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Category: Featured

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Web Design 101: Types of Movement

When starting a new website project, one of the most common design requests I hear is, “We want our website to have a lot of movement.” Movement is attention-grabbing and adds a certain level of sophistication to a site, so it makes sense that it is desired by organizations that are going through a website redesign. However, there is a level of complexity to this request. There are several different types of movement, and not all are appropriate for every site.  As a desig... Read More
Posted by Corinne Mizzell Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Design Featured

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

3 Tips for Easy Content Generation + A FREE Guide

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: social media marketing is vital in your marketing efforts. Where Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like were once simply a means for brands to connect with a portion of their audience that also followed them on social media, now it can be, and often is, the place that many people discover and make the decision to invest in new brands.  Posting on social media as a brand or organization is more important than ever before, and ... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Featured Social

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

A Few Thoughts on AZA's 2022 Mid-year Meeting in Long Beach, CA

"A picture is worth a thousand words. An experience is worth at least a thousand pictures." - Dr. Sylvia Alice Earle With those words on Friday morning's opening keynote, Dr. Earle perfectly encapsulated the main thrust of her optimistic view of what is possible in the world of conservation: for those who want to create enduring change, we must invite others into experiences. Dr. Earle invited the assembled aquarium and zoo leadership to see their organizations as the front l... Read More
Posted by Matt Roberts Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Featured Showcase

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Does Bounce Rate Matter in 2022?

One of the most frequent questions we get as digital marketing experts is, “Should I be concerned with my bounce rate?”  The short answer: No, but maybe yes.  Convenient huh? Like many digital marketing strategies, the answer is much more nuanced than a simple yes or no. But hang with me, I promise the answer is below!  Bounce Rate as an SEO Metric Bounce rate is a vanity metric that has been used for years to determine the quality of content on an SEO page. But... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

3 Simple Ways to Get More Google Reviews & More

If you're here, you know that Google reviews are important for any local business. Potential clients are comparing your business with others in your area, and reviews are a great way to stand out. The Google My Business platform has stood the test of time and has become an important component for any local SEO strategy. Additionally, Google reviews aren’t losing any importance in 2022 and are a major contributor to attracting new business. You might be wondering - how do I ge... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, April 6, 2022

The Biggest Lie in Email Marketing

Here’s a mind-blowing stat for you: More than 319 billion emails are sent every single day, and this number is only going up. With such major growth, what worked in email marketing five years ago no longer works. Somewhere along the way, for many marketers, this sentiment transformed into a misconception that email marketing isn’t effective, period. The reality of email marketing is that it’s incredibly effective – when it’s done right. For many top marketers, ... Read More
Posted by Kristin Cales Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

When & Why to Switch Up Your Branding

For many new organizations, deciding on branding—that is, the overall look and feel of your business—is one of the first choices made. However, as businesses (from small businesses all the way up to international corporations) become more established and develop a stronger consumer perception and place within their community, the case often becomes that these early branding decisions ultimately don’t represent the brand as well as they could. But how do you know when your ... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Featured Ideas

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Storytelling for Marketing 101

The value of great storytelling goes far beyond entertainment and, well, telling a story. There’s plenty of research that shows consumers like to feel a human connection to the companies with which they align. Connecting to human emotion on any side can help build trust and get away from the perception of only caring about pushing sales, sales, and more sales. Of course, everything a company does in its marketing efforts is to generate success in sales and improve brand reput... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Featured Ideas

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

A Marketer's Guide to Instagram in 2022

Instagram has come a long way since the age of exclusively square photos, filtered and light-leaked galore. Despite being 12 years old (Yep, Instagram launched in October 2010. Feeling old yet?), Instagram continues to prove itself as one of the most used and most beneficial social platforms in the game for businesses. In 2022, it's the second most downloaded app in the world, and the seventh most visited website in the world, so clearly it's still going strong. If you run your o... Read More
Posted by Sarah Coleman Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Featured Social

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

What is Mobile-First Web Design and Why Does It Matter? 

Mobile-first website design has become a bit of a buzzword in the design space recently. When we consider whether a website is good or bad, one of the first things we look at is whether it is designed with mobile in mind. But what does this really mean? Today, we’re talking about how to determine whether your website prioritizes optimization for mobile screens, and why not doing so is no longer an option.   What is Mobile-First Design?  In a world where the vast ma... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, March 2, 2022
Featured Ideas

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

How to Track Downloads with Google Analytics

As we know, tracking engagement with any content you post online is key to understanding what your audience responds positively to, which aids your ability to continue to provide high-value content to your consumers. The same way we track page-clicks, if you offer downloadable content on your website, you’ll surely want to track how often it’s being downloaded.  The great news: GA4 has automatic tracking of files with the following extensions: pdfs, xlsx, doc, txt, rtf, csv... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Development Featured Strategy

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Mythbusters: Social Media Edition

There are tons of different takes on what truly are the best practices for social media marketing. While many have their merit, there are some that aren’t true, and can even be damaging to your online presence. You want to be sure you’re not wasting your time making social media choices that won’t actually help your views and engagement – and that’s where we come in to set the record straight.  While the real MythBusters are out to prove the world wrong ... Read More
Posted by Maggie Dye Thursday, February 17, 2022
Featured Social

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

What the Olympics Teach Us About Storytelling

  If you're anything like me, and much of the Speak team, you're pumped for the Olympics.   The delay of the 2020 Olympics as a result of the pandemic was understandable but still disappointing. On the flip side, I can’t say I’m mad that now we're getting back-to-back summer and winter events.   The marketing landscape during the Olympics is like an international version of the Super Bowl. High viewership is expected, and our screens are... Read More
Posted by Megan Jones Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Digital Marketing Featured Ideas

