A Line from Greenline

For the past six months, Greenline has been host to a wonderful Digital Marketing Intern, Ellie Michael. She's beginning her senior year at the University of Minnesota, Duluth and we're so grateful to have had her time, talent, and energy for the better part of 2021. Ellie is proof there is a new generation of creative young professionals excited to learn and be part of changing the marketing game. As her internship with us comes to a close, I asked Ellie to take a moment to reflect and document what she's learned over the past several months - which you can read, below. If you're looking for a bright, hardworking graduate come May, I know she'll be great in a variety of roles. Cheers, Ellie!

PSA: email marketing isn’t dead! In fact, it’s as popular as ever. 72% of customers actually prefer email as their main channel for business communication. However, email has changed over the years. Staying up-to-date on email marketing trends is instrumental in executing this tactic well - and that is when it becomes the most effective strategy. Studies have shown that putting real time and effort into creating an effective email marketing strategy will translate directly into revenue. Email is actually 40% better at converting when compared to some social media channels. We’re going to walk you through the top email marketing tips and trends and everything your business should know. 

If your business has a blog with great content, you want people to see it! Blogging is an impactful way to connect with customers and drive traffic to your website. Having a blog can also help your brand be seen by loads of new and potential customers. On average, companies that blog receive 55% more website visitors than those that don’t. In fact, 70% of consumers today learn about a company through articles - not ads. 

Podcasts are an amazing way to expand your knowledge on an endless variety of topics. Podcasts have become a popular form of entertainment for many consumers as it’s an easy and affordable method. There are currently 2 million podcasts in the world and over 48 million episodes. As the popularity of podcasts continues to grow, so does the scope of topics that are spoken on. Most platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts have different genres of podcasts you can choose from. Within the business category, there is a large sum of marketing podcasts, specifically. We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 favorite marketing and creative podcasts, complete with specific episode recommendations to get you started - and inspired! 

Whether you realize it or not, both personal and professional elements of your personality - or those of your team - are reflected on your brand’s social media. We understand it can be hard to manage both sides while maintaining your brand’s personality and voice. Both aspects are important to your social media accounts’ success and gaining more followers. Getting personal with your customers is more valuable than you know. Customers appreciate businesses that are authentic, comedic, and follow trends, however, it’s also important to be professional and represent your brand appropriately. So, where do you find the balance? 

In the world of marketing strategy, there is a long list of tactics your business can leverage to increase sales, ROI, and see growth. Choosing the right ‘recipe’ can take some serious work; we’re talking buyer persona development, website content, social media, email marketing, blogging, video marketing, account-based marketing … and the list goes on! Many of these have a place within larger marketing practices, like inbound marketing. But it’s more than just a collection of various marketing efforts, and can often be best understood when compared to outbound marketing.