The post Marketing During Holidays first appeared on Poole Communications.

While AI initially seems daunting, it can be a worthwhile tool if incorporated correctly. The use of AI in the business world is vast and allows businesses to accomplish tasks that were once far more tedious or difficult.

Some of these applications of AI include:

• Generating new ideas & brainstorming
• Gathering data & information
• Troubleshooting & problem-solving issues
• Programming & technical support
• Chatbots that can create web personalization
• Language translation capabilities
• Proofing & editing assistance

Top three General AI sources:

• ChatGPT: A popular tool for writing, answering questions, reviewing documents, and scripting videos.
• Claude: A chatbot known for its productivity features.
• Perplexity: An answer engine that provides accurate answers to user questions

By breaking down some of these applications, you can see that AI is worth using to manage and run your business. It helps with brainstorming, data management, data gathering, and even troubleshooting problems you may not have been able to solve alone.

Chatbots are also an extremely useful tool that is easy to implement into your website. These bots can be used to interact with customers and provide a more personalized experience. Chatbots work 24/7, allowing round-the-clock access to customers who might need answers even when your business is closed.

AI is also a powerful tool for tasks such as translating, allowing for global conversations between customers and other businesses. Language-oriented benefits include editing assistance. While having AI write for you is not recommended, AI can be a good proofreading tool for checking grammatical errors within emails, newsletters, and other marketing pieces. Programs like Grammarly have begun incorporating AI into their software to enhance the user experience.

AI is not a replacement for human creativity, skill, and intuition, but a tool for enhancing human skills. We've discovered that human writing tends to be far more stylized and of better quality, while AI produces blander and, oftentimes, poorer content.

AI doesn't have all the answers - yet. Balance your use of AI, and don't rely too heavily on it for success. Instead, the best method of integration is to use it to build on the already powerful human creativity and skills.

Looking for marketing advice from real, experienced people? Don't hesitate to reach out and give us a call. We're in business to make you look good - and can help you integrate AI into your business.

Want to get started? Here are two AI programs for business:

Chatronix: Access to 550+ prompts and multiple AI models in one place.

Humanizer: Humanize text created by computers to sound like a person.

Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

Grow Your Company with Google Business.

Get your business found on Google Search and Google Maps, and let your customers know more about your company! Google Business is critical; it lets customers know important information about your company, like hours, a link to your website, location, and customer reviews. Building a good Google Business profile can let people know about your company with a simple search that provides customers with invaluable information.

We recommend using Google Business for all of our customers and updating your business profile to be as accurate as possible. This is really beneficial to your customers. Google Business profiles improve business visibility and credibility, so it is essential to set one up if you haven't! Start by going to business.google.com and walking through the easy steps of setting up your company to get noticed.

Busy, and need help setting up your Google Business page to grow your online presence? Give us a call: 573-221-3635. We can help make sure it's done right and that your business gets found.

Interested in more marketing tips and ideas? Check out our website: https://poolecommunications.com/insights/

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Finding Balance With AI first appeared on Poole Communications.

Digital marketing requires a certain level of technology proficiency, knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), and Search Generative Experience (SGE), as well as social media literacy, data analytics, and email marketing. To achieve success in digital marketing, it is essential to approach it as deliberately as you can. Using tools like data analytics and customer feedback, you can craft stories and set up plans to tackle digital marketing. To stand out from the crowd, let people know you have experience. Prove you are a voice of authority in your market. Show them that you are a trustworthy company.

There are a few components to keep in mind:

• Are you using email to its full potential?
• Is your website mobile-friendly?
• What sort of trends fit with your brand?
• Are you using the right social media?
• Are you planning marketing for the short or long term?
• What keywords are you using for SEO in your digital ads?
• Are you correctly set up with Google Business?

Know How to Optimize.

Knowing how to optimize your digital marketing is key. With the continued development of AI, such as SGE, SEO is being pushed to its limits. This means your business must be as accurate and as customer-friendly as possible. Businesses that master a smooth user experience become more visible. It is also important that your keywords and facts are in order. Be clear and accurate, using your keywords regularly in all customer communications. Be ready to consistently update information and engage in learning related to technology development.

