Mark Lerner

Small Business Matters by Miami’s Community Newspapers is back with another episode! Gain some insights from our guests Sara M. Hernandez, Senior VP, and LaWanda Loftus, Financial Sales Manager/VP from First Citizens Bank. Watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eE4euFqs 🔗 nextMEDIA Driving Business to Your Business . . . #nextmedia #nextmediadigital #digitalmarketing #digitalmarketingmiami #digitalmarketingagency #digitalmarketingtips #digitalmarketingstrategy #digitalmarketingservices #digitalmarketingtip #digitalmarketing2024

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Whether you already know Kim Fitzsimmons or want to get to know her and learn about all the great things happening at Talus, this is a podcast you won't want to miss. #Payments #MerchantServices #ISOsandAgents #ISVs

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Most credit unions and community banks are either entering or in budget season. Now that I think about it...when are you ever NOT in budget season? The best marketers don’t shy away from budget talks. They embrace them. When thinking about marketing budgets, I’m reminded of something marketing expert Constance Anderson said years ago. “Sell your marketing budget all year long by continually showing the positive returns your efforts are generating. Remember, most CEOs have a strong accounting background. They are most impressed when your efforts have a positive impact on the bottom line.” We routinely remind our clients that marketing is an investment and not an expense. And with every investment you make, you want a positive return. John Wanamaker famously said, “I know half my advertising dollars are wasted. I just don’t know which half.” One way to better understand if you are maximizing your marketing dollars is to conduct a marketing assessment. Part of a thorough marketing review includes an expense analysis. Another way to maximize your marketing investment is to outsource some tasks. So much (strategy, copywriting, design, data, digital, etc.) is involved in marketing today that it’s almost impossible for one (or even two) people to have all those necessary skills. Rather than have a bloated marketing department, it may be more efficient to partner with a company that provides a high level of expertise in those key areas. Creating your marketing budget is both art and science. Make sure you’re balancing both. #marketing #budget #creditunions #communitybanks

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“Hey come see us at Booth X insert conference hashtag.” The biggest money left on the table area of B2B marketing is tradeshow. The same old tactics are trotted out YOY and it’s the definition of insanity. The thinking is you have to buy conference packages and place ads, promote giveaways, or VIP food and beverage experiences, and wait. I rarely see B2B marketers use gorilla tactics like interactive whiteboarding with prospects that can create increased foot traffic from shear curiosity or the marketing team handing out postcards with a floor map to the booth as attendees enter the trade show space or leave a breakout session. There are so many relatively low cost opportunities for driving more foot traffic to a booth to capture data. Don’t treat your tradeshow experience like an in-personal version of a brochure website. Don’t play defense. Go on the offense. Get creative.

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Great conversation about why internal buy-in is key to social media success for your bank or credit union! This stuff still matters people. Hope you find this one useful. :)

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So many business owners spend sleepless nights worrying about acquiring new customers. Let Klosebuy Inc. help! We've created tools that solves the biggest issues for SMBs. Try to free. https://lnkd.in/ejri2jHS #klosebuy #smb #loyalty #consumerengagement

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There are so, so many marketing tools in the marketer’s toolbox available to any competent firm. Asking the right questions, listening to honest answers, and then knowing selectively which tools to pull from the box to provide the right solutions is the job of a true credit union marketing expert. https://lnkd.in/etwGPzK6

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Read our latest blog and see why offering financing for your home improvement business can benefit you and your customers.

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Check out the latest @pdxmindshare mention on @BizJournalTrust: Why seasoned sales teams struggle (and how to help) https://ow.ly/5n3P50UcYBn #salesstrategy #salestips #leadership

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🎙️ New Podcast Episode Alert! Join me and Nida Ajaz as we delve into the strategic value of marketing in credit unions. We explore the pressing challenges and effective solutions for proving marketing's impact within financial institutions. Whether you're a marketer or a financial professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights to enhance the strategic role of marketing. 🔗 Tune in now: https://lnkd.in/d__mVZD5 #CreditUnions #FinancialMarketing #DigitalMarketing #BusinessStrategy #Podcast

