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Tag: influencers

The Do’s and Don’ts of Content Syndication for SEO

A few weeks ago, I received a question about the value of content syndication in marketing strategies. Because it’s one that I also asked when I first started at Search Influence and began learning about SEO, I wanted to actually address this question in a full blog post.

What Is Content Syndication?

Content syndication is the process by which a piece of content (blog, news article, graphic, video, etc.) is pushed out to other sources. You see this, for example, when online news outlets pick up press releases or other articles and repost them verbatim to their own sites.

From a UX point of view, this can be a great way to increase your reach to potential customers. From an SEO point of view, content syndication can garner valuable backlinks and help to increase website authority. And from an overall marketing point of view, the efforts spent on syndicating content can also build great relationships with other websites and organizations.

Backlink and Authority Building

The process for syndicating content is similar to that of general link outreach and is for a similar purpose as well: to generate authoritative backlinks that, down the line, contribute to your own site’s authority. Coupled with the opportunity of increasing reach to your business’s original content, this can be a worthwhile tool in your marketing arsenal.

The Caveats of Content Syndication

That said, there is a right and a wrong way to syndicate content when it comes to SEO. Here are some things to think about when considering it for your marketing strategy:

1. Duplicate Content

Syndication is inherently creating duplicate versions of your content and putting them on other websites. In the case of written content, this can actually detract from your SEO efforts if done incorrectly. It’s important to understand the policies and practices of the websites you’re syndicating to and ensure they are declaring yours the primary version.

This can be done a number of ways but the primary ones are:

– Rel=canonical – This is a meta attribute that basically tells search engines that the page they are on is the same as another page. In this scenario, syndicated versions of your content will set your original URL as the canonical. For more information, check out Google’s own post on the rel=canonical attribute.

– Noindex – This is a robots meta tag that tells search engines not to index a page at all so that it won’t appear in search results. Ideally, in this case, syndicated versions of your content will be set to noindex so your original post isn’t competing for rankings with them.

2. Backlinks

Remember to include an actual backlink to your content when syndicating. This can be forgotten when you get caught up in pushing your content out there or when syndicating images and videos. Ideally, this would go to the original content’s URL, rather than another page on your website.

3. Site Authority

This is an oft forgotten consideration when choosing a syndication site. Quality and quantity both have their place when creating your syndication strategy.

In an ideal situation, if you were to get one backlink from content syndication, you’d want it to be from a site with the authority equivalent of Google itself, and you’d want it to have a follow link back to your website.

But, we don’t live in an ideal world, so it’s important to keep in mind the actual authority of syndicating websites and find out if the links you’re getting are follow or nofollow. Check out this resource to learn a little more about the importance of follow and nofollow links.

With all this in mind, content syndication can be a great opportunity for websites. But, like I said in my last post “The Importance of Content Marketing to Your SEO Strategy,” it doesn’t matter if you don’t have great content to start with.

December 28, 2016
A Day in the Life of an Account Manager at Search Influence

With all of the great positions available at Search Influence, it’s easy to wonder what each department or each position does every day. Earlier this week, I took to Search Influence’s Twitter to break down what my day-to-day as an Account Manager looks like. Though each day is different, they all share a common theme: client communication, meetings, and managing my team.

Responding to Client Questions

Mornings always consist of answering emails. Each person on the Account Management team has clients from across all industries and locations, all of which communicate with us primarily through email and phone. I like to take the mornings to open up all emails, check for emergencies, and answer any questions our clients may have. It’s great to know that our clients are getting reliable customer service, as we strive to answer all requests within a 24-hour span.

One of my favorite aspects of being an Account Manager is getting to work with clients from all industries. On a daily basis, I talk to everyone from a plastic surgeon to a mortuary cooler provider! Our client rapport is incredibly diverse.

Our Morning Whiteboard Meetings

Every morning at 9:30, the entire Account Management Team meets by our whiteboard to go over metrics and tasks for the day. We also use this time for giving other members of the team “kudos” for being CHARGED.

Paid Search Meeting

On Tuesdays, members from all departments meet to talk about our paid search, or PPC, clients. This meeting is a great way to discuss successes as well as potential roadblocks in our campaigns.

Managing Your Team: Weekly 1-on-1 Meetings

The biggest difference when you are promoted from an only client-facing position to a management position is managing your team. One of the best things about being in a management position at Search Influence is being able to work closely with my team and watch their careers grow.

