here, I’ll cover techniques and guidelines — six to be exact — for crafting better emails.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/6-tips-for-crafting-a-killer-email/
These seven steps are meant to guide you through formulating a marketing plan that's realistic and attainable, one that you can use to actually grow your business. This plan needs to be personalized to YOUR business. You don't have to do the same thing as everyone else!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/how-to-create-a-marketing-plan/
Listen now to debunk the "intrusion" philosophy that people have associated with emails. The truth is, it may feel like you're sending junk because… well.. you are. We can do better.
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/why-email-marketing-is-important-2/
We are going to dive into COOKIES and no, not the chocolate chip kind! We are talking about internet or web cookies. We know you're wondering- what are all these cookie consent pop-up boxes for and why have they been under such scrutiny? We're answering all the cookie cutter questions and more!
For a fully-formatted article version of this podcast, head over to our website: https://mayecreate.com/blog/whats-all-this-cookie-business-exploring-cookies-cookie-privacy-and-cookie-consent-2/