Taking full advantage of email and social media can be a game-changer. Email serves as a reliable means of communication and marketing. Social media can be a way to get your messages out there. Social media is also a wonderful tool that you can use to tell your company's story and show the world what you are all about.

Overall, the underlying theme of effective digital marketing is to be cohesive and consistent. Stay on top of changing trends and be ready to use new technology to help you stay ahead of the competition.

Don't Sleep on Social Media!

There are so many ways you can use social media to connect and spread the word about your business. It is a treasure trove of possibilities; however, using it can sometimes be a stressful experience.

We recommend creating engaging content that is educational, entertaining, and valuable to your customers. Actively use video and photos to showcase what your company is all about. This can generate word-of-mouth referrals and build long-lasting connections. When using social media, always tell a story. Plan out your social media posts and determine your goals - like a 10% increase in LIKES or FOLLOWS. Setting goals for your posts will help you effectively use social media to grow your company and celebrate your team.

Some of the most popular social media platforms that are waiting to be utilized include Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, X, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Facebook is the leader in self-declared platform use so far in 2025, according to Datareportal. Each social media platform has its own unique demographics and marketing approaches. Knowing social media trends and demographics is important for success in digital marketing.

Get out there and share your company's story!

Want help with marketing ideas like this one or would you like us to train your people? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Get Yourself Out There! first appeared on Poole Communications.

Email marketing can be a fantastic way for you to connect with your customers. Using an email newsletter can be a valuable tool for promoting brand awareness and keeping your customers and stakeholders informed about your company's latest developments. This type of email can also be used to engage with your customers, helping you establish your expertise in your field, build trust, keep people informed, and foster loyalty.

In addition to all of this, newsletters provide one of the most effective marketing tools: positive word of mouth. A well-crafted newsletter can spark positive conversations about your business. Not enough businesses make an effort to keep in contact with their clients. Some may have a customer or client list they never use! Newsletters can be a highly effective tool for gathering data about your customers and their needs, so don't forget to utilize newsletters and your client lists to truly connect.

Knowing how to start a newsletter can be hard. However, it doesn't have to be! Here are some tips for what is needed to build a successful newsletter:

• Keep the newsletter concise and engaging: Use simple paragraphs, bullet points, and images to break up your content in a way that makes it easy for your readers to consume.
• Have a great subject line: Craft a subject line that can catch the interest of your readers.
• Define & know your audience: Try to make your newsletter useful and valuable to your readers. Do this by understanding who your target audience is.
• Use a call-to-action: Find a way to get your target audience to engage with you.
• Make it mobile-friendly: Most people have access to email on their phones. Optimizing for mobile devices can help increase engagement.
• Make it useful to your readers: The information in your newsletter should benefit your customers in some way to foster meaningful relationships.

Try Generating Content for Newsletters.

There are a lot of fantastic ideas you can use for newsletter content. You can write a blog, do a promotion, or update your readers about company news. The range of possibilities is endless! The goal is to engage with your customers and leave a positive mark. Coming up with ideas can be difficult, but there are plenty of options you can try.

Enjoy this list of ideas that you can use in your newsletter:

• FAQs about your company/area of expertise
• Customer & employee testimonials
• Useful infographics
• Meaningful updates about the company
• Holiday greetings
• Special offers & deals
• Coupons & promotions
• Invites to events
• How-to-Guides
• Blog posts
• New product announcements

Take advantage of the opportunities that a newsletter presents!

Want to give it a try? Constant Contact is a reliable sending tool that you can use for your newsletter - and it's simple to use! You can try it for free to see if it is a good fit for you. Click this link to get started. Alternatively, platforms like Substack can be very useful tools for managing newsletters and email marketing.

Looking for more tips for your newsletter or want us to help you get started? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

Writing A Good Email.

Newsletters are not the only thing email is used for. Email is a very dependable method of communication in a business setting. Therefore, it is essential to know how to write a clear, concise, and friendly email. If you have to use an attachment, make sure the attachment is an easy-to-view file, like a JPEG, PNG, or PDF. Files like Microsoft PowerPoint or Word Documents are not easy to read when looking at an email.

