Whether you are a new business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur, you probably have your own ideas about maintaining a healthy work-life balance. But navigating your professional life, personal goals, marriage, kids, social obligations, and home life can be challenging. If you are struggling to reach a happy medium, here are 5 tips for achieving a good work-life balance.

What is work-life balance?

Cambridge Dictionary defines work-life balance as “the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy.” In essence, finding this symmetry means you have your professional life and personal life in perfect balance.

This has been a hot topic, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the lines between work and personal life were blurred. Now in a post-COVID workforce, we are finding a new normal and learning to balance our work and personal lives once again—perhaps even better than before.

Tips for achieving a good work-life balance

1. Your "me-time" is important

If you have kids, a romantic partner, friends, and a business, you can often put yourself last on your list of priorities. That’s why it is essential to create a routine for self-care—some rest and relaxation time that is just for you.

Whether it’s a morning cup of coffee and meditation or walking around the block in the evening before bed, you need to set aside a time that is dedicated to restoring you.

2. Confide in your peers

Find a group of fellow business owners who can understand your journey into entrepreneurship. Cultivating a group of peers with whom you can openly discuss your struggles is a great way to learn tips and tricks from folks who understand exactly what you are going through.

3. Find an accountability partner

Make sure you have someone to hold you accountable to maintain your work-life balance principles. Whether this person is a romantic partner, business partner, friend, or family member, find someone who knows you well enough to tell if you’re not taking enough care of yourself.

4. Plan your personal life too

You might have your professional calendar organized to a tee, with your meetings and work time all perfectly scheduled. However having an organized calendar for your personal life can help alleviate unneeded chaos or stress.

Write out the dates for important personal items like doctor appointments, any school or extracurricular commitments with your kids, date nights, and vacations. Display the calendar in your home and even get the kids involved; maybe even make it a fun family project.

5. Prioritize your physical health

This could fall under “me-time” but your physical health is a very specific part of your personal life. The bottom line is that if you don’t have your health, you have nothing.

Prioritizing this aspect of your life is essential not only for your own health but also for the health of your business. You want to bring your best self to work, but you can’t do that if you are not physically or mentally healthy.

It is also important that your staff members see you achieve this balance so they can feel inspired to follow suit. Establish good eating habits, a consistent exercise routine, and time for prayer or meditation. Investing this time in yourself will be returned to you through your successful business!

Now, we know that this perfect work-life balance isn’t always possible. Sometimes work takes precedence and dominates your life, or your personal life will bleed into your work life.

However, implementing these work-life balance tips can help you navigate any turbulent periods of your personal or professional life. Sometimes scales tip one way or the other, but with hard work and dedication, balance can be restored!

To hear more about work-life balance from energyhill’s co-founders Ryan and Gloria Lowe, check out our podcast recording on Youtube.

Rely on the Professionals

Achieving a healthy balance as a business owner can be incredibly challenging. But relying on design and marketing experts can not only simplify the process but also save you time, money, and effort.

And after a decade of providing expert design and marketing services to our clients, energyhill is just getting started! Contact us to learn how our award-winning marketing and design team can help your business grow.

If you are creating an online marketing strategy for your business, chances are you have explored both YouTube and TikTok. There are pros and cons to using both platforms, and there are distinct differences in the content being published on each site. In creating a marketing strategy, business owners should research how to successfully use each platform to its full capability. But when you put them against each other, YouTube vs TikTok, which one would win? 

YouTube: Pros and Cons

YouTube all but started the online social media revolution. People have been publishing videos on YouTube for decades now. In more recent years, YouTube developed its own streaming content, which has been incredibly successful with 2.1 billion monthly active users and is increasing every day.

Pros:

Searchability

YouTube’s analytics deliver search results that directly match the searcher’s query. For example, if you were looking for a video about “How to fix a leaky faucet” you are going to see videos with 1.) titles that closely or exactly match your searched phrase, and 2.) videos with the longest “watch time”, or the average length of time users watch the video. This allows you to get quick access to the most engaging content that effectively meets your needs.

