I had the opportunity to ship off to the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin, TX, to attend the 2018 Smart Social Summit, put on by the newly merged Spredfast + Lithium. When I wasn’t enjoying Torchy’s Tacos or a Voodoo Doughnut on National Doughnut Day, I was learning from some of the most forward-thinking minds and brands on social media today. Continue reading to learn about the insights I brought back with me from this gathering of over 700 social media and marketing leaders.
 
JavaScript, a web development language that has been around for over a decade, is the most-used language for front-end web development. Over the years, JavaScript has improved and developed new capabilities to add, modify, remove, and completely change Document Object Model (DOM) elements on a website.
 
Transparency has been a hot topic, especially in light of recent scandals around Facebook’s use of consumer data and the continued spread of “fake news.” It seems to strike a chord with many and reveals an even darker truth: Americans continue to distrust corporations, even nine years after the recession. Label Insight released a transparency ROI study that revealed that 94% of consumers are likely to be loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency. And almost three in four consumers (73%) say they would be willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency in all attributes. While the study specifically focused on food labeling, the findings could be applied to virtually any product or service.
 
With so many domain names taken already, it may seem daunting to find ‘the one,’ but it can be done! In some respects, choosing the right business name and domain is one of the hardest things you will do. Take your time, find the right one, and start growing your online brand.
 
Recently, two members of Zion & Zion’s Account Management team attended an AE (Account Executive) Bootcamp conducted by the Agency Management Institute in Chicago, Illinois. It consisted of two days of training, along with group presentations, and critiques. Below are a few of their takeaways from the bootcamp.
 
More than 70 million blog posts are published every month on WordPress. That number doesn’t even begin to approach the hundreds of millions of podcasts, videos, tweets, and other forms of content published every day that are elbowing for an increasing small share of your audience’s attention. To keep your content from being lost in the shuffle, it’s more important than ever to amplify it. Here are five strategies you can use to make your voice the loudest and make your content stand out from the rest, as well as a crash course on the ins and outs of content amplification.
 
“PR and advertising are the same thing, right?” Working at a full-service agency, we hear this a lot. Many times, new clients, potential clients, and professionals in general don’t know the difference between public relations and advertising. They might assume that PR IS advertising (or vice versa)—this is a common misperception. I’m here to clear the air and explain the differences between the two disciplines, as well as the similarities, to explain the value that the PR brings to the table.
 
From international franchises to small mom-and-pop restaurants—if you’re a restaurant, chances are, you’ll benefit from a social media presence, and better yet, a strategic social media presence. After years of working with restaurant brands on social media, the social media team at Zion & Zion has more than a few tricks up our sleeve. Use the following recipe to make sure your restaurant’s social media stands out and keeps your business top of mind for your customers.