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Make It Happen Tipsheet

  • Powerful Posts or Contrived Conversations

    Powerful Posts or Contrived Conversations

    Nobody asked me to write this post, but it is an exceptionally powerful one. Have you noticed that many (most?) online posts by organizations seem contrived? They are sales-focused, or narcissistic, or they're trying just a bit too hard to be friendly.  It is someone's day job - a "community [More]

  • Not back to school – Lessons for every student

    Not back to school – Lessons for every student

    Just about every Friday for the last eight years and four months, I went to school - but no more.  I was a consultant to the Schulich School of business, where I gave 288 presentations, coached over 2100 students, and mentored 128 of them at 7am almost every week. I [More]

  • Ten Tests: Can Your Website Live Through One More Year?

    Ten Tests: Can Your Website Live Through One More Year?

    How long do you keep your car?  Some people swap their car every 2-3-4 years, while others keep them for ten, and run them into the ground.  There are pros and cons to both strategies, and endless arguments about which is best: older cars have higher maintenance costs, sport some [More]

  • Marketing Insight: From Landing Pages to Microsites

    Marketing Insight: From Landing Pages to Microsites

    How many websites does your organization have? Of course there is the main site. Then there is the "old" site that includes all of the archival content. Then there are specialized microsites for various products, events, and advertising campaigns. And finally, there are  all of the landing pages that support [More]

  • Marketing Insight:  The Five Principles of Web Usability

    Marketing Insight: The Five Principles of Web Usability

    Why are some sites just so frustrating to use? To answer this question, we need to look through the lens of the user experience designer - and their cousin, the marketing director.  When sites are poorly put together, it is likely that the site has violated one of the five [More]

  • Protecting your Digital Cargo

    Protecting your Digital Cargo

    Every organization owns intellectual property: in fact, this recorded knowledge is often key evidence of expertise, capability, and fit. So if it is that valuable, how do you protect it from being stolen? Before answering that question, it is useful to distinguish between content that you want to be widely [More]

  • Marketing Insight: White Papers and Inbound Marketing

    Marketing Insight: White Papers and Inbound Marketing

    Nowadays, a white paper can be just about anything. In the olden days of the 1980s, it typically meant a definitive exploration of a specific topic, often 20 pages or more. The author (and their organization) would be recognized for this knowledge by the marketplace, resulting in queries, and eventually, [More]

  • When Sharing is not a Good Idea

    When Sharing is not a Good Idea

    If you have spent any time on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok (and now, sadly, LinkedIn), you may have been the victim of over-sharing. You are subjected to pointless, and often narcissistic postings, often from people and organizations that should know better. While the impact on you is wasted time, the [More]

  • Back-Stories, Lessons, Ali, and Hymie

    Back-Stories, Lessons, Ali, and Hymie

    Each summer for the last three years, my wife and I have stayed at the same hotel while visiting the Montreal Jazz Festival. Each time Ali was at the desk checking us in with a smile. Each time asking us a question or two.  Not only did he know his [More]

  • Inbound Web Contact Strategies

    Inbound Web Contact Strategies

    Have you ever gone to a website, and for whatever reason, felt the need to actually contact the organization? You may have a product or service question, or you may have a technical issue that needs resolution. Or perhaps a billing error that needs to be fixed. Unfortunately, many organizations [More]

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