Monday, December 21, 2020

What are Some Healthy Ways to Lose Weight?


I’ve lost my share of weight over the years so you would think I would be an expert on it, but really I have gained most of it all back, many times over…except for the times I made a lifestyle change and tried to stick to the list below. Crash diets and health fads aren’t healthy ways to lose weight. Instead, they have a yo-yo effect on your body that can cause it to drop weight and then gain it back. The healthiest ways to lose weight include lifestyle changes that are maintainable for the short and long-term. These include:

Cut Back on Carbs:

Don’t go crazy. Cutting back on carbs doesn’t mean you can never have a slice of pizza again, but we often consume more carbs than necessary. Your body quickly converts carbs to energy which means we feel hungry faster. Instead of filling up on the bread basket, set a reasonable limit and find a healthier alternative instead.

Lift Weights:

It’s a simple fact—lean muscles burn more calories than fat does. This is a tough one for me since I don’t really like to lift weights. It hurts! But, incorporating a little weight training into your routine can make your body a lean, mean, calorie burning machine. Don’t be intimidated by the weights. You don’t need to be bench pressing 350lbs to see results. Even 2lb weights, used consistently, can start to bring about change. Start there and who knows, maybe one day we’ll see you on the bodybuilding circuit.

Eat Protein:

The lean protein found in chicken breasts helps your body build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat does. Not only that, but protein helps you feel full longer and is more complex to digest, so your body will use more energy turning it into usable fuel.

Sleep:

Not getting enough sleep can slow down the metabolic process, which means your body is both converting food to energy and using that energy at a slower rate. This can lead to increased fat storage. ON top of that, a lack of sleep can cause poor judgements including overeating.

Drink Water:

The body is over 60% water, so not only is this thirst quencher essential for life, but it can be a secret weapon in weight loss too. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your stomach full throughout the day, so you’re less likely to feel hunger pains. And if your weak spot is soda or sugary drinks, simply replacing those (or even some of those) with water or unsweet tea like I’ve switched to over the years, can have big results.

Track Your Food Intake:

We often make it to the end of the day and have no concept of how many calories we’ve consumed. Keeping a food journal helps with weight loss, especially in the early stages of the journey, because it creates an awareness of how much you are consuming. It can also highlight simple areas where you can cut calories. Maybe you don’t need the extra whipped cream on your latté, or maybe you’re fine to stop at one cookie instead of three. That is a tough one for me. Whatever the discoveries may be, tracking your food intake can be very enlightening.

Reduce Sugar Intake:

Sugar is nothing but empty calories. That’s why you can polish off a whole bag of cookies in one sitting and still be hungry for more. We often over consume when it comes to sugar, but it’s not just the calories that are a problem. Sugar causes inflammation and other issues that hinder weight loss. Just as we mentioned with carbohydrates, you don’t have to go crazy with this one. The key is to do something that is maintainable, like cutting out sugary snacks five days a week.

Eat Fiber:

Fiber helps you feel full, and a full belly has less room for excess calories. Like lean protein, fiber also takes longer to digest, which makes your body use more energy and keeps you from eating as much.

Limit Stress:

A stressful situation can initially cause the body to release hormones that decrease appetite. However, consistently being in a stressful environment has the opposite effect—it actually increases your appetite. Ever heard of stress eating? Yeah, it’s a real thing. Incorporating daily breathing, time to relax, or other stress management techniques can help combat this and keep your body more stable.

“There you have it. It is so much easier to say or put in words, but much harder to do or put into action. I do wish you a very happy and healthy year. Follow some of the things on this list and you will accomplish just that,” says Randy Mullikin, President of The Mullikin Agency.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

With This New Year Comes New Opportunities




















As we close out another year, many businesses are already looking forward to the New Year and the new opportunities that go with it—opportunities to reset, re-strategize, and pursue those goals that many had to put on hold during 2020. The time is now to seize those opportunities, and our team at the Mullikin Advertising Agency is ready to help. We want to be your local expert marketing partner! 

If you need help strengthening your online presence, we are here! If you need help connecting with consumers and clients, we are here—and we have the tools, products, strategies and experience to make it all happen.