In order to stay up-to-date with my team, their clients and any questions they have, we have weekly 1-on-1 meetings. This hour-long meeting is a dedicated time for my team to ask any client or career-related questions, as well as a time for me to follow up with any projects that are pending or in progress. This time isn’t specific to the Account Management position either—all departments at Search Influence have these dedicated 1-on-1 times!

Other management duties consist of leading employee reviews at the 6-month and annual mark and reviewing my team’s tasks/projects.

Wrapping Up Big Projects

After lunch, I typically dedicate my time to working on big projects. These can be client-related, internal, or team-related. I’m most productive in the afternoon, so this is the time that works best for me, but it’s different for all members of the Account Management team.

The project that I am most recently working on consists of revamping the presentation deck that we use when we kick off a new client. It was a great opportunity, and I’m so excited to see this project through!

My Account Management Career

Search Influence has been a great career experience so far within my almost three years here. Because I was hired fresh out of college (Geaux LSU!), I’ve worked my way up from Junior Account Associate to the management position I hold now. I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given and would encourage anyone looking for a client-facing role to apply!

October 18, 2016
Search Influence Adds 8 New Employees

This past month, Search Influence was named a Best Place to Work by New Orleans CityBusiness. As a two-time nominee, we can say with certainty that the key to creating a great work environment is hiring smart people who embody our core values: collaborative, hungry, agile, reliable, genuine, effective, and dedicated. These eight new Influencers are no exception and were thrilled to join our team in September.

Ann Wanserski

Ann arrived in New Orleans a year and a half ago by way of Chicago, IL, where she earned a dual degree in journalism and anthropology from Loyola University Chicago. She found a passion for marketing (and pizza) while working for a restaurant startup in Chicago, and she most recently served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with a local nonprofit. In her free time, she enjoys biking around the potholes of NOLA, attempting to garden, and adding to her rock collection.

Amy McIntosh

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Amy graduated from Georgia State with a degree in Art History and minor in Marketing. She moved to Louisiana over three years ago, where she worked in outside sales in Houma, before relocating to New Orleans. Amy is a self-professed dog lover, and in her spare time, she enjoys learning about the English Monarchy.

Joel Willson

Meet Joel. He is from Baton Rouge and is the father of three boys. He loves music and anything tech. Joel regularly performs as a singer/songwriter and with his band, Minos the Saint.

Roane Babington

As a New Orleans native, Roane is happy to come home after being away for 22 years. He has spent the last two years in New York City working as a sales executive at two different tech companies. Prior to NYC, he went to James Madison University in Virginia where he studied history and education and played football. In his free time, Roane likes to cook and go on runs when the weather is nice.

Rosalie Nolan

Rosalie (or Rosie for short) is from Jackson, MS, and moved to New Orleans in 2013 after graduating from Millsaps College. She earned a B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in English. She spent one year as a Corps Member for City Year New Orleans and two years teaching Kindergarten and 1st grade at Firstline Schools before joining the Search Influence team. Three of her most favorite things are her Calico cat (Piper), peanut butter, and naps.

Sabian LaGarde

As part of Search Influence’s commitment to YouthForce NOLA, a program that helps match students with local businesses to offer real world work experience, we have welcomed Sabian LaGarde to our team this fall. Sabian is a senior at Sophie B Wright Charter School, where he is part of both the track and robotics team. He wanted to intern at Search Influence to learn more about online marketing. After high school, he plans to attend Tulane, Loyola, or LSU on his way to becoming a doctor.

Sam Merritt

Born in Lubbock, TX, and raised in Batesville, AR, Sam relocated to New Orleans in August of 2015, after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas in May of 2015. Before working at Search Influence, Sam worked as a booking agent for a talent and modeling agency where he worked on a number of feature films, television shows, and national commercials. Sam is a pop culture junkie and foodie, and enjoys anything outdoors.

Trace Allen

Trace is from Vacherie, LA, and earned a B.S. in Psychology with a Sociology minor from Mississippi College in May 2015. After graduating from MC, Trace spent a year in Portland, OR, working with the Portland Leadership Foundation, where he was able to work directly with local nonprofits, mentor local coaches and student athletes, and a lead a humanitarian trip to work with orphans and vulnerable children in Jinja, Uganda. Trace is a lover of 90’s R&B and Hip-Hop, bachata dancing, traveling, and all things related to sports.

Welcome aboard!

October 11, 2016
Here Are Our Top 5 Blogs From September

Another month, another top five blogs from Search Influence! All of these posts are chock-full of information that will help you keep your website in tip-top shape and give you some insight into life at Search Influence. Subscribe to our blog to stay up to date on what’s going on in the world of SEO and Search Influence.