Monday, January 31, 2022

Writing for Robots

Whether or not you realize it, you’ve probably used a blog in the last 24 hours. Maybe you wanted to know how to change a tire or were looking for tips on how to train your new puppy. Perhaps you wanted information on how to decorate your house for the season.  If you’re reading this, you’re using one right now! The fact of the matter is that if you can ask a question, Google probably has a blog to offer you. Blogs are singularly one of the most important components o... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Monday, January 31, 2022
Featured Strategy

Friday, January 21, 2022

60 Questions With Speak's 2022 Team Choice Award Winner, BJ Maxwell

Our team recently met in Memphis for our annual Speak Week, where we set our goals for the year, discussed ways we can improve, and perhaps most importantly, announced our Team Choice Winner for 2022. Each year, Speak team members vote on a winner—someone who embodies our core values and who we love getting to work with every day. This year we crowned BJ Maxwell, our Director of Finance and self-proclaimed Mayor of Speak. BJ goes above and beyond exemplifying our values, and ... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Friday, January 21, 2022
Featured Showcase

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Recapping Speak Week 2022: 5 Lessons We Can Learn From Ted Lasso (with no spoilers, we promise!)

The team at Speak Creative spans wide–from Memphis to Nashville, with remote team members all across the country, and even some outside the country. This past week, we had the opportunity to all meet up at the Memphis office (with a few of us on Zoom) to work hard, play hard, and take home some life lessons along the way.  This year’s annual Speak Week was themed Believe and took inspiration from all things Ted Lasso. The Speak Week planning team surprised everyone with socc... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Featured Showcase

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

It’s Alive! How to Identify a Brand Personality that Your Audience Will Love

If you’ve been in the marketing world for any amount of time, you’ve surely heard preached the importance of having a strong and identifiable brand. It sounds so simple, but it goes way beyond the name you attach to an organization. So what does it really mean for a company, an agency, or any business with an outward presence to have a brand? This blog post will walk you through three easy steps to identifying the market you’re trying to reach and the brand personality that ... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Featured Ideas

Thursday, January 6, 2022

What The Pandemic Is Still Teaching Us in 2022

COVID-19 has taught us a lot of things about our society; our personal lives, professional lives, and the way that humans consume information in seasons of stress. For example, we know that our global world is more connected than ever before. One microscopic virus can travel the globe in a matter of weeks - which is both fascinating and terrifying. As we live with this new reality that began almost 2 years ago now, it's important to look at how the marketing worl... Read More
Posted by Madelyn Bomar Thursday, January 6, 2022
Featured Strategy

Monday, December 20, 2021

21 Memorable Moments from 2021

2021 was a refreshing year. After a 2020 that stretched us all, we got to work creating some incredible digital experiences for our clients and had a lot of laughs in between. We’ve gathered a list of 21 memorable moments that have occurred both inside and outside the walls of Speak that are worth celebrating.  1. We loved where we worked.       It’s no secret that we Speaksters love where we work and it’s nice that our communities... Read More
Posted by Madelyn Bomar Monday, December 20, 2021
Featured Showcase

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Tips to Expedite Online Support Requests

Whether you’re trying to activate a new debit card or change something on your company’s website that is above your skill level, online support has become a part of our daily lives. It’s extremely convenient that companies have experts that can get you the answers you need quickly but there is definitely an art to asking your support questions.  Speak intentionally builds websites that are easy to use, but we understand that things happen or you need changes made and t... Read More
Posted by Megan Jones Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Featured Strategy

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Designing The New Tennessee State License Plate

“Good design is like a refrigerator—when it works, no one notices, but when it doesn’t, it sure stinks.” –Irene Au Good design often goes unnoticed and because of that, you’ve likely never thought about the Tennessee state license plate before. However, if you are a resident of Tennessee there is arguably not another design you see as often as you do the Tennessee license plate, and beginning in 2022 Tennessee will have a new official license plate. ... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Sunday, December 12, 2021
Featured Showcase

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Marketing Vocabulary Words You Should Know

Marketing Vocabulary For Beginners If you’re just beginning your adventure into marketing, welcome!  Practically every business needs some form of marketing, digital or otherwise.  Especially within the last year, business owners large and small have discovered that the need for a digital presence is essential to their company’s survival.  Marketing is about meeting your customers where they are and getting in front of the eyes that are most likely to act on your b... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Thursday, December 9, 2021
Featured Ideas

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Conversion-Driven Design

Defining website goals ahead of design = a website driven to build your business better. If you own a company or manage a team, it’s normal to ask “how effective are my employees to my business?” You’re probably monitoring progress, tracking performance, and expecting your business to grow because of their work. Hopefully, you view them as assets to your business. Are you doing the same for your website? Have you considered how your website “works&rdq... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Featured Strategy

Monday, November 22, 2021

7 Tips for Public Speaking That Aren’t Avoiding Like and Um

Even as an extrovert, an enneagram 7, and someone who is told she’s “never met a stranger,” public speaking still makes me sweat. Meetings, announcements, even Zoom calls require public speaking skills.  Beyond the typical “practice makes perfect” and “don’t use filler words,” it can be tough to find practical tips for speaking to a group. I’ve compiled a list of the best tips I’ve heard for public speaking that will help you i... Read More
Posted by Madelyn Bomar Monday, November 22, 2021
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Don’t Let Technology Adoption Behavior Limit Your Audience Growth

Are you familiar with the Diffusion of Innovation Model? If that title doesn’t ring a bell, you’ve probably heard about the concept, which categorizes the adoption rates of technology into 5 groups: Innovator, Early Adopter, Early Majority, Late Majority, and Laggard. Your adoption style doesn't only affect your own experiences and internal operations, but it also impacts the quality of your users’ experiences and the pace of your audience growth. When you recogni... Read More
Posted by Megan Jones Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Featured Ideas