Gefen Marketing
Blog

Thompson Traders Brings Luxury into the Home

by

Posted on May 12, 2022 at 20:13 PM

Alejandra Ochoa de Thompson, the Founder and Creative Director of Thompson Traders spoke at the KBIS 2002, (the Kitchen Bath Industry Show) about the new collections and her vision for the brand. While designing this collection, Alejandra took inspiration from the natural designs of nature and animals. The collection is timeless, and every detail is […]

Continue Reading


Go Ahead, Get Long-Winded: Why Long-Form Content Still Stacks Up

by

Posted on July 26, 2017 at 17:01 PM

Social media is a proverbial wormhole these days; you hop on Facebook to check the latest news from friends and family, and two hours later you’re wondering what day it is and how you wound up on the couch. The addictive nature of social media has been in its evolutionary design and constant accessibility. In […]

Continue Reading


Don’t Be Flaky: 3 Reasons to Stick to Consistent Social Media

by

Posted on July 17, 2017 at 17:28 PM

It seems like everyone uses social media on the regular these days. Even your great aunt Claudine checks it three times a day, and not just one platform – she’s on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. She watches about a dozen videos per day, most housed on YouTube and embedded through her news feeds. This […]

Continue Reading


5 Indicators To Let You Know It’s Time to Update Your Website

by

Posted on May 25, 2017 at 17:45 PM

Was your slick-as-a-whistle website driving sales, bringing in new warm leads, and ranking high on search engines, but to your dismay the activity and rankings have taken a nose dive? Your company invested in a high-quality website several years ago, so why is business declining? The simple answer is, your website is now as trendy […]

Continue Reading


7 Ways to Make Your Emails Irresistible: How to Get Big Open Rates Every Time

by

Posted on May 15, 2017 at 17:39 PM

Email marketing is a tried and true marketing strategy with proven results. Almost everyone has at least one email address, with an equally large number of people checking their emails daily or even more frequently. We’ve all done it; we’ve scanned our inbox only to see it clogged with junk mail, and immediately delete them […]

Continue Reading


Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’: Keep That Pre-Roll Rollin’!

by

Posted on July 07, 2016 at 15:10 PM

According to Adweek, digital advertising will soon outpace traditional advertising revenue. For all of you business owners, here’s what that means for you – if you aren’t accessing the mobile and web-based market, you’re missing out…big time. With that tidbit of info percolating, add to it the fact that consumers watch over 48 billion online […]

Continue Reading


Growing Pains: The Evolution of Instagram and 3 of the Newest Updates

by

Posted on May 24, 2016 at 18:20 PM

Instagram is now a mammoth in the realm of social media platforms. With well over 300 million active monthly users, fans of this photo-centric platform have proven their loyalty with over 30 billion photos to date. That’s 5 times more photos than people on the earth, just FYI. Following closely behind Facebook in usage, Instagram […]

Continue Reading


No More Dust Bunnies: How to Spring Clean Your Marketing Strategy

by

Posted on April 05, 2016 at 17:35 PM

Time to do some spring cleaning! Whether it’s sweeping out dust bunnies from under your sofa, or purging your winter wardrobe in favor of summer duds, there’s nothing quite like a fresh outlook. In actuality, you should approach your marketing strategy in the same way. Why continue to implement a plan that is no longer […]

Continue Reading


Converging on Conversions: The Best Means to Your End

by

Posted on February 22, 2016 at 17:06 PM

Having lots of online marketing irons in the proverbial fire may seem like a great idea; you’re saturating the web with your awesome messaging and content, and you just know the doors of your business will be blown of their hinges with new business streaming in. So when a business doesn’t pick up, you throw […]

Continue Reading


Less Is More, But When Is More Too Much? The Minimalist Website Is Today’s Maximum Performer

by

Posted on January 20, 2016 at 15:44 PM

We’ve all been there…you arrive to a website looking for a specific piece of info, only to be inundated with cluttered and overwhelming graphics and layout. Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? It’s no surprise then that user experiences like this one have ushered in the minimalist movement – digital edition. By understanding user […]

Continue Reading


Just Push Play: Why You Need Video In Your Email Newsletters

by

Posted on January 04, 2016 at 17:10 PM

Email marketing is a big deal. It’s effective, efficient and affordable. It allows you to reach the masses on a platform we all use (97% of Americans check their email every single day) with only a few mouse clicks. Aside from the obvious faux paus that many email marketers run into, such as poor subject […]

Continue Reading


Take Off Your Invisibility Cloak: Why Your Content Is Going Unnoticed

by

Posted on September 24, 2015 at 15:46 PM

The Internet is a hodge-podge of information, a beautifully woven web of viral videos and factual business tidbits, how-to articles and DIY ideas, stunning photography and not-so-hot selfies. With all of this digital buzz, how can your web content stand out? If your blogs, social media and other content are losing traction, there may be […]