Content for Kids

YouTube Kids is an entirely kid-safe version of YouTube that features episodes of kid’s television shows, clips of classic and contemporary kids' songs, education-focused clips from sources like Khan Academy and PBS Kids, and regulated user-created content. This platform can give parents peace of mind to let their kids explore and enjoy content created by and for kids.

Older Demographic

Despite developing more kid-friendly content, YouTube’s demographic is typically older than other social media and content-sharing sites. Their largest viewer demographic is people ages 25 to 34, who make up about 21% of YouTube’s total ad audience. Additionally, almost 20% of YouTube’s viewers are 55 and older. Engaging older adults online is a difficult task, so it’s essential to know where they are spending their time.

Cons:

Censorship

Digital censorship is not specific to YouTube, but since the platform is owned by Google, some content creators are being “demonetized” for reasons they deem unfair. It’s the classic argument of freedom of expression vs. private companies dictating the content they publish. Some find it difficult to navigate, but it’s important to understand publishing terms and conditions before investing your time in creating content.

YouTube Shorts

In an effort to keep up with Instagram Reels and TikTok, YouTube launched Shorts in 2020. These short videos are limited to 60 seconds, however, Instagram Reels and TikToks can last 2-3 minutes.

TikTok: Pros and Cons

Tiktok was launched in 2016 to revolutionary fanfare. In 2022, TikTok was the 2nd most downloaded app in the entire world, second only to Instagram. Now, TikTok has over 1.677 billion users globally, of which 150 million are from The United States.

Pros:

Younger Demographic

There is no content creation site that has captured Gen Z’s attention like TikTok. Historically, the 18–24 age demographic has been difficult to engage. In fact, 1 in 4 TikTok users are under 20 years old and the majority of TikTok creators are aged 18 to 24. So understanding TikTok is essential to engaging younger audiences.

Video Length

TikTok’s predecessor, Vine, revolutionized short-form content. Vines had a 7-second limit, which made it a unique challenging to create content that was engaging enough to go viral. But Vine walked so TikTok could run: content published on TikTok can last up to 3 minutes, although content published by accounts with over 25,000 views averaged about 42 seconds

Cons:

Security Concerns

Even though the public seems to love TikTok, governments around the world are not fans of the platform. All over the globe, there are concerns that TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, could give the Chinese government access to sensitive user data.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law the No TikTok on Government Devices Act. Pretty self-explanatory, but this act prohibits downloading TikTok on any government digital devices for fear of security breaches. While TikTok could be a great help in marketing your business, these security concerns, as well as the global government’s disdain for the app, are something to keep in mind. 

So… who wins?

Overall, there are pros and cons to using both YouTube and TikTok. Each platform has specific content creation parameters, monetization tools for content creators, and analytic tools.

When it comes to successfully marketing your business, one platform might work better for your specific needs than the other. Do your research, gain an in-depth understanding of your target audience, and spend your time online effectively and wisely. 

For more information about YouTube vs TikTok and how to utilize each platform, check out this livestream on YouTube hosted by our CEO and Co-Founder, Dr. Ryan Lowe. 

Marketing with energyhill

Keeping up with the latest online trends is a tricky business. Instead, rely on design and marketing experts who can save you time, money, and effort. Contact us to learn how our award-winning marketing and design team can help your business grow.

Happy birthday to us! energyhill has just celebrated our 10 year anniversary! We are incredibly excited to have reached such a meaningful milestone and are grateful to our clients and partners for supporting us. In celebration of our birthday, we wanted to take you through 10 lessons learned from 10 years working in the marketing industry.

2013 - success requires taking a leap of faith

In 2013, energyhill was born! But starting a new business is overwhelming and nerve-wracking. Where do you start? What is the key to success? What if you fail?