#5: How Google Possum Has Affected 3 Pack: A Before and After Review

Google’s newest update has had some drastic effects on the search results 3 pack. Amy Arnold gives us the lowdown on some listings that are pretending to be dead.

Look at that beautiful Google update devouring those listings.

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

Michelle Neuhoff Boyd is back at it again this month and refuses to leave the top five standings. Whether you’re a Facebook fiend or a business taking advantage of the social platform, this blog entry has mountains of information about the inner workings of the Social Media giant.

#3: Happy Working Parents Day: 10 Influencers on Lessons From Their Working Parents

To celebrate National Working Parent’s Day, Mary Silva whipped up a heartfelt blog post complete with written and video interviews of some of our employees. Tears may be shed by the time you reach the end of the video, so be sure to have that tissue box ready.

#2: Search Influence Adds 3 New Hires in August

Search Influence added three more employees in August and a lot of people were interested. Learn more about our new team members in this post compiled by Melissa Verzwyvelt.

#1: Barnacle SEO – Local Search Engine Optimization for the Sam’s Club Crowd

Last but not least, Mr. Barnacle SEO himself, Will Scott, saw a massive resurgence in popularity of his blog where he coined the industry changing term. Take a gander at this super informative blog.

While you’re at it, follow our blog to get the latest updates from Search Influence.

October 7, 2016
New Orleans Nonprofit Spotlight: Rebuilding Together’s Annual October Build

October is one of my favorite times of year. Reason 1: It’s the beginning of fall (though only a mild change from the normal New Orleans heat). Reason 2: It’s Halloween-month, of course. And reason 3: I get to take part in Rebuilding Together New Orleans‘s October Build.

About Rebuilding Together New Orleans and October Build

October Build is an annual event organized by Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO), a New Orleans Preservation Resource Center program and chapter of the national Rebuilding Together organization. They’ve worked since 1988 to help local elderly, disabled, veteran, and single head of household homeowners repair their homes. RTNO services seven neighborhoods in New Orleans year round.

Check out my original post for Rebuilding Together New Orleans’ 25th Annual October Build to learn more about the history of the organization and the event.

Getting Ready for October Build 2016

For two weekends, I take a brief respite from my somewhat sedentary lifestyle, and join hundreds of volunteers in providing necessary home repairs to local homeowners who otherwise are unable to do it themselves.

What’s more, this year a few other Search Influence employees and I started work early! While October Build takes place October 7, 8, 14, and 15, we were able to help prep Mr. Ernest Watson’s house this past weekend for volunteers to finish during October Build. We met up at 8:30 AM on-site and worked with Rebuilding Together’s own Americorps and employees to scrape paint and prime the Bywater house. While I’m by no means a skilled laborer, RT’s members also worked on replacing fascia and siding that had been damaged by fire or was rotting.

*Fun fact: Fascia are the bands of boards directly under the roof edge.

Employees at Rebuilding Together New Orleans have been working tirelessly for months to coordinate volunteers and houses for October Build. This past weekend was just one of the many pieces of prep necessary to get these houses ready for volunteers of all skill levels.

Next weekend and the one after, these volunteers from sponsor organizations, local businesses, and other local & national groups will gather to finish repairs on 8 different houses. The work will range from scraping and painting to flooring installation and accessibility ramp building in one huge community effort.

For more information about this year’s event, check out RTNO’s own October Build 2016 news post. Here, you’ll find stories about the homeowners they’re helping (including Mr. Watson’s) and how you can contribute!

Rebuilding Together New Orleans Images Credit

October 6, 2016
Like Our Facebook Page and Help a Worthy Cause

Here’s Your Chance to Help a Worthy Cause

For the fourth straight year, Search Influence is proud to be promoting breast cancer awareness through a unique initiative it calls “Likes for Lives.” The ask is simple: for each new “like” the Search Influence Facebook page receives between October 1 and 31, the company will donate $1.00 to the Breastoration Fund. Created by three breast cancer survivors, Breastoration provides educational resources and financial assistance to women seeking breast reconstruction after breast cancer.

Search Influence offers the “Likes for Lives” program to its clients and partners, including elective surgery practices that wish to increase awareness of their services and commitment to the cause. In an early example, in 2011, Search Influence client Donaldson Plastic Surgery gained 332 fans during the month of October to support its charity of choice, the Stefanie Spielman Fund in Ohio. The practice rounded up its donation, giving the breast cancer research fund $500.