Continue Reading


How the Web Was Won: Pay-Per-Click 101

by

Posted on August 11, 2015 at 13:03 PM

For many businesses, pay-per-click advertising is a staple among the many facets of their comprehensive marketing strategy. For others, however, it is an elusive creature that always slips through the grasp of their understanding, leaving them scratching their heads and wondering exactly what it does and why they need to be doing it. Let’s have […]

Continue Reading


Let’s Recap reCAPTCHA: What Is It and Why Is It So Important?

by

Posted on July 21, 2015 at 14:07 PM

For almost any business or industry, a website is as necessary as a business email or phone number. These days, it’s your portfolio, calling card and the first impression most people get of who you are as a brand. In other words, you should treat your website as one of the most critical marketing pieces […]

Continue Reading


Not All Marketing Agencies Are Created Equal: 5 Signs That Should Have You Running For the Hills

by

Posted on July 08, 2015 at 17:15 PM

If you are a business looking to hire an agency to help with your marketing, kudos to you! It means you know when you need help, and you know to trust experts to handle that side of your business. Having said that, it’s a big pond out there, and finding a marketing agency that will […]

Continue Reading


Building a Mobile-Friendly Site To Survive Mobilegeddon

by

Posted on May 13, 2015 at 16:48 PM

Building a site for mobile devices may be one of the first items on your to-do list after having learned about Google’s “Mobilegeddon”, the latest update that penalizes sites that aren’t mobile-friendly or responsive. If your current address is under a rock, you can catch up to the news here. The deadline to make your […]

Continue Reading


You Fun-Haver, You! Making Your Office a Fun Place to Work

by

Posted on May 01, 2015 at 14:15 PM

  As children, we all dream about what we will become when we ‘grow up’. The challenges, stresses, and sleepless nights that will come once we do ‘grow up’ are not part of that dream. Suddenly, growing up isn’t as much fun as we thought it would be. Long hours at the office don’t have […]

Continue Reading


Are You Prepared for Mobilegeddon? Google’s Newest Algorithm Change is Here!

by

Posted on April 09, 2015 at 14:21 PM

Businesses looking to save a buck by not offering a mobile-friendly, responsive version of their website may end up losing out in the end, according to Google’s newest algorithm change announcement. As of April 21st, Google will significantly increase the importance of mobile-friendly design regarding how they rank websites in search engine results. This has […]

Continue Reading


You’re On the Air: Meerkat, Periscope and the Explosion of Social Live Streaming

by

Posted on April 07, 2015 at 17:41 PM

These days, there’s very little in the way of personal boundaries when it comes to social media. Moreover, with so many new platforms popping up on a monthly basis, it’s hard to keep up with the new offerings that are actually worth trying as a business. A gaping hole in the fabric of social media […]

Continue Reading


The Award for Most Improved Goes To…Social Media! 3 New Features That Will Make Your Company Look Hip

by

Posted on March 30, 2015 at 13:04 PM

Sure, we all have days when we scream at our computers, yelling obscenities at our social media platforms for all of their limitations and drama. No? Maybe that’s just me. Social media trends are constantly changing, sometimes leaving us scratching our heads as to who came up with THAT idea. However, there were some positive […]

Continue Reading


It’s 2015: Do You Know Where Your SEO Is?

by

Posted on February 09, 2015 at 17:18 PM

Keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of search engine optimization is like chasing a mythical unicorn; you’re not likely to ever see or catch one. With the updating algorithms that take place every few months, SEO marketers have been scrambling just to maintain best practices. Luckily, there are some consistent rules of thumb that still […]

Continue Reading


it pays to be social

It Pays to be Social! No really, Facebook’s Update Makes Businesses Pay to Play

by

Posted on December 10, 2014 at 14:55 PM

Over 1 billion people use Facebook every month (1.35 billion, to be exact). Understandably, that’s a lot of stuff clogging up the news feed. A new update, which rolls out mid-January 2015, will filter out unpaid promotional posts that businesses post as regular status updates in user news feeds. With the average person on Facebook […]

Continue Reading


Hand Out Some Warm Fuzzies

Hand Out Some Warm Fuzzies – Get Your Emotional Branding On!

by

Posted on November 11, 2014 at 14:40 PM

For many women (and men, too), shopping can fulfill an emotional need. There’s nothing quite like finding the perfect steal, and the joy that follows an all-out shopping spree. What is the psychology behind why it ‘feels good’ to spend money on the things we love? How do advertisers connect to consumers this way? It’s […]

Continue Reading


seo tips

Let Your Geek Flag Fly: 8 Ways Analytics Make Your Job Easier

by

Posted on October 02, 2014 at 15:50 PM

Number crunching is about as fun as getting a lobotomy, and just as mind-numbing. That is unless you know and understand just how much you can learn from analyzing your marketing and advertising metrics on a regular and consistent basis. After all, numbers don’t lie, and there are countless ways to use tools like Google […]

