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Happy Working Parents Day: 10 Influencers On Lessons From Their Working Parents

As someone who grew up with working parents, I learned a lot through my parents’ experiences.

My dad was the “troubleshooter” at the automated and environmental control systems company he worked for. So, his ability to solve problems at work and around the house was something I learned. He always approached things with a can-do attitude and would just sit down and get what needed to be done, done. I’m definitely a problem solver at work, and I love to empower my team members to solve problems they encounter, too.

My mom was a VP of a publishing company. While I can’t think of anything that sticks out that I learned from her growing up, other than a general hardworking attitude, she’s been an invaluable resource to me for general work best practices and how to do well in interviews in the past. I’ve also gotten a lot of management tips from her as I’ve grown in my career.

So, in honor of Working Parents Day on September 16th, I sat down with 10 of my fellow influencers across our company to find out more about their experiences having working parents growing up. Here’s what they had to say.

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Gabrielle Benedetto, Partner Relationship Manager

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Susan Benedetto – High school English teacher and Teach For America mentor turned Librarian who is now back in the classroom teaching high school English!
Tim Benedetto – Self-employed contractor

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
Visiting my dad on the job usually meant I was sick.

Since my dad was self-employed, it was easier for him to leave work and pick us up from school when we weren’t feeling well. But, instead of going home, we would go on the job with him. He would make a little bed for us by flipping over two 5 gallon mineral spirits buckets, laying a piece of plywood on top, and covering us with a paint splattered drop cloth for a blanket.

Depending on how bad you felt, you would be asked to pick up a piece of sandpaper or a caulk tube. The smell of fresh paint still reminds me of a sick day. I would complain, but in that moment, I was being taught work ethic.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
After being on her feet and teaching hormonal teenagers for 8 hours, Mom would come home and cook a full course meal for us. Dinner was on the table every single night at 7. We would sit and eat as a family every night and homework was never an excuse to skip. After dinner, we would clear the table and Mom would sit right back down and start grading papers and preparing for the next day’s lesson plan.

While she did bring work home, like many working parents, I think one of her favorite parts of the day was cooking and serving dinner for her family. For just a few hours she was Mom and not “Mrs. Benedetto.” Seeing her work all day long, and then come home to transform into a different role, was pure dedication. She taught me how to balance work and family, which may be one of the hardest tasks any working parent faces, but she made it look easy—even though I know it wasn’t.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
“Work as if you are being filmed and speak as if you are being recorded” Meaning—don’t do or say anything you wouldn’t want anyone to see or hear. It sounds a little mafiosa… but it stuck with me!

Michelle Boyd, Internet Marketing Team Lead

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Cyndi – Store Manager for Kroger
Carl – Worked for the state as the Director of Budget

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
I remember one time when the power went out from a snowstorm during the holidays. We all went as a family to check on the freezers and coolers at the store. At the time, I thought it was crazy that my mom had to worry about that kind of stuff when she wasn’t even working. Even at an early age, through her actions, my mom taught me that your individual success is directly dependent upon the success of the company you work for.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
Many people tell you not to bring your work home with you. What my parents taught me was the exact opposite. It is important to have a good work/life balance, and oftentimes, these two things will intermingle. What’s more important is to strive to do your best every day, learn from your mistakes, and celebrate your successes.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
My parents told me to hire people whose creativity and ingenuity exceed my own. They said I should want to work with people who will challenge me to be better and who will help the company to succeed, and therefore, help me succeed.

Stephanie Burnison, Account Associate

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Debbie Alexanian – Clinical Neuropsychologist
Gary Burnison – CEO Korn/Ferry International

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
I used to visit my dad’s office a lot out in LA—it was so cool to see how everyone interacted with him, and also to see him in that light versus how I saw him every day: the swim-trunk-wearing, chill Southern California dude I knew him to be.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
It taught me to be independent, confident, determined, a hard worker, a fast learner, and to not accept failure.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
Attitude is Altitude.

