Bob Cargill, Author at Bob Cargill

11Aug 2020 by Bob Cargill No Comments

A Few Words with Kathy McConnell

Business, Marketing, Podcast, Social Media

In this episode of my podcast, I talk to transformational marketing professional, Kathy McConnell, about marketing, social media and golf - yes, golf. During our conversation, Kathy talks about how when she was about 10 years old, she "really started to fall in love with marketing because I opened up a lemonade stand." Don't miss the rest of the story!

30Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill No Comments

Go Engage Your Audience

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

On your mark. Get set. Go. Go engage your audience like the organizers behind the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race are engaging theirs. This popular road race, founded by the legendary runner, Joan Benoit Samuelson, in 1998, had to cancel its August 1 edition this year due to the pandemic. They decided not to go forward with a virtual version of the race, either. But they are doing something very smart and strategic to celebrate the race and engage everybody who’s a fan of it. They’re asking people to design their own version of the race’s start line on their driveway, take a picture of their artwork and share it on social media with the hashtag, #TDB2B10K. After the three most creative designs are selected, a winner –…

22Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill No Comments

Panera’s Free Coffee Offer

Marketing, Restaurants

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such a thing as free coffee. Panera Bread has been offering free, unlimited coffee through Labor Day for a while now. All you need to do is sign up for it on the bakery-café’s website or app. Have you taken advantage of this ridiculously awesome offer yet? The consumer in me says it’s such a great deal! The marketer in me says it’s such a great campaign! In the infancy of the initiative, they were using Twitter to say they needed 500,000 votes for #FREECOFFEE4SUMMER to make the offer a reality. That got their audience’s attention - and the necessary votes. This subscription offer is classic direct marketing, signing up constituents for free, hoping to up-sell them,…

14Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill No Comments

Don’t Set It and Forget It on Social Media

Branding, Marketing, Social Media

Automating the publishing of some of your content on social media is a smart strategy. Automating all of it, not so much. Using an automation tool helps you maintain a continuous, uninterrupted presence online, but you don’t want to rely on it too heavily. You want to include plenty of authentic, real-time content in your social media stream, posts that show you have a personality, not just a pulse. You want to be conversational and opinionated, not simply factual, which is almost impossible to pull off if you’re simply setting it and forgetting it. Personalizing your messaging is where you’re going to see the biggest gains on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like. The more engaging, the better. Don’t forget the social on social media. P.S. Don't have time…

04Jul 2020 by Bob Cargill No Comments

If This Doesn’t Get You on Social Media, Nothing Will

Social Media

These are difficult days, trying times. Not only are we all still dealing with a devastating pandemic, the coronavirus crisis, but after the tragic death of George Floyd, our nation is facing another crisis, racism, that can’t be ignored. Everybody needs to speak up. Everybody needs to listen. Everybody needs to be heard. Everybody is reeling for one reason or another. If this doesn’t get you on social media, nothing will. While we can’t get together in person for commiseration, collaboration, camaraderie and comfort, we can connect online. We can use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the like to ask our friends and families, our colleagues and clients how they are doing and how we can help. We can show the human side of our personal and corporate brands. We…

24Jun 2020 by Bob Cargill No Comments

Senior-Level Executives and Social Media

Business, Leadership, Social Media

You already have a platform. You already have a following. You already have a fan base. Why not take advantage of it? Why not jump on social media? I’m talking to you, if you are a senior-level business executive, you who are invariably the least likely in your organization to use social media to communicate with your constituency, even though your words carry so much weight. The times are changing rapidly, however, and in 2020, your audience expects to hear from you on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and the like. They want to get to know you not just as a professional, but as someone just like them. They want to know what you think about the important issues of the day. They want to hear how you feel about what’s…

02Jun 2020 by Bob Cargill

Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. Saying so matters, too. To think that in the year 2020 this country still has a problem with racism. That is not just sad, that is shameful. As Nike has said so well in its timely, new ad, “Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America.” Whoever we are, whatever we do, wherever we live, we all have a responsibility to speak out and stand up against racism, bigotry, discrimination and injustice. In both our personal and professional lives, we can’t be silent when such a big problem exists. As brands, businesses, people and professionals, we all have a duty to stand together as one in the face of something so wrong and work hard to ensure that everybody in this country has equal opportunity to enjoy…

11May 2020 by Bob Cargill

A Few Words with Meaghan Edelstein

Branding, Content, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media

In this video, I talk to social media consultant, Meaghan Edelstein, about her new social media crisis strategy deck and how brands should be tailoring their marketing strategies and tactics during the coronavirus pandemic.

18Apr 2020 by Bob Cargill

This Is the Time to Show the Human Side of Your Brand

Advertising, Branding, Leadership, Marketing, Social Media

In these uncertain times, countless brands are adjusting their advertising and marketing messages. What about you? This is not the time to think you can just set it and forget it when it comes to communicating with your customers and constituents, especially on social media. This is not the time for your canned sales pitches. This is the time to reach out to your audience and ask how you can help them. During this pandemic, your business may still be in operation, but your focus should not just be on your bottom line, it should be on doing what you can for the greater good. This is the time to show the human side of your brand. This is the time to speak honestly about how the health crisis is…