Be sure your email provides contact information. Having a branded signature on each of your emails can help link to your number and your company's website. Most email services provide the option to pre-make a signature that you can use with every message! Take advantage of that feature. At the same time, make sure your email messages are clear and easy to understand. There's nothing more frustrating than miscommunication, so being certain to get a good tone and message across in your emails is vital to getting things done.

Finally, don't forget the subject line. It can be easy to press send without a subject, but subject lines can be used to help convey what an email is about. It can also be used to highlight if a message is urgent or not. Using a subject helps get your emails read.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Take Advantage of Email Marketing first appeared on Poole Communications.

There are three main factors to consider for every website, known as Core Web Vitals:

• How long does your website take to load?
• How quickly does it respond to user input?
• How responsive is your website's page layout?

These Core Web Vitals can make or break the success of your website. Things to consider when trying to focus on these three questions include how you might make your website more mobile-friendly, clean, interactive, personalized, and accessible. All of these things contribute to the website's ability to run smoothly and work well.

Engage and Personalize.

When putting together or updating a website, it is important to remember that websites are commonly accessed by mobile devices. Over 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. Designing a website that prioritizes responsiveness and mobile-friendliness is much easier than trying to cram desktop web pages onto a cell phone. In addition, trying not to clutter your website with too many elements makes the website easier to read, navigate, and decreases loading time.

Adding interactions and personalization can make viewers of your website more likely to return and stay on your web pages longer. This can include integrating things like polls or quizzes, or even trying out AI-powered tools that can assist with and tailor the user experience. Another huge factor is making your website more accessible by using tools like keyboard navigation, alternative text on images, and incorporating high-contrast colors in the website's design.

Overall, a website can become more successful by:

• Being mobile-friendly
• Cleaning up clutter
• Becoming more interactive
• Creating personalized experiences
• Implementing accessibility

Focusing on these things will help boost your website on Google and other search engines. It is important to be intentional about how you approach your website — it is the digital face of your brand!

Need a little help to get started? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Making Your Website Great! first appeared on Poole Communications.

Of course, there is a large amount of information out there about the best practices for creating or adapting a website to meet this standard. To break it down, WCAG can be highlighted into four sections.
Your website is a step closer to following WCAG if it is:

• Perceivable: content is easy to perceive for various audiences.
• Operable: content is easy to navigate and adapts to alternative forms of accessibility.
• Understandable: content is readable and easy to understand.
• Robust: content is accessible on multiple devices and is usable on assistive technologies.

Know How to Adapt to ADA Standards.

This means that your website must be able to adapt to people with disabilities. If a website is perceivable, it might offer alternative text, audio assistance or alternatives, have high contrast colors, and mark what language is used in the website's header code. If it is operable, it will have a clear hierarchy with a header and easy-to-navigate menus. If the content is understandable, it might avoid using long, unnecessary words. If it is robust, then your website will be able to work on any device it needs to.

All of these factors make a world of a difference when it comes to making your website just a little more usable for people with disabilities. People often design websites as visual pieces, but they must also be functional and usable by all sorts of people. Making a website too complex or confusing can vastly change how accessible it is. In addition, a website that is not accessible is far less likely to be boosted by search engines and is less likely to be seen as often. This only adds to the urgency of setting your website up to be ADA compliant.

As a note, there is a new ruling under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act that requires web content for state and local governments to meet specific standards of WCAG by a certain deadline, depending on population. The first deadline is in April 2026. Check out this fact sheet for more information.
Further details on these deadlines:

• 0 to 49,999 persons: April 26, 2027
• Special government districts: April 26, 2027
• 50,000 people or more: April 24, 2026

Need a little help making your website ADA compliant, or would you like us to train your people? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Is Your Website ADA Compliant? first appeared on Poole Communications.

External Ideas for Growth:

• Use networking and collaboration to create strong connections
• Always look for feedback and referrals from customers
• Participate in local events and charities
• Create strategic partnerships with other local businesses

Internal Ideas for Growth:

• Work on expanding the skills of your employees
• Build diverse and aspiring teams
• Always be improving your business
• Foster a strong, encouraging workplace culture
• Diversify your revenue streams
• Create a customer retention system

Two things we encourage small businesses to think about are how to be active in their local community and how to foster a culture of growth within their business. Your local community can be a driving force for your business's growth. In return, you can be a major contributor to making your community a better and more economically sound place.