At energyhill, we believe in the power of “learning by doing”. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes, because mistakes are how you learn. Once you take that first step, everything will come together through your hard work and willingness to learn.

2014 - we began providing support to our clients

We were fortunate to have great clients in our portfolio from the start, mostly from our years working as freelancers. When we formally opened energyhill, one of the best decisions we made was setting up a robust support team right off the bat. The quality support and communication we provided to our clients from the beginning were essential to building our long-term success.

2015 - we developed a clear process with clients

Sometimes clients who enlist a design and marketing company’s services have little to no experience in the field. So laying out a clear and organized project plan for them is essential. We pride ourselves on having honed a tight process for designing, revising, and implementing our clients’ projects.

2016 - we set realistic priorities

Chances are you have heard the term “work-life balance” before. We have made it a priority to balance our personal lives with our business. Be realistic about maintaining this balance, especially because starting your own business requires a lot of sacrifices. It’s essential not only for your personal health but for the wellbeing of your family and your business.

2017 - we hired slow and let people go fast

This might sound harsh, but it is necessary! Take your time to hire the right people for your team. Prioritize finding people who will fit the team dynamic and who will enthusiastically show up for the work. And if you feel that someone just isn’t the right fit, have faith that you know your business better than anyone. Make the choice to let them go so that 1.) they can find an opportunity better suited for them and 2.) you can find the right person for that role.

2018 - we looked for ways to add value

There is a ton of competition in the marketing field, so it was essential for us to set ourselves apart. Our team is consistently looking for ways to innovate and take our clients to the next level. We look for ways to create new business processes for our clients, advise them on creating new products, and help them build better methods of engaging their clientele.

2019 - we learned to let go

This lesson goes hand in hand with setting realistic priorities. Once that step is taken, you quickly realize that there are moments when you have to step away from the work. Learning to let go and delegate is crucial: You cannot ALWAYS be involved with every single project your team has in development. So that is why it's so important to build a strong team; let them carry the work when you have to take a step back and attend to personal matters. 

2020 - we expected the unexpected

2020 was certainly a year of… surprises. At energyhill, we took pride in the pivots we made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In building our business model and project plans, we keep the VUCA principles in mind: VUCA stands for Volatility in the market, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. You can create the most comprehensive and detailed project plan possible, but you simply cannot account for everything that might go wrong. You have to be ready to innovate at a moment's notice; anything can happen!

2021 - we joined an outside peer group

After we joined C12, a Christian entrepreneur peer group, we realized we should have joined sooner! This group has helped us review our curriculum, compare experiences, and have camaraderie with other professionals in our field.

Open yourself up to networking and collaboration opportunities. You can learn so much, gain valuable experience and contacts, and get a new perspective on the work you’re doing. It can be essential for the growth of your business and the quality of service you provide to your clients.

2022 - we integrated values into the business: culture and ministry

energyhill’s Co-Founder, Gloria Lowe, has worn many hats over the past 10 years, but her role has been fluctuating quite a bit recently. We made the decision to change her title from Creative Director to Chief Wellness Officer. While she still leads the creative work, we wanted to qualify the work she does to develop our team in a more concrete way.

Creating this role solidified what has actually always been part of our vision. We sought to create a healthy and happy working environment for our employees and a high standard of business for our clients. We are thrilled to say that we have pulled it off in spades!

2023 - stay tuned!

As for this year, we have the strongest team we have ever had and are excited about the work we are doing. We leaned into the podcast world and have been sharing marketing tips and tricks on social media (make sure to follow us for the latest!). Even though 10 years have passed, we feel like this is still only the beginning. We’re excited for the next chapter; stay tuned to see what we have in store!

To hear more about energyhill’s decade-long journey, check out our podcast recording on Youtube hosted by energyhill co-founders, Ryan and Gloria Lowe.

marketing with energyhill

After 10 years in business, energyhill continues to operate at the top of its game! Relying on design and marketing experts can not only simplify the process but also save you time, money, and effort. Contact us to learn how our award-winning marketing and design team can help your business grow.

