Inbound Marketing Blog

Corey Smith Corey Smith is the founder of Tribute Media and serves as the Managing Director for Tribute Media. He is also the VP of Web & Creative for Hawke Media.

Why Mobile Responsive Web Design is Important

Posted by Corey Smith on Feb 27, 2015 7:00:00 AM

I am curious as to what device you are reading this on? Could it be on a laptop? Maybe you’re at work on a desk? Or – perhaps you have a smartphone in your hand and you’re thumbing through this page.

Are you looking to rebuild your website? If so, then you should consider a mobile-first approach. In today’s digital age, most people use their smartphones to browse the internet. A mobile-first website is designed to prioritize the user experience on smaller screens, making it easier to navigate and find what they need. By creating a mobile-first website, you can attract more visitors to your site, increase engagement, and ultimately, boost your conversions.

Adobe Flash Sucks!

Posted by Corey Smith on Feb 5, 2015 11:46:00 AM

I can't believe that in 2015 this is a post that has to be written.

Not too long ago, I was sitting in a meeting of a local non-profit organization talking about their website. I was brought in as an outside consultant. Their web developer was in the room at the same time.

Now, I use the term web developer loosely. They are really a video group that programs in Flash. They develop websites in Flash along with presentations and other things that they do.

At one point during the conversation I realized how threatened they were by my presence when I asked about their mobile strategy.

“You mean about the Flash, right?” was the terse questioning.

Instagram Steps Up Its Social Media Marketing Game with Paid Ads

Posted by Corey Smith on Aug 5, 2014 3:53:00 PM

You may have noticed some changes in social media marketing this year. Facebook has reduced organic reach for business pages, Twitter opened up their paid advertisement platform, and now Instagram is stepping up to the plate. When it comes to brand activity, how close is the race? Facebook is still taking a large portion of the social media marketing pie, but don’t be fooled- Instagram is right on their tail.

The Tuesday Tip: Marketing Advice at Your Fingertips

Posted by Corey Smith on Jan 27, 2014 5:18:00 PM

Last spring I was thinking about a key problem with small companies trying to do email marketing. I realized that most of the email campaigns companies attempt fail miserably. 

It’s amazing how often I get added to a newsletter list from a company that I don’t care to hear more about. Maybe it’s someone I know or maybe it’s someone I just met at one time. I know that the only reason the majority of the lists I get added to is because they found my email address or got my card at some point. (By the way, that’s illegal… just sayin’).

I unsubscribe from emails more often in a week than I can count. I find that so few emails I receive have any value to me at all.

So, last spring, as I was contemplating this, I had a hair brained idea. I thought, what if those emails were 100% educational? In fact, what if those emails were so selfless that there wasn’t even a “contact me” line or any sort of advertisement? What would happen?

Getting LinkedIn

Posted by Corey Smith on Nov 15, 2013 3:31:00 PM

LinkedIn is a great social media platform. You can engage with your clients on a more professional level.  It’s also a great place to network and meet people in your same field. One thing we have realized is the importance of a multi-touch strategy on LinkedIn groups. Whether you’re simply accepting a LinkedIn users’ request to join a group or connecting with someone in the same industry, you want to keep the conversation going.

What are Email Drip Campaigns?

Posted by Corey Smith on Sep 3, 2013 11:10:00 AM

Drip marketing campaigns (sometimes known as autoresponders) are not your traditional e-mail marketing campaign. Traditional e-mail marketing campaigns are built one message at a time and are sent to an ever-growing list of your business contacts. E-mail marketing is a great way to spread news and updates about your business to those interested in an easily distributed format. You don’t accrue costs the same way that you would with traditional mailers and have full control over how the end user will interact with your message.

Social Media and the Speed of Communication

Posted by Corey Smith on Nov 6, 2012 7:51:00 PM

I felt that it might be appropriate to speak to the nature of communication and how it has evolved over the course of humanity. By communication, I’m not referring to the evolution of interaction in the linguistic sense, but rather how the spread of communication via media and news has evolved over the years.

Social media is an intricate part of our world, personally and professionally. People now expect companies to post new and interesting information relevent to their industry and company.

Inspire - Not Preach

Posted by Corey Smith on Jul 9, 2012 2:46:00 PM

When it is time to present something to an audience, do you find yourself teaching them or preaching to them? It is very hard, sometimes, to draw the distinction, but here is a little unasked for advice.

Be Thankful for Your Customers

Posted by Corey Smith on Jun 7, 2012 2:26:00 PM

A few years ago I went to a technical conference where there were various vendors in booths showing off their products. On the last morning of the event, it was a little quiet in the show and as I walked to one vendor’s booth, I commented, “Pretty quiet this morning, isn’t it?”

The response from the vendor was, “Nice, isn’t it?”