Internal growth can often be traced back to the culture you foster, as well as the drive for innovation and growth you and your employees have. You will never stop learning, and neither will your employees. Embrace that. Use it to make your small business something great and worth investing in.

Need a little help getting started, or would you like us to train your people? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Celebrating Small Businesses first appeared on Poole Communications.

Put yourself in their shoes! Try to identify what your customer demographic might be interested in or what might resonate with them the most. Once you have some ideas of what might work, test them out and listen for honest feedback and data. Focus on what works best and improve on it. Furthermore, listen to what your customers are saying. Don't simply assume you always know what your customers want, but be ready to work with them to understand what they want better.

In addition to placing yourself in their shoes, you should always be ready to admit to mistakes and quickly fix them. In times of crisis, customers want to know that things will be fixed. A business that avoids or fails to respond quickly and efficiently is far more likely to frustrate customers. Communication is key in times of crisis and when developing your marketing plan.

To summarize, looking at things from a customer's perspective means:

• Garnering trust and respect with customers
• Focusing on what they might be interested in
• Looking at feedback and asking what they want to see
• Taking time to listen and work with your customers
• Understanding the data and using what works best
• Being quick to admit to mistakes and taking responsibility

Need a little help to get started or would you like use to train your people? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post From a Customer's Perspective first appeared on Poole Communications.

Oddly enough, the answer is simply to slow down! This, of course, does not mean you need to halt regular and consistent posting or start ignoring trends, but rather, it means that marketing must be done with intention and consideration. Slowing down to combat a fast-paced world involves planning, working to learn and develop, and learning more about what will capture your target audience's attention best.

Going too fast in planning can lead to problems like:

• A decrease in marketing quality
• A possibility of "jumping the gun" on new trends
• A reactionary marketing style that can lead to burnout
• An uptick in branding inconsistencies
• A risk of ill-timed or poorly planned campaigns

The trick is to slow down to go fast. It is important to be adaptive, plan, and make an impact in today's fast-paced world. Keep yourself informed about trends and world/local events that might affect your campaign and plan. As you plan, always be learning and developing your skills in the marketing world. A marketing team that is always learning and growing will be far more ready to adapt to rapid changes in the field.

In marketing, you always want to be consistent. Plan your campaigns for a fast-paced world by:
Gearing your campaigns to educate, inspire, and/or entertain
Making them interesting and worth the consumer's time
Being intentional in your campaigning approach
Figuring out what does/doesn't work and adapting accordingly

Using these guidelines, you can work to plan out an adaptable campaign that will be more consistent, high in quality, and able to stand out in the world of rapid-fire content. Don't just react to the constant changes but intentionally plan for and adapt to them!

For less than the cost of one full-time employee, you can have a complete marketing team to help build your company. Interested? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Going Fast & Slowing Down first appeared on Poole Communications.

When networking, it is important to go out of your way to meet new people! While stepping out of your comfort zone to connect to people can be tough, using icebreakers and being friendly can help get conversations started. Try not to be pushy in these conversations, but instead be an active listener and a service to the people you meet.

Some ideas for icebreakers might include:

• Asking about their businesses
• Trading how each of you got into your business
• Inquiring about personal things like interests or hobbies
• Talking about family and friends
• Sharing possible common interests
• If meeting at an event, discussing the speaker or event

Use and give referrals to expand your network. When building relationships with customers and clients, giving and receiving referrals can help strength your relationships. Customers with positive reviews and testimonials about your business or services can be essential to growing clientele. Referrals are a networking heavy approach to advertising, where your existing clients and customers positively recommend your company. You want your clients to refer you based on the experiences they have with your business, the reputation your business upholds, and the area your business specializes in.

A good place to network as well as give and get referrals are the Show Me Business Builders meetings. These meeting occur every Wednesday at 7am at Logues Restaurant in Hannibal, Missouri. We would be happy to see your business join!

Need a little help to get started or would you like use to train your people? Contact Poole Communications at 573-221-3635... or email us at info@poolecommunications.com.

©2025 Poole Communications

The post Building Relationships first appeared on Poole Communications.