If you are a business owner, you certainly know the importance of website data analytics and how they inform your marketing strategy. Being knowledgeable about the who, when, and where of your target audience is central to the growth of your business. And an integral part of getting the whole picture is understanding dark social and its implications on your business.

What is dark social?

Is dark social as ominous as it sounds? Thankfully, no: “dark social” encompasses all the social media activity that traditional website analytics can’t track. Even if you have great traffic on your website and an active content sharing module, there is some traffic that you are not capturing because it is being shared via messenger apps or texts.

Dark social was brought into the spotlight after the launch of Apple’s iOS 14 update, which offers users the option to opt out of data tracking across apps. While many iPhone users were delighted at the prospect of having more privacy, marketers were left with significantly less information about their audience’s demographics.

This shift has made dark social more powerful than ever, in large part because it represents the more personal nature of how content is being shared. Being able to capture this method of content sharing is instrumental for business owners: What specifically sparks your audience to share your content with someone they know? This helps you better understand your audience and what aspects of your content are most engaging.

How do people share information?

Despite the popularity of social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, the fact is that that is not how the majority of people share information with one another. In fact, 84% of website sharing now takes place via private channels such as email and instant messaging. All of that traffic is dark social, which means that only 16% of content consumption and sharing takes place in traditional social media settings that are tracked by website analytics. While the efforts being made to track Instagram and TikTok engagement are certainly valuable, they don’t tell the whole story of who is consuming your content.

The largest source of dark social content sharing is messenger apps. Here is a list of the most popular messenger apps, based on the number of users:

  1. WhatsApp: 2 billion users (representing roughly 25% of people on Earth)
  2. Weixin/WeChat: 1.3 billion users
  3. Facebook Messenger: 931 million users
  4. Telegram: 700 million users
  5. Snapchat: 635 million users
  6. QQ: 574 million users

Based on this, it would benefit business owners to attempt to tap into this aspect of content sharing and open up new avenues of audience engagement.

How you can bring dark social into the light

Dark social doesn’t have to stay in the dark. There are many ways in which business owners can try to engage this aspect of their target audience.

  1. Make sure you’re using the most updated version of Google Analytics (GA4). Setting up your reports to run accurately and consistently is essential to understanding your audience.
  2. Utilize specialized link-sharing modules. Platforms like ShareThis or bitly can enable your audience to share links to your content that you can track.
  3. Double check that your UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) tags are set up properly so that they give Google Analytics specific information about that link.
  4. Partner with a marketing and branding agency. These professionals can help you develop trackable links for your target audience to use when sharing your information on messaging apps.

For more information about dark social and its impact on your website’s traffic, check out this video on Youtube hosted by energyhill CEO and Co-Founder, Dr. Ryan Lowe.

Marketing with energyhill

Developing a creative, high-traffic website can be complicated. Instead, relying on design and marketing experts can not only simplify the process but also save you time, money, and effort.

Contact us to learn how our award-winning marketing and design team can help your business grow.

Thanks to the amazing efforts of our creative team, we’re proud to announce that we won a Gold NYX Award in ​​Integrated Marketing and Company Branding for our work on the Rasmussen Periodontics brand design!

Creating a New Brand

Dr. Rick Rasmussen came to us to create a brand and website design that could help Rasmussen Periodontics stand out from both the competition and his family’s practice.

We knew that the best way to do that was by highlighting his technical skills and impressive background as one of the few board-certified periodontists in the Tampa Bay area. 

We wanted the brand and website to reflect the high reputation of Dr. Rasmussen and his trusted team of professionals. So we decided on a fresh color palette of different shades of blue, mint green, and white to give the brand a clean and balanced look.

This, along with the use of two different fonts (Red Hat Text and Freight Sans Pro), made the brand and website look beautiful, elegant, and professional.