Continue Reading


do it for the vine

Do It For The Vine! How Big Brands Use the Platform

by

Posted on September 10, 2014 at 15:48 PM

Many marketers see the Vine social media platform as a double-edged sword. These six second videos can be wildly entertaining and are highly shared on other platforms, but it’s incredibly challenging for some businesses to find meaningful ways to use them in their branding without looking like they’re trying too hard to be trendy. However, […]

Continue Reading


pinterest

The Top 5 Most Obvious Ways to Make Money Using Pinterest

by

Posted on September 03, 2014 at 15:45 PM

If you’re active on Pinterest, you know it can become a perpetual wormhole. It’s a place you might decide to peruse while your chicken pot pie is cooking in the oven, but suddenly, it’s two hours later and you smell smoke. Pinterest sucks people in, teasing them with tantalizing recipes, photos of outfits they covet, […]

Continue Reading


5 Reasons Why Your Social Media is Bombing and You Don’t Even Know It

by

Posted on August 01, 2014 at 15:42 PM

Social media campaigning can sometimes be an elusive concept to execute successfully. Navigating the social media landscape is a system of trial and error, and discovering the sweet spot in your marketing can be like experiencing a unicorn sighting. Instead, you may have settled on a complacent, comfortable campaign because frankly, it’s better than doing […]

Continue Reading


5 face palms

5 Face-Palms: Social Media No’s-No’s Continued

by

Posted on July 23, 2014 at 15:41 PM

Last month, we held a short presentation about the do’s and don’ts of social media. Not surprisingly, we’ve come across even more face-palm moments captured on social media for the world to see, including some cross-over into print and other marketing avenues. The results are both mind-boggling and hilarious. Let the fun begin: Don’t Use Unrelated […]

Continue Reading


Where Should I Start With My SEO? Yeah, We Get That A Lot

by

Posted on July 16, 2014 at 15:38 PM

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most overlooked areas of marketing for businesses. You can’t see it, and you certainly don’t understand it, so why bother paying an SEO marketer to do it for you? Come sit by us, grasshopper, and listen to the song of our people. Many businesses who have developed […]

Continue Reading


“Can I Get Your Digits?” 5 Ways Retailers Can Use Text Marketing

by

Posted on June 23, 2014 at 15:37 PM

Do you know anyone these days without a cell phone? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Out of those people, how many have texting? Chances are, it’s the vast majority. So why are retailers still not leveraging an instant access to their target audience by literally giving them important info in the palm of their hand? […]

Continue Reading


Five Mistakes You’re Making with Your Brand Videos

by

Posted on June 06, 2014 at 15:36 PM

By now you probably understand the importance of implementing video in a comprehensive marketing strategy. If not, read this blog. And this one. Aaaand this one. If you are already using video, make sure you are avoiding these five faux pas about video production and promotion. Not Being Creative Ugh. There’s nothing worse than having […]

Continue Reading


twitter and aol

What Twitter and AOL Have in Common: The Evolution of Usage

by

Posted on May 14, 2014 at 15:35 PM

In 2006, Twitter entered the social media scene, barely registering a blip on the radar until around 2008. For the next five years, it would revolutionize how we connect with each other, but as of late Twitter has become more of a dinosaur in the shadow of more current platforms. The Atlantic e-zine recently said, […]

Continue Reading


video marketing

Show, Don’t Tell: 5 Ways Video Can Be Implemented in Your Marketing Strategy

by

Posted on May 01, 2014 at 15:34 PM

Let’s say you are selling a chair. This chair is uber cool, with incredible features at a great price point. Your online e-commerce website is optimized for SEO, and you get a decent amount of traffic to your site each month. So why are sales for the chair a tad subpar? If you haven’t included […]

Continue Reading


email marketing

We Found a Pulse: Email Isn’t Dead So Make Sure Your Strategy Isn’t Either

by

Posted on April 28, 2014 at 15:33 PM

With all of the new technology available for marketers today, email marketing is often considered a dead avenue. For those of us around in the 90’s when email was shiny and new, we all knew that it would change the way that businesses conversed with their customers. Today, a lot of companies have abandoned the […]

Continue Reading


comparison shopping

Showrooming: How You Can Leverage Price Comparison Shopping For Your Benefit

by

Posted on April 24, 2014 at 15:31 PM

Showrooming has become a brick-and-mortar store’s worst nightmare. Or has it? The practice of visiting a store for the purpose of checking out a product before buying it online at a lower price has become very common with shoppers. It’s the new way to shop. Retailers have been trying to figure out a way to […]

Continue Reading


baby boomers and smart phones

The Smartphone BOOM: Why You Should Include Baby Boomers in Your Smartphone Incentives

by

Posted on April 17, 2014 at 15:30 PM

Kids these days…always on their cell phones. The stereotype is that teens and young adults (let’s go with 35 years old and under) can expertly walk, text and browse the internet all at the same time on their handy smart phones. It’s safe to say that young Americans have become more dependent and somewhat transfixed […]

Continue Reading


gefen marketing

Videos That Make Us Look Cool

by

Posted on April 11, 2014 at 15:29 PM

So we recently came up with two spiffy commercials that we’ve been flashing around town. Meet two of our staff members, Nicole and Becky, who help us get the job done around here. Secondly, get a peek at some of the services we offer and meet Creative Director and President, Ellen Gefen.