“We saw the program succeed with our clients, so we thought it was appropriate to implement it ourselves and raise some money for a good cause,” Search Influence CEO Will Scott said. “Since we are a primarily female organization, including some women who have been touched by breast cancer in their families, the Breastoration Fund’s mission resonates with us.” Since 2013, Search Influence has donated $5,000 to help fight breast cancer.

This year, the goal is 700 new likes. To kick off the “Likes for Lives” campaign and to increase awareness of breast cancer, team members wore pink today. We encourage other NOLA tech companies to do the same.

So what are you waiting for? Like the Search Influence Facebook page. Share it with your friends and family, and ask them to like it, too. Let’s exceed the goal this year!

October 4, 2016
Search Influence Jobs: What Does an Internet Marketing Associate Do?

As Search Influence continues to grow, we often get asked by job applicants, “What exactly does an Internet Marketing Associate do?” So last week, I took over the Search Influence Twitter and shared my day with all of our followers. In short, being an Internet Marketing Associate on Content Team consists of a whole lot of reading, a fair amount of writing, and lots of laughter. Here’s a recap.

Our Morning Meeting

The meeting starts off sedately enough, with a breakdown of the number of tasks due for the week and for the day, as well as yesterday’s achievements. After announcements, and an overview of current projects if it’s “Tuesday Touch-Day,” it’s time for Word of the Day. Each team member takes turns presenting an interesting word to the team, and we have until the next morning meeting to submit a sentence containing that word. The word’s presenter chooses their favorite sentence, and that sentence-writer is the daily winner. The person who wins the most sentences during the month gets to wear a sparkly gold Word Wizard cape for the next month. (And yes, I won for Monday’s word and am now in the lead for the cape.)

My Annual Review

Monday was a particularly interesting day for me, since it was my work-iversary! I had completed one year at Search Influence, and after my star ceremony, when a star is added to our name banner to mark another year, it was time for my annual review. I’ve heard rumors that at other companies this is a super scary thing. But not at Search Influence. That’s because once a week, every team member meets with their manager and talks about their workload and performance. By the time reviews roll around, there are no surprises.

The Workload

Once my review was over, it was time to begin my daily workload. Content Team works with all the words that are part of an SEO or Social Media campaign. We edit website content, blogs, and social media posts all day, and write video scripts, sponsored articles, and paid ads. I work a lot on what we call ‘high-touch’ deliverables—things that require a bit more knowledge and time to complete. This includes product descriptions, LinkedIn social media campaigns, PPC ad copy, image optimizations, and site audits. My favorite, by far, is the site audit.

Site audits are the most technically oriented pieces of content we edit. A member of the Tech Team (our IMA cousins) goes through every aspect of a website and checks for things like canonicalization errors, coding issues that could confuse search engine crawlers, and site load speed. They then make recommendations on how issues can be fixed. It’s my job to go through these recommendations and clean them up, taking care of any grammatical errors, as well as reworking some sentences so they’re more clear to someone who has no idea what ‘canonicalization’ means. Site audits can be 40 pages long, so it takes a good bit of focus, but I absolutely love learning about the techy underbelly of SEO.

Our Afternoon Check-In

After my site audit was all sorted out, it was time for my favorite part of the day—the afternoon check-in! When 2:30 strikes, it’s time to take a break, chat with the team, and just get re-pumped for content. We discuss how many tasks we have left for the day, but we also discuss anything weird or interesting people learned over the course of their editing. One time, we started talking about a pig that was a witness during a witch trial, and our manager started crying she was laughing so hard. We also do some group stretching, since one of our fun facts that wasn’t so fun was about how sitting around at a desk all day can kill you. Doing a bit of office yoga makes us all feel more relaxed and less likely to have our muscles solidify in a sitting position.

Winding Down

With a pretty hectic morning, I was glad for a “more of the same” kind of afternoon. I edited some tasks, which helped to clear out the team bucket (the list of all the tasks on the team for the day). When you’ve got a robust workload, it’s surprising how fast the day goes by.

Before I knew it, it was 5 o’clock. If it was Friday, it would have ended with “This is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan blasting from someone’s computer. Since it was only Monday though, the denouement was more casual, with a chorus of “bye, y’all’s” echoing around the office. Friendly place, New Orleans. Speaking of, if you live in New Orleans or want an excuse to move here (and who doesn’t?), and you read and write English (or French or Spanish), you really should apply to join Content Team. With every day being as fun as this one, it’s sure to be a career, you won’t forget.

September 29, 2016
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.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRGR-owCFm4&w=640&h=360]

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
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.

Gif 1 Credit

September 7, 2016