Courtney Cummins, Senior Quality Assurance Analyst

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Jack – Distribution Manager for a grocery store and later for Revlon
Catherine Cummins – Security Guard for a distribution store

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
I remember being about eight years old and going into work with my dad on a Saturday morning. I was so excited that I even picked out what I was going to wear the night before (It was a basketball jumpsuit. It wasn’t great.). He worked at a distribution warehouse and I remember him giving me some product transportation logs to highlight. It was probably just busy work, but at the time, it felt like the greatest responsibility in the world.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
One of the biggest lessons I learned growing up with working parents was the importance of having a strong work ethic. It isn’t enough just to have a job and show up for it. They stressed the importance of giving your best to everything you do in life, and how determination and perseverance can go a long way.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
I can’t remember an exact piece of advice my parents gave to me when I started working; there was just an understanding of “you have a job that you are physically and mentally able to perform, so make sure you do so to the best of your ability.”

Ryan Eugene, Senior Account Associate

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Jennifer – Specialty Sales Manager at a natural gas company
Ronald – A contractor for Verizon

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
I visited my mother at work a few times, and it was great to see her with a high position in the company and see her co-workers’ respect for her.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
Work ethic and the importance of being prompt.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
Be prompt and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Kayla Fletcher, Junior Internet Marketing Assistant

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
My dad owned a computer company, and my mom worked with my dad and she was a paralegal for some time. (I don’t remember her being a paralegal because I was too young because she ended up working with my dad full-time). Fun fact: my dad used to be a DJ, then technology started to take off and he became interested in that as well.

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
I went to their office building sometimes. I used to sit at another desk while my dad worked. I don’t remember much because that was long ago, and when I got to middle school, I didn’t go to the office much.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
My parents stressed the value of saving and investing, whether it was investing in stocks or renting out property. Even though my parents talked about saving a lot, they also think it’s best to spend money on things you really want. Whether it’s luxury items or a new home that’s more convenient for everyone. However, they don’t think it’s best to splurge a lot. They also stressed about doing something that you love. People always find it surprising when I tell them that my parents fully support me with writing. My parents never told me anything negative about it, or told me to pick another major/career because “you can’t make money being a writer.”

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
My parents told me (and my older sister) that even though you got the job you wanted, you still have to work hard. You should set goals for yourself, always be on top of things, and never talk negatively about anyone who you are working with to another person.

Angie Hernandez, Junior Bilingual Internet Marketing Associate

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Martha Hernandez – Personal Banker
Islaal Hernandez – Body Shop Mechanic

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
I remember one time being sick on a field trip and my mom needed to pick me up. There was no one to take care of me so she brought me to work. I laid down on my mat under her teller stand. I just remember seeing how dedicated and precise she was in handling money. Every now and then I’d gently kick her to remind her I was down there, and she’d break her concentration to give me a smile and an “I know you are still down there” face.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
I have nothing but the utmost admiration for my mom. It’s incredible to see, even to this day, how she works hard and still comes home to be a mother and wife. She is a boss. And I’ve seen my father do what it takes to work, even if that means being treated unfairly as an immigrant. My dad’s job is physically demanding, but he never gives up. He’s the “work hard, play hard” type, which I think is cool. He looks like a GQ model on the weekends; you’d never think he is a grease monkey during the week.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
My mom has always told me to never give up, even if everything seems hard at first. Because of her, I’ve never given up on any challenge that was placed before me.

Serena Hirasawa, Senior Account Associate

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Mom – Special Education Teaching Assistant
Dad – Chef

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
My dad worked as a sous chef at a country club until I was about 10 years old. I remember going with him and my younger sister to visit the property on many occasions, and he would show us around to all of his coworkers. We were really adorable back then, so we would always get little gifts from people. My favorite person was the groundskeeper, who would find pretty and/or shiny rocks for us and we would get so excited to see what he would bring. I also loved being able to visit where my dad worked and see the food that he got to make every day for the guests.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
It taught me about discipline, but also about balance. When my dad was a chef at the country club, he would work lots of long hours and weekends, due to the food industry. But he always managed to be available for my childhood memories—things like my softball games and school picnics. He worked really hard to provide for us, which sometimes meant making sacrifices, but he always made time for us when we needed him and he was home every night to say goodnight.