Continue Reading


selling online

The Type of Online Content You Need to Sell More Stuff

by

Posted on April 10, 2014 at 15:29 PM

We’ve all piled up items in our online shopping carts, only to abandon the purchase in response to instant buyer’s remorse, or worse, because the checkout process was simply too daunting of an idea at 11 p.m. (after all, your credit card is in the other room). For any number of reasons, ecommerce websites have […]

Continue Reading


brand loyal

Surprise! Millennials Are Just as Loyal as Their Parents

by

Posted on April 09, 2014 at 15:27 PM

It may come as a surprise to know that a generation known for detachment from institutions and companies, is in fact, just as loyal as older generations when it comes to brands. A group of Millennials, or people born from around 1980 to 2000, recently participated in an Adroit Digital study that gauged their loyalty […]

Continue Reading


social media

The Social Media Lowdown: How to Differentiate Your Social Media Strategy

by

Posted on April 08, 2014 at 15:26 PM

For some, social media is a playground of opportunity. For others, it’s the bane of their existence, where they struggle to understand the platforms, audiences, and the ever-elusive art of the perfect post. Fret not; we have some tips that may help you navigate the waters. Facebook and Google+: ‘The Country Club Luncheon’ (rubbing elbows […]

Continue Reading


Marketing and strategy

The Marketing Scoop: What a Comprehensive Strategy Looks Like

by

Posted on April 07, 2014 at 15:25 PM

We get a lot of questions about what businesses might be leaving out of their comprehensive marketing strategy. While every business is different, there is a ‘milk and bread’ philosophy we like to tell our clients about, which is to say that you should always consider the following strategies the ground floor of their marketing […]

Continue Reading


facebook hashtag

Use Hashtags Sparingly on Facebook: A Single One Will Do and Here’s Why

by

Posted on April 06, 2014 at 15:23 PM

Hashtags are stellar ways to quickly distribute information about trending topics. Twitter is a great platform for this, but Instagram sits on the throne and rules the hashtag kingdom. By making pictures easily discoverable, users find new connections with each other in ways that other platforms can only dream of. Instagram is known for its […]

Continue Reading


facebook

It Pays to be Original: How to Make Sure Your Facebook Business Posts Show Up in the News Feed

by

Posted on April 05, 2014 at 15:22 PM

Facebook regularly updates their news feed algorithms, much to the dismay of online marketers who scramble to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. The most recent update has perhaps been the most unwelcome of all for businesses. The importance of status updates has decreased for brands, simply because they generally see less overall engagement than […]

Continue Reading


Lights, Camera, Action: If You Want to Sell More Stuff, Get it on Video!

by

Posted on April 04, 2014 at 15:04 PM

We already know that publishing videos on your website can help it rank in search results, but you may not understand just how much video can help you to increase sales. A study released by the marketing firm Animoto shows just how including videos on your site can favorably influence visitors and increase sales. The […]

Continue Reading


b2b

B2B’s, Don’t “B” Crazy: You Still Need to Engage on Social Media

by

Posted on April 03, 2014 at 15:02 PM

You’re a B2B business. Your customers are other businesses, which means you rarely deal with consumers directly. You may be thinking there’s no point in having a presence on social media. After all, you aren’t talking to consumers, so why bother? We’re glad you asked. A study by IDG Research has shown that businesses are […]

Continue Reading


instagram

Get Visual With Instagram: Joining the Next IT Crowd

by

Posted on April 02, 2014 at 15:00 PM

  Before you can create a successful social media campaign to promote your business, you need to know where your customers are perusing online. Facebook may be the most popular social network with over 1 billion users (yes, billion), but it may not be the only place you can use as your brand’s megaphone. A new […]

Continue Reading


Turn Brand Bashing into Brand Boasting: Amazon’s Latest Price Hike and How Social Media Ran Interference

by

Posted on April 01, 2014 at 14:59 PM

  Social media is not just a great way to attract new customers. These days, if you aren’t connecting through social media, you can bet your bottom dollar that your competition is. The social media universe can be convoluted and incredibly daunting. You imagine your important updates being mixed with Aunt Gertrude’s millionth picture of […]

Continue Reading