You’ve done the back-to-school shopping with your kiddos, teachers have shared their Amazon wishlists and set up their classrooms, and now it’s time to focus on you. However, just like the kids have ditched cursive writing for learning on laptops, you’ve traded in long commutes for remote work. Bowe Digital can help you become a remote-work pro, but today, we’re taking a page out of our teachers’ book.
Teachers, we salute you! Not only for educating our little ones but also for taking them off our hands for a while. We admire your organizational skills, patience and knack for making your classrooms both functional and inspirational.
While some of us may want to leave sharing Amazon wishlists to the teachers (they deserve it), these Amazon finds will help you revamp your home office space.
The Remote Worker’s Ultimate Amazon Wishlist:
Since you’re likely spending most of your workdays in it, a comfortable chair is non-negotiable. You can level up your existing chair with lumbar support pads and seat cushions like this CloudBliss seat cushion, or you can sit criss-cross applesauce like the kids with options like this aesthetic chair and this ergonomic one.
For the days you don't want to get out of bed, leave the couch or the pool lounger, portable desk stands like this LapGear Lap Desk can make it easier to work from wherever you want.
When the bus pulls up at the end of the day and the front door swings open, you can stay in the zone and block out the chaos (whether your work day is over or not - we won’t tell) with noise-canceling headphones. Try this budget-friendly option from JBL, or splurge on these Sony headphones.
In case working from home wasn’t hard enough, some people are adding walking from home to their resumes, too. Walking pads, or portable treadmills, have become a trend among remote workers on TikTok. You, too, can get your steps in while you work by purchasing a walking pad like this one. Of course, having a standing desk like this adjustable one by WOKA will make multitasking a bit easier.
No windows in your at-home office space? No problem. Achieve the perfect lighting for Zoom calls, video recordings and more with a clip on ring light. Try this dimmable option.
If you’re worried about your FBI agent watching your every move (if you know, you know), a sliding webcam cover like this one can help give you peace of mind and a little extra privacy when the cameras aren’t (supposed) to be rolling.
Whether you’re trying to savor your morning coffee or you're just too busy to drink it before it gets cold, a mug warmer can keep it hot. Try this wireless one.
…Because we think they should be part of every work from home uniform. After all, working from home allows you to be business up top and comfort down below. Here are a few cozy slippers you should add to your cart: Ankis Fuzzy Memory Foam Slippers, Men’s Memory Foam Slippers and Retro Smiley Face Slippers.
We hope you and your kids have an amazing school year! At Bowe Digital, we’re passionate about what we do and can work with any budget. Contact Bradley Erb on our team at bradley@bowedigital.com to discuss your marketing goals! Learn more about our services at bowedigital.com.
Listen up! No, really. Pop on your headphones or connect to your car’s Bluetooth during your next drive because you don’t want to miss what Wayne Stanley had to say about marketing on the FNF Unplugged podcast.
The Fidelity National Financial Family of Companies’ Unplugged podcast was created to spark conversations with professionals across the country – exploring business topics and empowering personal growth in real estate, financial services and the title industry. In May, our Owner and Chief Inspiration Officer joined FNF’s marketing guru, Linda Grahovec, on the podcast for a two-part marketing series. Wayne has spent over 15 years in the marketing space. While his prior job experience and connections have helped Bowe Digital carve a niche in the land title industry, we work with small businesses ranging from mom-and-pop flower shops and small accounting firms to storage facilities, little bodegas, car washes and everything in between.
PART 1
In part one of the two-part series, Linda and Wayne discuss the importance of setting SMART marketing goals and explain how they help to shape your overall marketing strategy and guide your marketing plan (emphasis on guide because it should be flexible). Don’t worry…Wayne starts by defining what each is and what factors to consider. For example, who can give you more business this year? Versus who can give you any business at all this year? It’s okay to think big as long as you start small and uncover which individuals or groups you should focus on.
Sounds good, right? But if you don’t have a dedicated sales or marketing team, you’re probably wondering who this responsibility falls to. The two marketing experts go over the biggest obstacles in marketing and share ideas on how to get through them. Wayne touches on topics from your team’s role in market research, the budget-friendly tools and solutions available to you, how to take action on your ideas and the importance of testing messages, using the analogy “your marketing isn’t a gumball machine.” You can’t put a quarter in and expect to get the flavor you want on the first try. Marketing takes time, and your audience’s flavor preferences are constantly changing, so being able to pivot is key.