It also taught me about being challenged. My mom worked in special education, which can be very taxing on people. Every day is something different because you are working with children who have learning disabilities and other difficulties. Her job was a challenge every day, but not in a bad way, because she was constantly learning something new about herself or her students. Sometimes, you just can’t plan how your day is going to go and you have to step up to the challenge.

Andrew Jones, Junior Editorial Internet Marketing Associate

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
My mom (Ann) worked for Delta Airlines until I was about 4 years old, then retired to take care of my two brothers and me.
My dad (Greg) is an attorney and retired from his firm a couple of years ago. He is now a Dean of Business at Troy University in Alabama.

A Memorable Experience Visiting Your Parent(s) On The Job:
Since my mom worked for Delta, it meant my family got to travel a lot for free. Believe it or not, one of my earliest memories is sitting in a chair in First Class, apparently on the way to Oahu. My feet didn’t even reach the end of the chair. I’m sure that was a great flight for everyone else who got to share First Class with a clearly spoiled baby.

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
Both of my parents were very successful in their careers, and enjoyed their work, but they never let their careers define them. As a kid, when my dad would get home at the end of the day, we talked about sports, history, politics—anything but work. In my opinion, they found a healthy balance between work and life.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
Working hard and always treating people like people are two bits of guidance that I have certainly tried to carry over into my professional life. It sounds corny, but my parents were pretty big on the Golden Rule. My dad, for example, lobbied the City of Mobile pretty hard when they tried to move a local homeless shelter out of the downtown area because it discouraged tourism and was “unsightly.” He wasn’t very popular with some of the society folks in Mobile, but he wore that as a badge of honor.

Paulina Rodriguez, Web Developer

Parent(s) And Their Jobs:
Jesus Rodriguez and Juana Rodriguez

What Having A Working Parent Taught You:
Both my parents moved to California from a small town in Mexico. My father attempted many times to work in farms in California and kept getting deported. But he wanted a better life for his 6 children so he kept trying. Eventually, he got a job cleaning and cooking for a hospital in California. When he was able to save up some money, he brought my mom and my brothers and sisters to America. Alone in a new country where they didn’t know the language, both my parents enrolled my brothers and sisters in school, and my mom found a job cleaning houses. Eventually, the rest of us were born and both my mom and dad worked. The drive and bravery of my parents to go into the unknown and raise a family has always pushed me to better myself. Their honesty and hard work drive my work ethic. Their relentlessness pushes me to take on any challenge. I know that things do not come easily, but with hard work and dedication I can work towards any goal. Their sacrifice has shown me that anything is possible.

Memorable Advice From Your Parent(s):
My parents would always say to work hard. Be presentable and respectful. Always be early and prepared. Save your money.

It certainly goes without saying that parents have a great influence on their children and sharing the experience of worklife and responsibility only make the impact greater. What has your family taught you about the working world?

September 16, 2016
Don’t Feed the Trolls: A Crash Course in Dealing With Twitter Trolls

Beware of Trolls

Bridges, the mountains of Skyrim, and Twitter. What do these places all have in common? You have a chance of running across a troll that can ruin more than just your day. Bridge trolls aren’t much of an issue since human society has pushed them into barren lands where we’ll never see them again. If you happen to visit Skyrim, you’re sure to have learned how to cast at least one fire spell that can dispatch a troll with haste. If you’re on Twitter, you must adapt to conquer these trolls. They’re smart, resourceful, crude, arrogant, and once they lock in on a target, they won’t stop until it’s gone. It takes one to know one, so I will take it upon myself, a self-admitted troll, to help you identify and eradicate trolls that are attacking you.

What’s a Twitter Troll?

A Twitter Troll, or an Internet Troll in general, is someone who uses the magic of the internet to sew seeds of hatred wherever and whenever they can. No one really knows how it starts, but once it does, it can be very difficult to stop. Unfortunately, Twitter is infamous for being very lax when it comes to individuals spewing hatred, so oftentimes, you will be left alone and cold to deal with them.