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Should your #CreditUnion be using Influencers? It depends. While influencer marketing is the flashy topic right now, charter sizes often limit how effectively you can use them. Here's a quick thought: Most influencers have an audience that spans many states, which means you will pay to reach audiences you may not be able to serve. Credit Unions that have full state, multi-state, or national charters will benefit from the partnership because more influencer followers could potentially be new members. If your Credit Union operates under a smaller charter, there's no need to fear. You can still be a part of the excitement. User Generated Content, also known as UGC, presents a promising alternative. It's a fantastic way to create videos that mirror the reels, stories, and short explainer videos you encounter daily. The creator is well versed in creating platform-specific content (Facebook, TikTok, Youtube, Etc.) but does not have an audience to leverage. This means you aren't paying a premium for their audience; you're only paying for their expertise to craft content that can better connect you with your audience. #influencers #ugc

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As you start to strategize and plan out potential thought-leadership opportunities for your organization, be sure to connect and collaborate with your teams and consider submitting a speaker proposal for AXS25. The deadline for submissions is 9/30 but we're rolling out the call for speakers throughout summer. #callforspeakers #thoughtleadership #speaker #conferencespeaker #asembia25 #specialtypharmacy #pharma #pharmacy #pharmaceuticals #lifesciences #patientengagement #patientaccess #healthpolicy #patientcare #patientvoice https://lnkd.in/ekayS3uN

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SMB MARKET SENDS MIXED SIGNALS If you follow Small Business trends like I do, you are always interested in two key reports: The Census Bureau's Business Formation Statistics and the NFIB's SMB Optimism Index. Both are out for May and tell two quite different stories. Here are the key findings from each: SMB OPTIMISM INDEX: ◽ May index came in at 90.5 (up 0.8 from April) and hit a 2024 high. ◽ Despite ticking up each month, May marks the 29th straight month the index remained below the historical average of 98. ◽ 15% of SMB owners plan to hire in the next quarter. ◽ 22% of those surveyed reported inflation is their single most important problem in operating their business. ◽ 6% of owners reported that access to financing was their biggest concern. ◽ The Uncertainty Index rose to 85 - its highest level since November 2020. CENSUS BUREAU BFS REPORT: ◽ May saw slightly less than 424,000 New Business Applications filed. ◽ This represented a 5.4% drop from May 2023 and a 1.5% drop from April. ◽ May was the first month in over 3 years in which all 4 Census Bureau regions saw a YOY decline in applications. ◽ Just 12 states posted YOY application growth in May, with Oregon being the biggest winner - up 14%. ◽ The South, which has typically shown the most growth, logged the greatest YOY decline - with Alabama showing the largest national decline (-18%). ◽ Year-to-date, 2.17 million new business applications have been filed - down 2.3% from the first 5 months of 2023. We typically see a drop in New Business Formations in the months leading up to a Presidential Election as entrepreneurs sit on the sidelines trying to figure out if the election results in a SMB friendly environment. We will continue to watch these trends and share our findings with you, but we would also like to hear what you are hearing and seeing in your individual businesses. Please share in the comments. #smallbusinessformations #SMB #B2SMB #economictrends

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If you missed us at the NEFMA Spring Conference you missed out on a lot of informative sessions that can help make you a better bank marketing pro. Including Stackpole Team Lisa Adams and Jeff Greenler presentation on "HOW TO HARNESS VIDEO TO TELL YOUR STORY". You can download that presentation here: https://lnkd.in/eGjDK3hD And be sure to join us at our upcoming Fall Conference -- check for details and updates here: https://nefma.org/ #videomarketing #NEFMA #bankmarketing #conference #creditunionmarketing

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New from the Alliance for Lifetime Income and CANNEX Financial Exchanges Ltd. today: Chapter One of the 2024 Protected Retirement Income and Planning (PRIP) annual study. Over half of #Peak65 consumers are already retired—many nearly 10 years earlier than today’s recommended age for retirement. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eu5W_Dh7

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What exactly is necessary for the #totalportfolioapproach to be a huge success for #allocators today? Stephen Gilmore, CIO CalPERS has a few ideas that he's intent on presenting on board education day. More insight Pensions & Investments. Here at Vidrio Financial, we're also big proponents of the #totalportfolioapproach, helping global allocators break down those internal silos through advanced #datamanagement tools, #riskmonitoring, and portfolio benchmarking across public and private asset classes. Learn more today at vidrio(dot)com. https://hubs.li/Q02YQz400

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