“Even during this strange, unprecedented year, we have been able to help many businesses adapt, pivot and achieve new revenue streams by reaching new customers through increased digital advertising campaigns, from SEO, SEM and website revamps to social media and online video campaigns. We can increase exposure and help drive leads to our business.  It’s time to reach out to us today. We are here to help!” says, Randy Mullikin/President/ The Mullikin Agency

Monday, October 26, 2020

8 Ways to (Really) Know Your Customers


Customer engagement is very important for building brand loyalty and driving repeat business. Businesses today must be trying to constantly improve customer engagement.
 

Engaging your customers is an important part of running a successful business no matter the size. Simply selling products or services is not enough today to attract and retain loyal customers. If you want to really connect with your audience and build lasting business relationships, you'll have to make an ongoing effort. Customer engagement marketing is not a one-and-done, set- it-and-forget-it process, nor is it a one-size-fits-all approach. To create your own customer engagement strategy, you need to follow a few of these tips.

What is customer engagement?

Customer engagement involves improving the customer experience through positive customer interactions. This can be achieved through various communication channels, from social media platforms to your company blog, and extends beyond simply attracting consumers to your brand. The idea is to maintain and continue to strengthen an on-going relationship with your customers.

Your products and services can’t be the only value you offer your customers. While they might be the driving factor, especially in the beginning, you should ensure you're creating quality content your customers can access for free – and only from your business. This will improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Key takeaway: Customer engagement is about more than just driving a sale. To keep customers engaged, you need to offer support and meaningful communication.

Benefits of building a customer engagement strategy

Customer engagement can improve the customer experience by creating a deeper, more personal relationship with your brand. Customers need to feel appreciated and valued for more than just the money they spend with you. Brands who are dedicated to their customers' needs will be rewarded with engaged and loyal customers.

1. Maintain the customer lifecycle.

A customer lifecycle is the length and nature of a customer's relationship with a particular brand or company. For marketers, the goal should be to make the customer's lifecycle as long and prosperous as possible. You must not only acquire customers, you must retain their interest in the brand and extending the relationship beyond a single purchase.

2. Look past the purchases.

While purchase history is the most likely insight beyond basic demographic data to influence campaigns, it doesn't go far enough. It's also important to consider your customers' communication preference, household composition and other metrics. These often-overlooked pieces of information will yield results, both because they're inherently valuable and because your competitors aren't likely to consider the information.

3. Think like a big business.

Small businesses should think like large businesses and then act using the tools available to them.

Small and medium businesses actually have an advantage when acting on insights and reacting to market trends. For large businesses, it's often a challenge to present data and propose ideas in a way that resonates with senior leaders. Similarly, institutional habits can be difficult to overcome for businesses that have been established for some time. Entrepreneurs don't face that challenge. Take advantage of your flexibility, and experiment intelligently to find out what really matters to your customers.

4. See what's right in front of you.

While it's important to pay attention to data, don't ignore information that's right under your nose. With Facebook and Google analytics and other free tools available, there's no reason to overlook information about how consumers interact with your brand. When searching for more insights, it never hurts to ask customers. Most will give you valuable information if you just ask. Loyalty programs, social media interaction and surveys can be great ways to obtain the insights you need.

5. Challenge assumptions.

This is as much a business philosophy as a marketing tactic. Don't assume that methods and practices that have worked well for the past year will work in the future. Consistently reframe your existing message, services and products in front of new audiences using different media from time to time. Sometimes, changing things up, really works well.

6. Build a brand voice.

Your brand's voice is essentially your business's personality. You'll want to maintain it in every post you share, blog you write and interaction you have.

7. Connect with consumers on social media.

Social media networks such as Instagram and Facebook are must-have customer engagement platforms for businesses. Using social media will help you both attract new customers and reach repeat customers, especially on their mobile devices.

8. Invest in content marketing.

Content marketing can be on your website, blog posts, videos, social media posts, e-mails, etc. Your content should be valuable to your target customers and include information they can't get from anyone else. In other words, you'll want to cater your content to your audience's needs while injecting your brand voice into it.