How to Combat a Twitter Troll

In my opinion, Twitter doesn’t offer up enough support to deal with toxic entities that troll your business online. Luckily, they don’t have to. Trolls are very predictable, which means dealing with them can be a cinch if you know what you’re doing. Here are some guidelines to follow when engaging in combat:

1: DON’T FEED THE TROLLS!

I swear on everything I hold dear, feeding the trolls will tarnish your image and make you appear just as immature as they are. This, of course, will end negatively for you and your business. Feeding trolls refers to responding to them in a negative fashion. This only fuels their ego and will make them continue to troll you. It may be tempting to be rash since they will likely come at you in a very aggressive, abrasive, crude, and rude manner, but I assure you that will only lead to them setting up shop in your mentions for the Twittersphere to see.

2: Develop an Action Plan

As I mentioned earlier, trolls are very predictable in their attacks. Though they are difficult to deal with, the predictability of their actions and responses makes a premade action plan with some flexibility your best friend. Having some example responses for your social media manager to use is a good way to defeat trolls before they have a chance to really get rolling.

3: Limit the Number of Responses

A hard limit on the number of responses given to trolls is a necessity. A constant back and forth will only fuel their strength and eventually drive you away from the realm of logic and reason. Continuing to engage in their toxic conversation will only succeed in eroding your own mental constitution to the point where your responses look as trivial and childish as the troll’s responses.

4: Don’t Give Them a Platform

In May of this year, a three-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure of the Cincinnati Zoo. He was confronted by a 17-year-old lowland gorilla named Harambe. Zookeepers were forced to kill the gorilla in an attempt to prevent him from injuring the boy. People were upset; Twitter was furious. Of course, heavy-hearted memes were shared, but eventually the pro-Harambe side devolved into an expletive-laced hashtag that was used in response to almost every tweet they sent out. All memes eventually die, but during an interview with the Associate Press, the Cincinnati Zoo director stated that, “We are not amused by the memes, petitions, and signs about Harambe.” This reignited the trolls with such a fierce intensity that they were forced to temporarily shut down their Twitter account. It takes more finesse than just saying, “stop” to truly shut down a troll.

5: Don’t Ignore Them

Possibly worse than telling a troll to “stop” is to not say anything at all. This will more than likely make them extremely volatile and cause them to find a new home inside of your mentions. Also, ignoring a troll allows them to spam you however they seem fit and provides no deterrent since they aren’t being addressed. Confronting them in a professional manner shows them that you don’t tolerate those actions and helps to deter other trolls from setting their sights on your business.

6: Know the Difference Between a Troll and a Customer

Sometimes, a troll isn’t a troll at all. The anonymity of the internet is known for adding otherwise absent machismo to some people. Knowing that tracking them down can sometimes prove an unfruitful waste of time can make people act quite recklessly. Your business needs to be able to determine the difference between a legitimate troll and an angry customer. This takes time, but one telltale sign is if the alleged troll is attacking your product versus attacking you. If they have an issue with your product and not with you, offer a direct message (DM) exchange to try to make things right in a more private manner. Being able to admit a mistake shows a level of authority and passion for your business and can keep customers that may otherwise leave.

7: Speaking of Mistakes…

Admit when you’re wrong. If you own a small local pizza restaurant, people obviously prefer to give you their money over a giant corporation like Domino’s, and don’t mind more than likely paying a premium price for your product. If you deliver an incorrect order, mess up a pizza en route, arrive later than promised, there’s no need to even try to argue. If you’re wrong, admit it, ask for their information via DM, and make an attempt to correct the mistake. The difference here is that your apology is public due to the nature of the complaint.

8: Utilize Available Tools

Twitter is admittedly terrible when it comes to dealing with trolls, but in light of recent events, they have gotten better. In addition to the standard block and mentions settings list, you can customize your settings further to ensure that users aren’t able to mention under certain circumstances. The quality filter will use a newly formed algorithm to help “ignore” low quality tweets and some toxic tweets as well. Tailoring your discovery and mention settings can create an environment that can stave off trolls to a large extent.

