The digital world changes fast. A few years ago, everyone working in SEO (search engine optimization) knew Google’s search algorithm and it was easy to hack the system to get your website on the first page of search results. Today, the algorithm is no longer public information and the hacks that were once so successful — like keyword stuffing and buying links — do more harm than good. ​

This is the second in a three-part series exploring our decision to launch a paid media campaign for our own company. The first installment talks about the factors we considered in making the decision to advertise. The third installment describes the results of our advertising campaign.

Last month, we made the decision to go forward with an advertising campaign. So, we set our budget parameters and hand-picked a vendor partner to guide us through the campaign. Now it was time to clarify our media strategy. 

​Advertising and content marketing work very well together. Each one makes the other more effective, improving your short-term and long-term results as well as the return on your investment. 

In the span of nearly four and a half years, Richardson Media Group has seen an enormous amount of growth. Yet 2018 may have been our most expansive year to date! ​

I read a recent article that touted the benefits of hiring a seasoned media planning team. When I first discovered this piece online, I was gratified to find such a favorable perspective about my chosen discipline. Despite the fact that the author’s perspective was neither game-changing nor unique, it did lift my spirits. Just the fact that it had been written was a good sign. Reality is, I don’t see as many articles written about the field of paid media planning and buying as I do for other aspects of the advertising industry. 

When entrepreneurial women get together to share their stories of business ownership, you can almost guarantee the room will be a-buzz with positive energy. And that’s exactly what happened when I had the privilege of joining two fellow business owners behind the podium at a recent Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth breakfast event. 

It’s human nature to seek out comfortable grooves and settle into them. Routines, schedules, relationships, habits (even unhealthy ones) tend to stick to us and can be difficult to alter. Most people resist upsetting the delicate balance of things, especially if there’s nothing wrong with the status quo.

Suffice it to say, change can be frightening.

As media planners and buyers, we rely upon partnerships with media vendors, graphic designers, web developers, videographers, and other talent who contribute to the fulfillment of our clients' marketing goals. It takes a team-based approach to see our strategy come to fruition in the form of a thoughtful, professionally-executed advertising campaign. And so, from time to time, we like to profile our partners. Today, we're pleased to introduce you to Mariah Morgan of Stout Heart.