If you're going to choose one form of content marketing to pursue, our President Randy Mullikin recommends video.

"Written content is useful, but today, videos are outperforming written content. Video continues to be one of the most frequently used content marketing strategies each year. Because the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text, it is far simpler for people to remember visual information than the same information in written form. That is why marketing videos are so important for increasing traffic to your website. We even use video FAQ’s on our website www.mullikinad.com."

Key takeaway: These 8 tips can help you create customer engagement strategies that not only strengthen brand loyalty but also drive sales in an organic way that keeps customers coming back for more. For help in implementing any of  ideas for your company, contact us today at The Mullikin Agency.

Friday, July 31, 2020

Fall 2020 Promotional Products

In these unprecedented times we all need to adapt and continue to proactively communicate with our clients. Here are 6 great idea generators for you to consider as we move into our new normal:

  • Virtual Events – Since we can’t do large events for the foreseeable future, many companies are doing virtual events and fundraisers. Why not let the Mullikin Agency run a merchandise fundraiser for you? We can put your company or event name on shirts, hats, bags, mugs, etc and ship them to your supporters! Or maybe you want to send a swag bag of goodies ahead of a virtual event, like an orientation or new product launch?
  • Retail – Maybe you need counter guards or floor distancing decals as your resume operations. We also have single use pens and hand sanitizer with your logo! People are ready to get out of the house and starting to venture out again, so be ready for them.
  • Corporate Offices – Some corporate offices are beginning to return employees to work but new health measures are in place. We can help with Custom face masks as well! Lots of styles to choose from depending on your quantity and price point!
  • Signage – Yes we’re open, Welcome Back, Masks required, Remember to social distance are all messages businesses want to convey. Let us help your signage be seen and look professional.
  • Outdoors – As more people are sticking closer to home and spending time outside, we can put your logo on coolers, blankets, even folding chairs!
  • End of Year Recognition – It has been such a challenging year for so many so maybe you want to thank your customers and employees for sticking with you and keeping business going! We have lots of low cost ways to reward your staff and clients!

Contact the Mullikin Agency and let us help you put something together! In the meantime please stay safe out in the community!

Saturday, July 25, 2020

One Way to Fortify Your Business During Ongoing Uncertainty


To say the last few months have been challenging for businesses everywhere is an understatement. Whether reducing hours of operation or shutting down temporarily, many businesses are taking a huge financial hit these days. Many wonder what the future holds as the pandemic continues to be a threat.

Will I be able to keep my doors open? How do I pay my bills? How do I make sure I’m keeping up with all the new government regulations so I don’t get penalized? How am I going to pay my employees? 

Though the future is still uncertain, there are is at least one thing businesses can do right now to minimize the financial toll COVID-19 has put on their bottom line.

 

Find New Ways to Add Value


“This is the year to add value instead of volume,” says Randy Mullikin, President of The Mullikin Advertising Agency. Although keeping the status quo is nearly impossible for many businesses right now, there are still creative ways to deliver value. A problem--currently COVID-19--presents is an opportunity to pivot and come up with a new strategy.


Businesses in all industries are struggling to stay relevant with their customer base. It may be time to think outside the box and reposition your message to tell a different story. Using educational content on social media and posts or blogs on your website that builds trust and keeps customer relationships going strong is an important key. Then, when your customers feel safe and ready to buy, your businesses will be top-of-mind. 


Health clubs are offering fitness classes on Zoom, restaurants are offering free delivery and curb-side services, an underwear company is making protective face masks, liquor manufacturers are using their distilleries to create hand sanitizer, major grocery chains are opening up their stores earlier to accommodate high-risk shoppers, and there are many others. Maybe you could use one of  these examples to help deliver ongoing value to your customers. 


To help in coming up with new ways to innovate, consider reaching out to local business leaders and tapping into your network of  businesses and even asking an advertising agency like The Mullikin Agency for ideas makes sense right now. Connecting with other business owners is a great way to share ideas. Try new processes; try new things and think — out of necessity — very creatively about how to move forward.

 

Keep Fighting. Stay Strong.