Twitter Is a Scary Place

The Twittersphere is not the easiest place to navigate and can be made even more difficult when trolls descend upon you. Top that off with actually running your business instead of being on Social Media all the time and your plate will end up fuller than mine when I go to the buffet. Here at Search Influence, we offer a full suite of social media services so that you can rest a bit easier and focus on running your business instead of running from trolls.

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September 13, 2016
Search Influence Adds 3 New Hires in August

August is traditionally the hottest month in New Orleans each year. This past month, the City and Search Influence were sizzling. Not only were we ranked as one of America’s fastest-growing private companies by Inc. magazine (for the 6th straight year I might add), but we also hired three new Influencers to our growing staff of online experts. Meet Matthew Bains, Moneca Macaluso, and Radhika Mathur.

Matthew Bains

Matthew is excited to join Search Influence as a Junior Editorial Internet Marketing Associate. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, he graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, with a degree in English and creative writing. Prior to Search Influence, he worked as a researcher for a national publication before moving to New Orleans in 2009 to pursue his MFA in creative writing. He has most recently worked with a local writing collective as well as in a screen-printing shop. (He is thankful he longer prints T-shirts.) In his spare time, he likes to read, watch gritty crime dramas with his wife, and train for an upcoming marathon.

Moneca Macaluso

Moneca joins our team as an Account Associate. Though New Orleans homegrown, she took a long hiatus in Texas after Hurricane Katrina. She was in Houston to attend UH for business, then in Dallas growing as a professional in the hospitality world, where she honed her client management and marketing skills. After finally returning to NOLA, Moneca realized marketing and advertising is her niche. Her free time involves doing anything creative, cycling to new parks or lakes, mastering savory vegan cooking, taking random road trips, occasionally doing freelance makeup artistry, and bringing her Pomeranian, Aubry, wherever she goes.

Radhika Mathur

Radhika is delighted to join the Production Team as a Technical Internet Marketing Associate. Born and raised in New Delhi, India, she moved to New Orleans last year. She brings five years of prior work experience as a marketing manager with an international business consulting firm in India and lots of energy and enthusiasm. Radhika holds an MBA degree in International Business, she enjoys traveling, watching movies, cooking, and listening to music from way before she was born. She loves to dance to peppy Bollywood songs and aspires to be a dancer someday.

Do you know someone who is CHARGED (find out more on that here) and wants to work for a growing tech firm in New Orleans? We’re hiring. Go to townsend.bunksite.com/jobs for more information.

September 8, 2016
Here’s How to Capture Mi Corazón This Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on September 15 and runs through October 15. These dates are actually quite significant because the 15th marks the independence days for several Latin American countries. For those who still believe that Cinco De Mayo is Mexico’s independence day, well, it’s actually September 16. And trust me, those parties put Cinco De Mayo to shame.

For me, my Hispanic heritage can’t be confined to a month. My heritage is in the food I eat, the music I listen to, and the way I speak. At times, it can be exhausting! But I wouldn’t trade my culture or traditions for the word! The Hispanic experience is so interesting because there are 21 Spanish-speaking Latin countries, each with their drastically different accents, slang, food, national dance, and their own unique way to translate the word, “banana.”

Hispanics are a growing population within the United States. According to Hispanic Marketing Blog, in 2015, a total of 22.7 million Hispanic Americans are millennials. Not only do we represent 42% of the total U.S. population, but we also make up 27% of the U.S. Generation Y. Such a large representation requires different marketing strategies to reach a Latino heart and its dinero. Here are just a few to keep in mind.

1: Biculturalism

Latinos are fluid. Since birth, we learn how to effortlessly weave in and out of our American and Latin identity. Many of us still uphold our culture’s traditions, but we also believe in the American dream. Don’t ask us to choose one over the other; we are simply both. Lovers of tacos and pizza, fútbol and football, telenovelas and Scandal, Don Francisco and, well, you get the idea.