Listen to the full podcast here.
PART 2
It's time to start thinking beyond your website and focus on visuals in other mediums. In part two of the marketing series, Wayne talks about what’s working in today’s market and what’s not. He states that the four biggest marketing wins he’s seeing right now are marketing emails, LinkedIn posts, videos and public relations. But what kind of content works for each? And how often should you be sending them to your customers? Wayne shares the answers to these questions as well as the tools making content creation and design more accessible for non-marketing professionals. Those tools include Chat GPT (use with caution), Canva, Pixabay and his personal favorite, Gratisography.
Linda also sparks a conversation about how a business decides to hire someone internally versus hiring a company like Bowe Digital. While there’s no clear formula, it all ties back to your marketing goals and what you want to accomplish. Think about your work culture. Will an internal marketing person get pulled in different directions and put marketing on the back burner? Are you going to edit the “happy” to “glad” to get things just right? If so, is an external company willing to work shoulder-to-shoulder with you? What will the working relationship look like? Asking and answering these questions can help you make the right decision for your business. However, in most cases, an outside agency will probably be more cost-effective.
Listen to the full podcast here.
Also, here's a quick bonus read: https://bit.ly/3N8q7Cr!
Wayne Stanley and the rest of our Bowe Digital team are passionate about marketing, and we don’t believe in gatekeeping. Whether you work with our team or not, we’re always happy to discuss your business goals, talk about what’s happening in the market and help you brainstorm ideas. Contact Bradley Erb on our team at bradley@bowedigital.com and start putting your big ideas into action! Learn more about our services at bowedigital.com.
After a long or stressful day at work, sometimes you just need something strong to help take the edge off. So take a seat at the Bowe Digital bar, and order a drink. We’ll mix it up; your drink choice will say a lot about your business’s marketing.
Today’s Cocktail List:
Old Fashioned
Wayne’s Hot Tip: Wayne’s tip for the best Old Fashioned, beyond great bourbon, is the cherry and he loves this brand most.
It’s in the name…Old Fashioned. An Old Fashioned is a straightforward and strong drink with no surprises. For many people, it does not go down easy, which is not a good thing when it comes to drinking or marketing. Old-fashioned marketing is as plain as the water that goes into the drink. It does not change with the times and isn’t as popular with younger crowds. If you’re not using social media or incorporating video and eye-catching graphics into your marketing, this might be the drink for you.
However, we recommend you keep browsing the list for a new cocktail.
Whiskey Sour
The Whiskey Sour is loved by some and hated by others. It’s controversial for its sour taste and that optional egg white (because why??). It’s a risk, which in marketing doesn’t always pay off. However, it works better in some industries than others. The fast food restaurant Wendy’s, for example, has seen success from its sassy personality on Twitter, which you can find examples of here. The restaurant bravely roasts its customers and competing companies, which earns them varied responses. If this sounds like your marketing, then we suggest you chug, in case it goes too sour!
Margarita
Heather’s Hot Tip: If you’re like Heather, you want a Marg with less sugar. She suggests you skip the pre-mix stuff. The best marg is tequila, fresh lime juice and a tajin rim.
The Margarita is fun; it has no rules. Like great marketing, it can be customized to the customer likes. We can make them sweet, skinny or spicy. We can salt or sugar the rim, offer different flavors and put them in any glass you’d like. Not a tequila drinker? Try vodka. If your marketing is one-of-a-kind and tailored to reflect the likes and dislikes of your audience, then cheers! This is the drink for you and for us, too!
At Bowe Digital, the margarita is our specialty. We can make it any way you’d like. Our team of experts stays up-to-date on trends and knows what works to make a perfectly balanced marketing strategy that isn’t old-fashioned or too sour. Contact me, Bradley Erb at bradley@bowedigital.com to mix up a custom marketing plan that’s unique to your business! Learn more about our services at bowedigital.com.
People want to feel special, and that’s what custom does. Whether it’s a custom designed cake, custom engraved gift, or custom built home, these one-of-a-kind solutions work to win people over.
Why pay for custom marketing? The same reason you pay for anything custom: you love it and want everyone else (your customers) to love it too! Custom marketing is your chance to stand out from the competition. It shows your customers that you know them and that your posts were made just for them.
Cut Through the Noise
Marketing is everywhere. Most Americans are exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day, according to this article from Forbes. However, that doesn’t mean everything we see or hear sticks. Hundreds of companies are offering the same products or services while marketing them in similar ways. It becomes noise, and only the most eye-catching and unique ones are heard. For small businesses, it’s even harder, but custom marketing can help.
