Want to hear a secret? Almost every image associated with my recent blog posts has been made in PowerPoint. Yep, whether starting from scratch or purchasing a photo to build off of, PowerPoint is my secret design weapon. I've even used it to create, and write tutorials on traditionally "designed" things like CTAs and infographics. Even now, when I launch a new marketing offer, I create an accompanying visual -- whether it's an infographic or just a picture to post on Facebook -- in PowerPoint to pair the campaign with visual content. Let's get started. Visual 1: Creating a Landing Page Visual. MORE >>

A few years ago, Nancy Davis started hanging around the {grow} community and became one of its most popular contributors to the comment section. had a chance to meet her in New Jersey and strongly encouraged her to begin blogging. She did — and her openness and authentic helpfulness caught on with a lot of people. Soon, she was contributing to many leading marketing blogs. But throughout 2011, her many friends slowly but surely saw her life unravel before their eyes through her blog and dramatic Facebook posts. Nancy Davis has lived through a nightmare many of us will never experience. MORE >>

by Jason Miller Expanding into new regions is an essential growth strategy for many B2B companies, but it’s not easy to get it right. There are many factors to consider, from finding the right skills to getting your marketing activities aligned to local cultures and customer needs. As your company seeks to increase its revenue and expand its territory into new markets, a strategic plan is necessary if you want a positive return on your investment. Entering a foreign market is a risky endeavor as it requires extensive time and a lot of money. B2B Marketing Infographic Sales Marketing Alignment MORE >>

Photo credit: Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL). read about this last summer, but one of my daughters called it to my attention again–a restaurant in Los Angeles that offers a 5% discount for tables that turn in all their cell phones for the duration of the dinner. So, instead of jamming cell calls and other onerous ways of forcibly stopping people from using their favorite screen, this establishment is going for something different. It’s very smart and there is a lot that we can learn from their approach, regardless of what business you are in. You drive customers away. MORE >>

We've all had those moments. You know, the ones when you do something completely careless or idiotic, and then quickly follow up with a Ron Burgundy-esque thought like, "I immediately regret this decision". or a more classic example, the Homer Simpson "D'OH!". But how much worse is it when that "D'OH!" moment comes right after you hit "send" on that really, really important marketing email , only to realize there's a big, glaring typo in the subject line? And there's nothing you can do about it. That email is already getting delivered, whether you like it or not. To all 5,000 people. plain. MORE >>