Times are hard for businesses right now, but luckily, there is help. The best thing you can do during this challenging time is take advantage of all the resources offered to you that include government assistance, connecting with other trusted business leaders, and complying with all government regulations in order to keep your business and community safe.

If you need any additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, we are here to help.


Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Search Engine Optimization with The Mullikin Agency





WHAT IS SEO?


USING KEY TERMS (ALONG WITH MANY OTHER TECHNIQUES) SO THAT THEY RANK HIGH (PAGE 1) ORGANICALLY IN THE SEARCH RESULTS WHEN A USER IS LOOKING FOR A SERVICE OR PRODUCT.

WHAT DO WEBSITES DO? MORE THAN JUST USED FOR MARKETING.
EDUCATE
INFORM
INSPIRE
WITHOUT SEO, USERS WON’T BE ABLE TO FIND YOUR SITE.
IF USERS CAN’T FIND YOUR SITE….WHY EVEN HAVE ONE? IT JUST SITS AS A BOOKMARK.
THE BETTER OPTIMIZED THE SITE, THE MORE TRAFFIC YOU GET, WHICH MEANS MORE QUALIFIED LEADS AND SALES.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SEO: 2020 LOCAL STATS

72% OF ONLINE MARKETERS SAY CONTENT MARKETING IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE SEO TACTIC
81% OF PEOPLE DO ONLINE RESEARCH BEFORE A PURCHASE
75% OF PEOPLE NEVER SCROLL PAST FIRST PAGE OF SEARCH ENGINES
#1 ORGANIC RESULT HAS JUST OVER 31% CTR
CTR=NUMBER OF CLICKS A SEARCH RESULT RECEIVES, DIVIDED BY THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT’S VIEWED ON THE SERP (SEARCH ENGINE RESULTS PAGE) ALSO KNOWN AS IMPRESSIONS
TOP THREE AVERAGE 75% CTR
TOP FIVE RANKINGS AVERAGE OVER 36% OF TRAFFIC….  POSITION FIVE SITTING AT ABOUT 10%
70-80% OF USERS IGNORE PPC (PAY PER CLICK/GOOGLE ADWORDS)
72% OF CONSUMERS WHO DO A LOCAL SEARCH VISIT A STORE WITHIN FIVE MILES OF THEIR CURRENT LOCATION

61% OF MOBILE SEARCHERS WILL MOST LIKELY CONTACT A BUSINESS IF THEY HAVE A MOBILE-FRIENDLY SITE
78% OF LOCATION BASED MOBILE SEARCHES RESULT IN OFFLINE PURCHASES
18% OF THOSE RESULT IN A SALE WITHIN A DAY
IF WEBSITE IS NOT MOBILE FRIENDLY….WHOOPS!
88% OF CONSUMERS TRUST ONLINE REVIEWS AS MUCH AS THEY DO PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

SEO SERVICES THAT WE OFFER

Targets 20 keywords/phrases based on traffic
Wordtrack Search Performed
Monthly Reports on current rankings by keywords
Optimizing HTML, CSS, and Java in site to be search-engine friendly
Optimizing, Cleaning, and/or Discarding Unnecessary Coding
Manage Indexing, Navigational Structure, and Spider-linking
Develop Offsite Links, User Friendly Navigation, Make Sure Site/Pages are being Indexed by Search Engines
Optimizing all meta data
Back-end Optimization for Search Engines
Analyzing technical areas for improvement

Updating with Fresh Written Content
Maximizing good site density & link density
Analyzing content structure
Directory Registrations
Online Business Directories (Localworks, Yahoo, etc)
Includes Online Reputation Management (Review Platform)
Google My Business Page, Set Up Review Platform w/ QR Code, Etc.. 

SEO IS A TYPE OF DIGITAL MARKETING (INBOUND MARKETING) WHERE WEBSITES AND/OR WEB PAGES ARE OPTIMIZED 


Contact The Mullikin Agency about us creating and implementing a customized monthly SEO plan for your business!