Kids are notoriously harsh critics. They’ll tell you that you look fat one minute and that your food tastes awful the next, so we’ll use them as an example. Picture your kid going to the school bake sale. You send them with a pack of those thickly iced store-bought cookies (you know the ones). Other parents send their kids with sheet cakes and plastic-wrapped cupcakes. All but one, that is. Jeremy’s mom sends him with a 2-tiered custom cake designed around 2022’s most trending movie, Encanto. The bake sale ends, and your child comes home…can you guess what happens next? You hear about Jeremy, Jeremy’s mom, Jeremy’s cake and Encanto until your ears bleed! Yep, custom works any way you slice it, whether it’s a cake or marketing. It makes a lasting impact on people, and everything else fades away.
Audience Targeting
With custom marketing, you’ll reach individuals who are actually interested in your service and products without wasting money on those who aren’t. By using custom services like geo-fenced paid ads, you can target the specific geographic areas you want to hit. You can also curate your marketing materials to reflect the likes and dislikes of your customers. If your audience likes being active, you’d show them custom sneakers over a custom cake, creating opportunities for personal connections.
Consistent Branding
Quality marketing translates to quality products and services in the minds of your consumers. Not only does that mean having custom designs and content but also consistency. Your audience will come to expect your posts in the good times and especially in the hard times. It reminds them that you’re available to them and still investing in your business which means you’re still investing in them. Platforms like HeyOrca can help you schedule social media posts months in advance.
Remember, consistency doesn’t mean that there can’t be surprises. You can always find new ways to shake things up and grab people’s attention. At Bowe Digital, we’ve started incorporating trending topics into our marketing. Whether it’s the corn kid letting everyone know Bowe Digital has the juice or looking at the marketing in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, custom allows for creativity, relevance and excitement in your marketing.
Leave it to the Professionals
If you’ve ever watched Netflix’s Nailed It, you know what can happen when you tackle a new task on your own for the first time – disaster. It’s best to leave custom cakes to the bakers and custom marketing to the marketing professionals. Nobody does custom like Bowe Digital. We’ll tell your story for you and get creative when you can’t, all while moving at your pace and according to your brand image. Contact Bradley Erb on our team at bradley@bowedigital.com for marketing that’s uniquely yours! Learn more about our services at bowedigital.com.
You know when your mom used to make you clean the whole house anytime people were coming over? Well, this is kind of like that…
We’re acting as Mom here and telling you to tidy up your website so that your guests keep coming back. Your website is the home for your story and services; it’s also your chance to make a great first impression. When you want a clean house, you call a maid. When you want a clean website, you call Bowe Digital!
We can help make your website sparkling clean with our 3-step website creation process, but first, let’s talk about what makes a website stand out from the ones next door.
This article lists 7 qualities of a great website. Here are 4 that stand out:
Well-Designed and Functional
Your website should have white space and breaks. It should be uncluttered, Marie Kondo style, with quality photographs and graphics to let your message shine through. See this website we designed for Golden Dog Title & Trust. Your users won’t stick around if it’s hard to navigate or if there are issues with speed and functionality.
Optimized for Mobile
Most users look at your website from their phones, so in our best mom voice, we say, “There are no excuses.” With the growth of digital technology and devices, your website should look great and work well on any platform.
Fresh, Quality Content
It’s time to renovate! Your website should use language that makes sense to your audience and avoid corporate jargon. Visitors have short attention spans so correct spelling, accuracy, relevance and frequent updates with fresh content (videos, blogs, social, etc.) are vital to improving SEO and organic traffic. Take a look at Amerititle’s, blog. As their trusted partner, we keep the information posted here current and fresh.
Optimized for Search and the Social Web
Imagine you get your website prepped and ready for visitors, but no one shows up. To grow your guest list, your content needs to be well tagged, contain searchable words, have a decluttered HTML code and be easily shareable.
If your website isn’t hitting these marks or you’re not sure if it stands out from the website next door…don’t worry! The Bowe Digital team can help clean it up! Visit bowedigital.com/contact-us to learn more about our 3-step website creation process and our website hosting services!
What do Crocs and our founder and chief inspiration officer, Wayne Stanley’s childhood dreams, have in common? They both made a comeback in 2017. While Crocs were trending in fashion and people were jamming out to Ed Sheeran’s hit song, Shape of You, Wayne Stanley was making his entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
This week marks five years since Bowe Digital made its’ debut in 2017. In the five years since, we’ve accomplished a lot and made tons of memories, friends and amazing partners along the way.
