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Category: Featured

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Why You Should Consider Dark Mode for Your Next Web Design Project

Who turned off the lights? I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but our screens have been looking darker lately. Dark mode (also called black mode, dark theme, night mode, or lights-out mode) is an increasingly popular stylistic theme for websites and apps, and it's the reason why you may have noticed black backgrounds popping up everywhere. As dark mode design continues to grow in popularity (especially following the implementation of optional dark mode for Apple iOS, Facebook, ... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Design Featured

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Creating Company Swag Your Clients and Employees Will Actually Want

Speak has been in the biz for over 20 years, so we’ve seen our fair share of branded swag. Employee swag, client gifts, and outreach gifts featuring a company’s logo and/or branding are all relatively common for organizations to dole out. But often, these gifts earn the reputation of being poorly made, unuseful, or boring.  As a growing company ourselves, we’ve learned the ins and outs of branded gifts and freebies, and, as an agency that specializes in branding and ma... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Featured Ideas

Thursday, July 21, 2022

9 Things I've Learned in 9 Weeks as an Intern at Speak Creative

Speak welcomed four interns this summer, with two of us in Nashville and two representing the 901. Kevin was brought onto the Web Development team, Micah joined the Platforms team, London spent her summer as a Brand Strategy intern with the Audience Growth team, and I joined the powerhouse that is the Speak Agency Marketing team.  We spent our summers doing very different things, but I’m sure we’d all agree that we learned a lot. As I round out my time at Speak, I’m hi... Read More
Posted by Destiny Welch Thursday, July 21, 2022
Featured Showcase

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Content-First vs Design-First Approach

There are typically two design strategies that are considered when going through a website redesign. A design-first approach prioritizes the creative elements that are desired over the assets that will live on the site. Meanwhile, a content-first approach takes the assets you plan to have and builds the design around them. Both methods can lead to a polished website when it’s all said and done, but is there an approach that is more efficient? Speak has utilized both strategies during r... Read More
Posted by Adam Kalwas Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Design Featured Strategy

Friday, July 8, 2022

Recapping Speak Halftime 2022

It doesn’t seem possible that we’re already halfway through 2022, but here we are. In many ways it feels like it was just weeks ago that our team met up for Speak Week in January to set our yearly goals. And yet, we’re forging into Quarter 3, with many of our goals and intentions for the year completed or well underway.   Every year, our team spends a day in the summer participating in what we like to call Halftime – a day dedicated to checking in on the goa... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Friday, July 8, 2022
Featured Showcase

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

10 Quick Ways You Can (And Should!) Tidy Up Your Website and Marketing Presence Right Now

Although you may not have spring cleaning on the brain right now, a little seasonal cleanup can benefit more than just your home. When it comes to your online presence – your website and digital marketing channels – it’s important to check in on things often to ensure your marketing effort is tidy and running smoothly. Your website and digital marketing efforts are the online foundation to your business. If you don’t take time to frequently wipe the dust off t... Read More
Posted by Amy Dunbar Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Featured Strategy

Friday, June 24, 2022

9 SEO Myths to Leave Behind in Your Digital Marketing Efforts in 2022

It’s no myth that the internet and the world of digital marketing is a constantly evolving minefield. What worked two years ago, or even ten months ago, might not work today as our online habits change and new patterns are tracked.  It's 2022, and as Speak’s resident SEO expert, I’m putting on my best Sherlock Holmes hat and uncovering some common SEO myths that aren't applicable to websites any longer. Some are old ways of thinking that, while once true, are s... Read More
Posted by Allison Brown Friday, June 24, 2022
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

How to Market Your Podcast

Over a third of people in the U.S. say they listen to podcasts – an impressive feat for a media form that didn’t come about until 2004. Podcasting came following a boom in amateur radio broadcasting. It took off quickly on a personal level, with people deep diving into their niche interests in audio-form. Just a year after its zenith, big companies began to recognize the opportunity that podcasting could present as a means of thought leadership, recognition, and building a mo... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Boosting Your Search Rankings With UX Design

It’s tougher than ever for new businesses to compete with more established businesses, and even established businesses have more competition than ever before. A good website with top-notch UX is vital for organizations to connect with their audience. A good website alone isn’t enough to get noticed, organizations also need to focus on SEO to make it easier for people to find their business. In the past, SEO strategies were almost exclusively focused on using the right keywords a... Read More
Posted by Allison Brown Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Digital Marketing Featured

Friday, June 10, 2022

How To Expand Your Nonprofit's Marketing Budget with Free Advertising From Google

If you’re a member of a nonprofit, there’s one statement that is true: Budgets are limited. No matter your industry, we understand that nonprofits regularly track every expense, and squeezing marketing dollars out of your total revenue can seem almost impossible. However, we also know that digital marketing is the biggest way to measure your ROI. Luckily, there's a way to stretch your marketing dollars further than you ever thought possible. We’re talking Google Grants.... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Friday, June 10, 2022
Featured Strategy

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

And For That Reason I’m IN!: Digital Marketing Lessons We Can Take Away from Shark Tank

If you have an interest in business development, entrepreneurship, and/or marketing, chances are, you’ve tuned into ABC’s Shark Tank at some point in the last decade. For years Shark Tank has captivated viewers as they showcase entrepreneurs vying for an opportunity to grow their business with the help of an investing “Shark.” Entering as small start-ups with some early success, businesses share their heartwarming stories of humble beginnings, noble causes, false star... Read More
Posted by Megan Jones Wednesday, June 8, 2022
Featured Ideas

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

4 Common Misconceptions That May Be Costing You Social Media Success

Posting on social media takes time and effort. If you’re anything like me, it takes way more time than I ever expect that it will. When we spend time crafting social posts, we want them to be successful, to perform well. When they don’t, it can often be difficult to to understand why.  With so much information (and misinformation) swirling around the internet, it’s hard for people to know for sure what best practices are in regards to social media. And, with the con... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Featured Social

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Speak Creative is Named a 2022 Best in Business Award Finalist

Speak Creative has been named one of the Nashville Business Journal’s Best in Business for the second year in a row.   The Nashville Best in Business Awards are given annually by the Nashville Business Journal to recognize businesses in the local community who have shown innovation, tenacity, and a creative approach to overcoming challenges.  Speak was first nominated for the award by the public, then was scored by a panel of judges based on company culture, business ... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Featured Showcase

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 13, 2022

The Value of Thought Leadership for Your Brand

Your mind is your most powerful marketing tool. If it seems too easy to be true, it isn’t. Time and time again we see that one of the marketing efforts with the greatest ROI, the greatest potential to grow your audience, and the greatest ability to establish your position within your target market is thought leadership. But what is thought leadership, and why is it so important to a strong marketing strategy for B2B and B2C organizations alike?  Today, we’re dropping some k... Read More
Posted by Claire Grace Wednesday, April 13, 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

Monday, April 4, 2022

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 Monday, April 4, 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