2: Family Focus

Latinos are extremely family-oriented people. Which is why some of us don’t move out of our parent’s house until we get married! Many of us don’t do this because nothing beats mami’s cooking, and you know she’d go into meltdown mode at the thought of her niño bonito leaving. But, we genuinely love to be around crazy Latino families. Who understands you better then them?

3: Speak Our Language (Both of Them)

I can’t tell you how excited my Papi gets when he hears someone speaking Spanish on an English channel. Unlike the French, we love it when you speak Spanish, even if you butcher it. Our language is an essential part of life as it connects us to our roots. But there is a confusing exception because some Millennial Latinos don’t speak Spanish. Even the ones that are bilingual almost always consume media in English.

4: Cater To Us

If you want our business, you need to cater to us. I must admit, a lot of companies already have marketing campaigns directed towards Latinos. My favorite commercials are from Allstate. Our version of Mayhem, known as La Mala Suerte, is way better.

5: Be Careful Not To Offend

Last but not least: Be careful not to offend Latin Americans. If you don’t want to unleash the fury known as La Chancla, don’t refer to a Spanish speaker as “A Mexican.” Not every Hispanic is Mexican. As I said before, there are 21 dramatically distinct Latin American countries. Just like the US, we are a melting pot with influences coming from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. There is a whole lot more to us than Hollywood’s misguided stereotypes.

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September 7, 2016
Top 5 Most Read Search Influence Blogs of August

It’s back to school time, and you know what that means—time to catch up on your reading! Here are the top five most read Search Influence blog posts of August. Study up!

1: What Happened to Facebook’s 20% Text Grid Tool?

Ranking in the top five for yet another month, this updated blog post gives the ins and outs of Facebook’s latest text grid update. Peruse this popular post to learn what this update means for your advertising.

2: Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Account Associate Do?

Get a sneak peak into daily life at Search Influence! This upbeat post talks about three great aspects of working as an Account Associate: personal growth, great team members, and helping businesses.

3: Local SEO: How to Clean up Citations for Better SERP Visibility

If the image above makes zero sense, then you should probably read this post. Learn all about how consistent citations can increase your website’s visibility to search engines.

4: 5 Ways Technology Has Changed the Olympic Games

There’s no better remedy for Olympic withdrawal. Instead of mourning the sudden lack of Michael Phelps and Simone Biles in your life, learn about technology’s impact on the Olympics.

5: Two New Hires Join Search Influence

Welcome Kayla and Mildred! Get to know the two newest members of the Search Influence team, complete with fun facts about cars, Google Android, and Wolverine 3.

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September 6, 2016
Facebook Live: How Small Businesses Can Drive Traffic to Their Website

Ahh, the age-old question. Similar to Periscope on rival social media company Twitter, Facebook Live is a free service that Facebook recently rolled out for their users, pages, and public figures to stream live video to their friends, followers, and fans. The feature first launched on Facebook’s Facebook Mentions app, which is used by celebrities such as actors, musicians, and athletes to engage with their fans. A year later, it was made public for all users who used the Facebook mobile app on their iPhone or Android device.

Using Facebook Live for Your Business

Facebook Live is a great tool that can be easily utilized by small, medium, and even large businesses. Live streaming is becoming larger and even more popular every day. This marketing technique is breaking down traditional marketing methods. There is nothing more authentic than live streaming, allowing companies to connect and interact with their audience in real time. No edits, cuts, or reshoots—just you and your fans. Opening a new location for your business? Go ahead and live stream the grand opening and show off the new pad. Own a restaurant? Give a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen and how your chefs create a popular dish. Own a boutique? Show off new trends and looks. The possibilities are endless.

How Can I Start Using It?

First: If you are using your business page, go ahead and download the Facebook Pages Manager on your iPhone or Android device. If you are using your personal Facebook page, disregard this step.

Second: Tap on “Live” from the menu. The icon should look like this:

Fourth: Add a description of what your live video will be about. Choose your audience before hitting “Go Live.”