Here are 5 things we’re proud of in the 5 years since Bowe Digital began.
1. Being named #12 on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list
Landing the #12 spot on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list this year was HUGE! We’re super fortunate to have a team that brags about our company as much as they do, but this award speaks for itself. Compiled by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Best Places to Work awards are based on anonymous employee surveys with questions about company culture, pay, diversity, and more. We’ve learned first hand that happy employees produce better satisfied partners and productivity.
2. Making a name for ourselves in the title industry
Our company has carved a niche in the land title insurance industry, and we’ve made a name for ourselves through our outreach by attending and speaking at events like NS3, ALTA HOP and ALMA Agency Seminars. Even if most of you think that our name is Bowe Digital (Bow-ie) and not Bowe Digital (Bow)...we forgive you. We are proud to set the standard and serve title and real estate companies across the U.S., and we feel lucky that companies outside of title and real estate have trusted us, too.
3. Offering our customers custom solutions
The Bowe Digital difference is that all of our marketing, communications and advertising strategies are 100% custom. Forget pre-made templates… we recognize what makes you unique and start from scratch to produce original content that’s branded to fit your needs and meet your standards. We pride ourselves on being an extension of your team. Our goal is to deliver on your vision for connecting with your customers and making an impact in your industry.
4. Encouraging our team members to learn and grow
Since getting our start in 2017, we have always encouraged the members of our team to set educational and professional goals and to never stop learning. Pushing our team to further their expertise and career helps them to better serve our partners. It’s a win-win. We’re proud to share that our entire team is Hubspot certified by Hubspot Academy and that almost all the members of our team have been certified as ALTA HOP Leaders with eight earning that certificate this year.
5. Growing the Bowe Digital family
Half of businesses fail in the first five years according to the Small Business Administration, but not Bowe Digital. Despite being tested by the pandemic in 2020, our company grew faster than ever, providing the best service and support to our growing list of partners. What started as five teammates and a dream of helping a few trusting partners, has evolved into a team of almost 20 full-time employees, serving nearly 200 partners. Our team truly is a family - it means everything to us - and we treat our partners like family, too!
Like Crocs, Bowe Digital likes to make a statement. We provide our partners comfort with a bold look that customers can’t miss, and while we’d like to give Crocs all the credit, we can’t. We really owe it all to Wayne and to his grandparents, Shirley and Glen Vernon Bowe who inspired him and inspired more than just the name of this company. We honor them each day by sticking to the promise to work hard, play hard, and respect everyone. We can’t believe it’s been five years, and we’re raising a glass to the next five…and the five after that…and the five after that! Visit bowedigital.com to learn more about our story, and join us in celebrating five years by partnering with us!
When you are asked to tell your story, what comes to mind? For many, it can be an intimidating experience. If you are a small business owner, what is the story of your company? Can you define your brand?
When given the opportunity to attend my first ALTA ONE conference from the American Land Title Association, my thought was, “I’m not sure what I am getting into.” Being both new to marketing and the title industry after a career in teaching, I am after all the information I can get. Little did I know, I’d be presented with a lesson I’d want to pass on to all of you so quickly!
One of my first sessions was called Telling Your Story: Why It Matters to Your Business. I am a content writer for Bowe Digital, and we tell the stories of title companies (and other small businesses) across the country, and this session seemed right up my alley.
Also, I recently attended an event and was asked to speak with vendors concerning their products and experiences. The goal was to collect information for our event planners/partners and to give each vendor a platform to present their stories. I was shocked to find that most vendors did not want to participate. Many didn’t know what to say and didn’t want to be recorded, but I considered it an opportunity missed.
What was reinforced during Telling Your Story is that as a small business, it is important to figure out how your brand intersects with your audience. Where does your business story meet your customer’s story?
Mary O’Donnell, ALTA’s outgoing president and one of the presenters during this session, told the audience, “Your biggest single selling point is you. You are your brand.” It is important to personalize your business so customers recognize that it is a part of who you are. It’s a point Wayne and the rest of our team has always hammered home for our partners as well, but it was good to hear it from an industry leader.
ALTA recently embarked on a marketing experience where its leadership walked through a process that eventually narrowed their business story down to one word...protection. (Check out this ALTA video that encompasses their journey.) As a team, they worked together to pinpoint exactly what it is they do as a company.
