In an era dominated by social media, it's tempting to funnel all your digital marketing efforts into platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (or X or whatever Elon is calling it now). While these platforms undoubtedly offer a vast reach and engagement potential, a recent incident highlights the inherent dangers of relying solely on social media for your online presence. A cautionary tale is the unfortunate experience of a photographer who, after seven years of hard work, saw their business obliterated by Facebook scammers.

The alarming story reveals the vulnerabilities of depending exclusively on social media for business visibility. In this case, scammers took advantage of the photographer's reliance on Facebook for communication, bookings, and customer interaction. When the scammers targeted the photographer's account, they…

Branding is a vitally important component of your overall business and marketing plan. A strong branding strategy ensures the public will clearly understand your company's value proposition. Poorly implemented, however, a brand strategy can leave clients perplexed and unimpressed.

There is a lot of confusion over exactly what is meant by branding. Most simply defined, your brand is the total sum of people’s perceptions about your company. A brand is not a logo or your mission statement. In fact, your brand is not even whatever you say it is! Your brand actually exists outside of your company at the intersection of your corporate intent and the way the public perceives your performance.  Your brand is whatever the…

It’s been a record-breaking year in the travel industry—but as 2023 nears an end, travel advisors who sell the Middle East are wondering about the possible fallout of the Israel/Hamas War. Some already are feeling the pinch as suppliers shift itineraries, customers try unsuccessfully to cancel—and travel advisors and their commissions are caught in the middle. Again.

“I have been fighting with Regent since they announced my clients would not be going to Israel and Egypt—which was the whole reason for their trip—and put Greece in its place,” says Samantha Hamilton at Ultimate Vacations. “My clients have already been to Greece and have no desire to go back, plus they just don’t feel safe being over in that area right now. But Regent is offering zero…

As is the case every September, the US Open Tennis Tournament takes place in New York City with the very best players coming to compete for a $3 million dollar prize. You read correctly. $3 million dollars for bouncing a ball back and forth over a net while grunting and sweating profusely in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees.

The money in sports, both in college and professional events has become somewhat bewildering... but that is a topic for another day.

I found myself more than entertained as I watched both men and women return serves that traveled in excess of 110 miles per hour. “How do they do that?” was a question I asked myself match after match. Incredible. Impossible.…