Fifth: Be sure to smile! You’ll see a three-second countdown before your broadcast begins.

Happy live streaming!

September 1, 2016
Here Are 10 Eye-Catching Medical Display Ads That Worked

Need a little inspiration for your practice’s online ad campaign? The following medical display ads are some examples of online advertising at its finest. They boast an impressive balance of striking imagery, audience targeting, creative calls-to-action, and concise copy.

These advertisements from Stewart Dermatology and Dr. Grant Stevens, FACS, at Marina Plastic Surgery utilize close-ups of women, which grab the attention of viewers more effectively than the alternative. Consider using real people in your ads to appeal to more potential patients.

#1: Stewart Dermatology

#2: Dr. Grant Stevens

You can also target specific audiences to yield even better results for your online ads. For example, these ads from Gleevec and Allure Dental could target people specifically in New York or specifically adult males seeking dental or orthodontic work.

#3: Gleevec

#4: Allure Dental

Using a creative call-to-action is also essential for conversions. The following ads from Medscape, Dermatology Associates of Wisconsin, S.C., and Hospital for Special Surgery challenge the viewer to do much more than “Click Here.” Consider trying “Request an Appointment” or “See Our Success Stories” on your display ads as a way to challenge your potential patients to more actively engage with your advertisements.

#5: Medscape

#6: Dermatology Associates of Wisconsin

#7: Hospital for Special Surgery

Short and catchy phrases and slogans can do a great job of getting and holding viewers’ attention. Here are a few examples from Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, Hass Plastic Surgery and MediSpa, and Coolsculpting: “We treat the woman. Not the symptom,” “Love the memories, forget the lines,” and “Lose the fat. No needles. No surgery. No downtime.”

These slogans perfectly utilize short, concise phrases that successfully capture the viewer’s attention.

#8: Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine

#9: Hass Plastic Surgery and MediSpa

#10: Coolsculpting

August 31, 2016
Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Account Associate Do?

I joined the Search Influence team as a Junior Account Associate a little over a year ago. After working closely with my manager and completing the training program, I was then promoted to Account Associate. By that time, I felt like I had learned so much and was excited to start managing clients on my own and become more independent at work.

Being an Account Associate at Search Influence is a great experience for so many reasons. Here are three of my favorites:

1: Opportunity for Growth

If you’re like me, you get bored when you feel like you aren’t being challenged, and it’s safe to say my job is never boring. We’re in an ever-changing industry, and that alone can be a challenge to keep up with. On top of that, we’re presented with many challenges on a daily basis, like answering difficult client questions, building custom strategies, or revamping internal processes. There were countless times when I felt stumped, and every time, there was someone ready to help me, whether it was just to answer a simple question or jump on a call for extra support.

2: The Team

This brings me to my next reason: the team! Account Associates are part of the Account Management department. We may all work with different clients in many different industries, but our day-to-day is pretty similar. We have a department meeting every morning to talk about where the team stands as far as our task list numbers, set team wide goals, give each other kudos, and talk about any projects or new problems that pop up. After that, we’re ready to get to work. A typical day for me includes speaking with clients about their campaigns, reviewing and editing content, attending meetings, creating custom strategies, analyzing website data, and monitoring campaigns to make sure deliverables are completed when scheduled.

3: Helping Businesses Reach Their Goals

We truly help businesses achieve their goals. All departments in the company work on every account at some point, but account managers get to be the face of the company by directly interacting with our clients. Because of that, we are the ones who really get to know our clients and their businesses inside and out. We learn about their goals going into the campaign and do everything we can within the scope of the campaign to get there. With that said, it’s one of the best feelings to not only see the work we’re doing result in positive increases online, but to also hear from your client that their business has grown so much that they are opening a new office or location. That really adds meaning to my job.

Now, I’m a Senior Account Associate and that means I get to take on bigger projects and mentor junior team members, which I really enjoy. Like I said, my job is never boring!