At Bowe Digital, we’re here to tell every chapter of your story. Our innovative and fun story arc experience can help you find your voice, your brand, your purpose! As a small business owner, you are busy and drawn in many directions. We can walk beside you as you pinpoint why you are who you are, how that links to your business, and how all of it connects to your customers. Please contact Bradley Erb at bradley@bowedigital.com to initiate your story arc. You have a lot to say...let Bowe Digital help you say it.
Our Bowe Digital team knows how much of an adjustment working from home can be under even the most normal circumstances. You and your staff are still producing great work and meeting customer needs, and that’s a great accomplishment by itself. As the leader of a 100% remote company for almost three years, I have been impressed with how quickly many in the title industry have made the shift amid the current situation.
However, if you’re a manager of a new WFH squad (that’s ‘work from home’ if you’re one of the cool kids), it’s time to shift your mindset. Now is the time to make sure your employees aren’t just surviving at home – but can thrive. Continue to be a leader and check in on your team on a human level. Being remote can threaten the human element of an office – and that issue is only magnified when we’re limiting in-person contact in other parts of our lives too.
My First Tip: I try to always greet the team in my first message of the day with a “Good morning” or “Hello” of some sort. Otherwise, all your communications can seem transactional, which may leave people drained and less connected. During this current pandemic, I’ve also added twice-daily video messages to my team as another touch point. (And as an email break for me.) These video updates give them a high level overview of what’s to come today and what they should be prepared for tomorrow.
It’s also important to remember the current global situation. While we’re all rightfully nervous about our economic future, make sure you and your employees are tending to personal needs too. Every part of our lives is being affected by this pandemic. Even if we’re focused on work, we’re also trying to help children, family members and ourselves comprehend this new, temporary “normal.” I’m constantly reminding my team “to do what they need to do to stay safe and support their families” and I know they’re reaching out to each other as well.
My Second Tip: Be the kind of leader who is committed to keeping a positive virtual atmosphere. Remind everyone to take “brain breaks” and plan a group event, such as a video happy hour where no shop talk is allowed. And do it during regular business hours near the end of the workday. Use this time to allow your team to introduce their kids or pets, show off their home office set up or just vent. If the budget allows, consider sending your team Grubhub or Instacart gift cards to help them juggle their new responsibilities during this time.
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Bowe Digital wants to help you get the right messages out to customers and staff during these uncertain times. If you think we can be of assistance to your business right now, contact Bradley Erb, our business development manager, today! His email address is bradley@bowedigital.com.
There's a Norwegian saying worth remembering: there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Watch as Bowe Digital owner, Wayne M. Stanley, talks about the ways you should change your "marketing clothing" this fall and better market your business.
The Bowe Digital team had the best time at ALTA ONE! It’s always invigorating to see several of our partners and friends in one place, and Wayne loves catching up with his old colleagues from the American Land Title Association.
If you were there, we hope you got a chance to stop by our booth. (We were in the middle of Market ONE room, so it was hard to miss us with our friend, Shane, from BombBomb.) We also loved the speaker at the first Omni Session, Sekou Andrews. The presenters were great the entire week, but the spoken word poet/motivational speaker’s message certainly resonated with us. Andrews latched onto the “defy convention” theme. Using a little wordplay, Andrews told us to embrace new ideas and to not be afraid to splash around and create a “Title Wave.” He challenged the crowd to be “bold enough to share who you are” with your potential customers.
Since storytelling is a big part of what we do at Bowe Digital, our team silently applauded that line from the audience. In fact, if you’re ready to put Andrews’ words in action for your company, we’d love to be the ones to help you tell your story better. Wayne was also one of presenters of one of the breakout sessions. He talked about digital marketing (of course).
Reminding the crowd that there is no “silver bullet” marketing solution, Wayne and his co-presenter, Dean Collura, gave five tips when it comes to improving your company’s digital presence with a multi-channel approach. Those five tips were:
Huge congrats go out to Cynthia Blair too! She officially became the ALTA president for 2018-19, succeeding our friend Steve Day of Fidelity National Title Group. We know Cynthia, who is one of the founders of Blair Cato Pickren Casterline in South Carolina, will use her tenure to continue to do great things for ALTA and the entire land title insurance industry.
Splash, splash!
Ready to reconnect with Bowe Digital, no matter if we met in LA or way before then? Great! Contact us today.