Monday, April 20, 2020

4 Steps to Bring Your Business Online Now



If you don’t have an on-line presence or if you are starting a brand new business then now is the time. We're living in a unique day and age, one where the future of businesses, especially brick and mortar businesses must be online.
There are millions of service providers who offer their skills locally worldwide, all of whom need to reinvent their business to the online world. This is especially true for independent service providers who rely on person-to-person connections. 

If you are one of them—whether a fitness instructor, a therapist, a teacher or any other type of independent service provider—then you should consider this 4-step checklist The Mullikin Agency has developed. These steps will help you develop ways to take your skills and share them with a new, virtual audience:
Create Your Brand Identity

You’ve already worked hard on creating an offline service, and possibly have repeat clientele, but moving from offline to online will require building a global brand and then getting that brand known and recognized. This is a must for all new businesses as well.

Start by developing a brand strategy, and then decide on a perfect logo for your brand, and follow up with a cohesive and consistent message, look and feel. Once you’ve created a recognizable brand, be sure that it stays consistent throughout all your different marketing assets.

Build Your Website

The first decision you need to make is whether you plan to create a site for the purpose of selling online services, or, a simple site to showcase who you are, this decision will determine what type of platform you use to build your site.  There are plenty of platforms to choose from, and The Mullikin Agency’s professionals can help you decide which solution is right for you. 

You might want to consider building a mobile app in addition to your site, so that your audience can easily consume your services across multiple platforms.  In addition, you’ll
need tools that enable your customers to book appointments make contact easily.

Create Great Website Content

Once your website is up and running, your next step is to create great website content that engages with your audience and provides them with value.

Your online business can't really take off without engaging website content and powerful design. Both aspects allow you to communicate your value proposition and when done successfully, convert leads into sales.

Here are some examples of compelling website content you will want to include:

-Email blasts and newsletters that encourage customers to schedule a video appointment
-Blog posts that provide daily tips or at-home exercises
-Social media posts or instructional videos that offer inspiration and insight
-An FAQ page that can help customers with general questions about your independent services. Maybe even a Video FAQ would work for you. Visit our site at www.Mullikinad.com for an example.

Our professional copywriters can elevate your website content and a talented graphic designer can customize your web and mobile design. If you have the right copy and design you'll be much more likely to see a spike in your conversion rates.

Remember, good copywriting not only communicates your product benefits, but it also has the ability to create a strong emotional connection with your customers. It's this connection that sets you apart from your competition

Don’t Forget About SEO

Selecting the right keywords for your website’s SEO can determine how it stands out in organic search results. Your content must match the keywords you want to rank high for.

When you’re selling a service, content is very important, and must include certain keywords that allow search engines to categorize your business under specific search results. You really should consider hiring a professional to create quality content. By doing so, you bolster your SEO strategy, while also building your overall brand and positioning yourself as a leader in your particular space.

From engaging blog posts to landing page copy and general copy attached to videos and images, you can use all of these areas to improve your SEO rankings, which ultimately leads to more customers.

Digitize and Advertise Your Service on-line

We know you are used to offering your service in person, one on one, but you must transition to driving people to your website to buy your products and services. Hiring a professional on-line advertising agency like The Mullikin Agency is the key to bringing new business to you and your website. 

Don’t forget to consider video conferencing. Zoom is a great choice and one we use here at The Mullikin Agency.
Video is king when it comes to marketing on-line so do all you can to repurpose existing videos  or create new ones. We can help with that too! We can help you write scripts, translate them to different languages, shoot, edit and record audio using professional voice talent. Hiring a professional like The Mullikin Agency will make your videos look their best! 

Promote Your New Online Service

Now that you’ve transitioned your service to an online business, it’s time to make sure it gets the right amount of promotion and attention.

If you’ve put in the work to create a unique, recognizable brand, and have invested in ensuring you have quality content that your audience will enjoy, it’s time to expand your audience outside of your existing network.

The Mullikin Agency can help you build a long term marketing strategy. Our public relations department can help you gain visibility in the media.

You’ll also need to make sure you build up your social presence through social media marketing. Just remember that you want all your content to be consistent. 

Since content is such a big part of building your brand, make sure you share it on social networks like YouTube.

The Mullikin Agency has all the relevant services you need in our one-stop-shop approach. We are here to help you make it happen!