August 24, 2016
How to Repurpose Your Content Again and Again and Again

National Simplify Your Life Week: easier said than done, right? There are so many balls to juggle every day, the idea of adding a complex online marketing campaign to a to-do list sounds unbearable. But online marketing doesn’t have to break the minute-bank. By maximizing your content, you can get more for less, and without much more effort.

LinkedIn calls this the big rock strategy. Or, sometimes the Thanksgiving turkey. The idea is that for every big, information-dense piece of content you create, you can have many smaller pieces of content. Like the leftovers that turn into sandwiches, casseroles, and soup, big rock content can last for a long time. But how do you do this?

Create Big Rock Content

Your “big rock” is your starting point. It needs to have enough information that it can get chopped up, broken down, and reused multiple times without getting repetitive. This is best achieved by focusing on what you’re already an expert in. While doing lots of research might produce a really fantastic piece of content, the time saved by writing what you know is invaluable. Pick a handful of topics about your business, industry, or professional experience, and write everything you know about each one. This will create focused, rich content you can base the rest of your campaign strategy on.

Your big rock can be a white paper, blog post, video, webinar presentation, or anything else that provides plenty of room for your expert opinions. But publishing your big rock is only the beginning.

Slice and Dice

Once you’ve created your big rock, it’s time to get it out into the world! Just posting to your blog or linking on your website is not going to inspire droves of people to read what you’ve written and start an industry revolution around your brilliant ideas. Far too many interesting pieces of content languish where no one can find them. This is where social media kicks in.

Link to your big rock on all of your social media accounts when it goes live. Then, pull out quotes, fun facts, or other smaller pieces of information and use them as new social media posts (still linking to the original piece so people can learn more).

Write a blog post about your new white paper or video, then, link to it on social media. You can also pull out stats and facts and turn them into an infographic, and, you guessed it, share that on social media, too. If you have a newsletter, summarize all your newest big rocks and blast it out to your interested followers. And get creative; the more ways you can get your content in front of interested parties, the better.

You should be able to stretch a piece of content across a few months. Creating a few big rock pieces of content at once and then staggering their publication and rotating through promotion will make each one last longer. If this is all still a bit overwhelming, remember, content calendars are your friend. And, if all else fails, the team at Search Influence can just do it for you. Now, that’s simple.

Image 1 Credit

August 22, 2016
How To Be A Pokémon Master in 15-Minute Breaks

The world of Pokémon Go has reached us, and the race to become master before your friends has long begun. Of course, there are only so many hours in a day, and work takes priority over a virtual game, but there’s a lot that you can do during even a 15-minute break.

Go for a Walk

Before actually stepping outside, check the Pokémon Go app to scope out nearby Poke Stops, and plan out a path that you can walk in 15 minutes. Besides incubating eggs and picking up items, many poke stops will likely have lures set up throughout the day, sometimes attracting rare pokémon.

Start a Facebook Group

With an online group, start looking for pokémon with other coworkers or anyone who works in the same building. Organize walks on breaks, poke crawls at happy hour, or battle plans to conquer a gym in the name of your building. A Facebook group is a good way to find motivation through friendly competitive rivalries.

Use Lures to Your Advantage

After checking those poke stops, see which of them are restaurants. Chances are, someone will regularly add lures to keep bringing in pokémon. With a Facebook group, it’s also possible to start organizing the use of lures with other people, thus sharing the load and the benefits of purchasing these lures.

Capture Pokémon

Last but not least, there’s the ever-present challenge of catching pokémon. The best bet is to check to see what might be nearby and walk around the building or block in search of it. Be sure to look up and practice throwing curveballs accurately for a better chance at catching pokémon quickly. While this is usually better suited for time spans greater than 15 minutes, you would be surprised by what you might find during that short time.

Remember that since Pokémon Go is a new game, it is constantly being updated, which might necessitate a change in strategy. Ideally, the tips offered here will not see much change as a result of any updates, but it’s always good to check out tips from another Pokémon Go master just to be sure.

Good luck on your Pokémon journeys!

August 19, 2016