It’s November, so it’s time for my annual Thankfulness blog! What does that have to with a marketing agency? Well, we can all use to take a moment away from the daily ground to notice our gratitude, right? A rare holiday blog, we decided to postpone publishing Thanksgiving blog until

This might come as a shock, but we’re a little geeky at POP. I know, I know, writers who represent themselves as superhero cartoons seem so cool from the outside! But our comic book theme and name, “power-up,” also has a deeper meaning. Power-up is our code for the positive use of power –

One of the most popular formats for a business blog is Q&A, though I didn’t often take advantage of it myself until my blog, Answering Your Burning Small Business Marketing Questions: Volume One. In writing that blog, I realized I couldn’t get to nearly as many questions as I thought, so I

What makes a good website? A good marketer? No, that’s who makes a good website. And while the simplest way to get a high-quality website is to hire your friendly neighborhood marketer, today’s blog is about the elements that go into building a good site.  Know Your Purpose As always,

This month, we’re doing something a little different. I asked Maxwell Ivey, the Blind Blogger to write a guest blog about the importance of inclusive marketing and utilizing accessibility features in your web design and other marketing practices. He delivered! Maxwell has been educating

June is a special time for writers. As it gets hotter and I spend more time indoors in the AC, I begin to reflect on what June celebrates—Effective Communication Month and Social Media Day. The latter is June 30, so today, I’m giving a few tips on how to leverage social media for

As a company that handles the marketing of other small businesses, most of my marketing blogs focus on tips and tricks for doing your own marketing or explaining the importance of what I do for small businesses. But even if you hire a local professional marketing company like mine, you still have

Happy Spring, everyone! I’m super pleased Spring has come to Roanoke, though maybe not as happy as my dogs who are getting to go on a few more walks than usual. And as we spring into new life, obviously our minds turn to small business marketing questions.  I joke of course, but Spring often

Regular readers of this blog, watchers of our social media, and anyone who’s ever had a conversation with me in which my business came up know that I put a lot of focus on finding your ideal customer. But what do I mean by that? Don’t you just want anyone who’ll have you?  For

If you have a SW VA business, a Virginia marketing agency just makes sense! Here's why you should buy local

Mmm, fresh new year! We love the opportunity for a fresh start. Sometimes, it’s precisely the motivation we need to make a change. So, with that in mind, here are some of my suggestions for 2024. I’m sure you’ll find a small business marketing resolution for you! Business

What is the best possible advertising? Most business owners agree the answer is word of mouth. And that makes sense when you think about it. The people closest to us are the ones we trust, and that’s where word-of-mouth marketing generally comes from.  But each of your customers only knows

Long-time readers or people who know me know that November is my favorite month. There are many reasons for this, but they can all fit into the theme of the month’s most famous holiday – Thanksgiving. And in addition to Thanksgiving offering us an opportunity to take stock of what

Facebook, Instagram, TickTock, and the app formerly known as Twitter (TAFKAT). There’s a lot of social media out there and a lot of noise on all of it. How do you know which social media marketing helps small business? Well, like so many other things, it depends.  But don’t throw

Believe it or not, it’s time to start planning your holiday marketing. I know. I know. But this isn’t just another example of Christmas Creep. Unlike decorating or putting your Holiday Mix on repeat, holiday marketing is not something you can do over the weekend or with the flip of a switch. It

I’ve been blogging about marketing for a few years now, and it’s about time I address the 2000-lb robot elephant in the room Using AI in marketing for your small business. The two schools of thought we hear about regarding AI are that A) it will take all of our jobs and make us

What are the essential questions to ask before buying a website? My recent home life has required dealing with multiple home contractors. Many of you are already feeling sympathy for me because of your own experience. While there are ethical and talented contractors, the low barrier to entry also

How do you go about marketing to ideal clients? I recently had a conversation with a close friend. She’s been a business owner for decades, but her business has shifted its focus over time. One throughline has been helping people through one-on-one appointments. Recently, she found that people

How to Slay the Five Dragons of Content Writing The following blog about content writing is written by guest blogger, SEO master, content queen, and colleague Jenn Read of Solyndria Creative. The audience for it is marketers like me and the people we hire who write content for a living, but many of

Do you know your website’s purpose? I spend a lot of my time on the Internet. Though I do some print-based or other writing, most of my work is social media and website marketing. When I’m not writing for the web, I’m researching on it.  I research my clients’ fields. I

Why Use Professional Marketing for Your Business?  There was a time when you could sell your business or product by going out and speaking directly to the people or companies that needed it. True, not everyone wanted to speak to a salesperson, but it was a valid way to make a living. 

Telling your story is kind of my thing. In my previous life, I was a sketch comedian. I performed improv comedy and wrote and performed sketch comedy. It was fun and creative but not very lucrative.  But this isn’t my story. It’s Saint Patrick’s. Well, kind of. And that’s

Happy Valentine’s Day, Roanoke! Social Media Marketing is bringing the woo.  Relationships are all about good communication and give and take. That’s as true for your personal relationships as your business ones. A good relationship with your client benefits both of you.  But

Lines are powerful, particularly in time. The idea of a fresh start is so appealing that every December 31, people commit to how the next year will be different from the one before despite the delineation between the two being entirely artificial. So how can you use New Year’s marketing? 

The late great Tom Petty said, “the waiting is the hardest part.” Living legend Stephen King says it’s the moment before you start. But maybe they’re both right because if you look at the spirit beyond the wordsmiths’ prose, it can sometimes mean the same thing, at

In November, POP dedicates a blog to being grateful. Here's what we appreciate for our business and community.

Put Bulls have a marketing problem. If you're not telling your company's story, you do too.

Holiday marketing can feel like a lot of pressure. But with a plan it doesn't need to be.

Google Business Profile isn't very social. So why is it social media & why does it

Your website is your intro to clients. You only get what chance. Here are the 3 items your website needs most.

Don't let someone pressure you into a product or service you don't need. Watch out for these marketing red flags.

Brand values inform your brand and your brand's value. Being clear on your brand helps you attract customers who will value you.

If you can hire a marketer you should. But if you're not there yet, here is what you need to know to make SEO easy for your site.

Lets talk about making relationships last - with your clients. Social marketing is all about relationship building and that creates repeat

Why is accurate marketing that is up to date important for your business? Have you ever gone out of your way to go somewhere only to find it wasn't what you expected?

New businesses need marketing. But how do you market before you have customers? The Popstart Affordable Marketing offer can help.

November is my favorite month of the year. I have both personal and general reasons. The weather is perfect. It includes my favorite meal of the year. And it’s the month I got married. November also ushers in the winter holidays and happens to have my favorite one. What does that have to with

A Small Business Marketing Mistake Can Be Scary… Seeing as how we’re in spooky season, this month POP is doing something a little different with our blog. What follows are three cautionary tales of a scary small business marketing mistake.  Marketing is tough work, particularly when

Blogging well takes time. Professional blogs take money. Is it worth it? You may have found yourself asking if blogging helps your