The final product was a strong brand narrative and design that showed Dr. Rick Rasmussen’s expert skill and experience. 

Combining Marketing and Design

Part of this project involved understanding Dr. Rassmussen's target audience and the flaws of their competitors. In this field of dentistry, many patients are looking for reassurance and knowledge, but most websites are layered with jargon that could easily intimidate potential clients.

This led us to modify our approach to the website by focusing on making information easier to understand and adding custom iconography for complex procedures.  

Award-winning Brand Design

The NYX Awards are a prestigious international award for marketing, communication, advertising, creativity, public relations, and more. We’re proud to know that we were among the list of winners in this year’s selection.

Got an idea for your brand or a website that needs a redesign? We’d love to help! Contact us and let’s get started.

For your business to connect with current and potential customers, you need to build and maintain a website that works. If you are not getting good traffic on your website, here are 5 reasons your website performance may be poor and what you can do to ensure that you reach your target audience. 

1. Not Mobile-friendly

One reason your website's performance is struggling is because your webpage is not mobile-friendly. According to Google Search Central, 94% of people with smartphones in the U.S. search for local information on their phones. Even when people are at home with access to laptops and desktops, they are still browsing on their mobile devices. 

So, if your ideal client or customer finds your website on their phone and the formatting is not compatible with their device, they’re unlikely to stay for too long.

If you don't know how to build a website or write code, ask a professional to help you build and format your content in a way that will engage your target audience.

2. Wrong Keywords

Another reason why your website might not be getting a lot of traffic is that you’re not using the best keywords in your content. For example, if you are opening an ice cream parlor, you’ll probably want to use words like “ice cream", "homemade”, and "creamery” in your headlines and social media captions. This will help potential customers find your business when they search for ice cream parlors in the area. 

Work with your creative team to find out what keywords best represent your business. Make sure to use those keywords frequently on your website and incorporate appropriate hashtags on your social accounts.

3. Neglecting SEO

This concept goes hand in hand with keyword research. Marketing professionals use a strategy called SEO marketing when writing website content for their clients. SEO stands for “search engine optimization”, which essentially asks the question “What are you doing on your website that helps search engines find you?” SEO is the strategy behind creating and publishing the most effective and searchable content pieces on your website, which will expose your business to the public on a larger scale. 

Having an SEO and content plan in place is essential to keeping your audience engaged in your content and increasing your visibility on social media and search engines.

4. Broken website & security vulnerabilities

A dysfunctional website that is not user-friendly can drive potential customers away from your business. Make sure you use a reliable platform for building websites to make sure your website is always up and running. And incorporate multiple security measures and firewalls to protect your business’ and clients’ stored information.

Use tools like Google Analytics to continually monitor your website’s traffic and engagements. A high bounce rate (the number of people who only look at your homepage and then leave) or a low average session can show that something on your website isn't working right and needs to be fixed.

5. Poor user experience

Designing an engaging and aesthetically pleasing website helps to ensure that people engage with your content. Make sure that your website display does not have stark contrast or harsh colors, like bright red font over a purple background. 

You want your website to reflect the quality service and products that you provide, as well as the professionalism of your business. You don’t want users to click away simply because they do not like the font style you chose. 

If design is not your strong suit, marketing professionals can help you. They can transform your business’ message into a curated and visually appealing website that will engage your target audience. 

For more information about optimizing your website's performance and engaging with your target audience, check out this livestream on YouTube, hosted by energyhill CEO Dr. Ryan Lowe.

Marketing with energyhill

Developing a creative, high-traffic website can be complicated. Instead, relying on design and marketing experts can not only simplify the process but also save you time, money, and effort. Contact us to learn how our award-winning marketing and design team can help your business grow.

For the last decade, remote work has become increasingly popular. Then, in just weeks due to COVID-19, working from home and virtual meetings went from optional to required, as government restrictions went into place around the world.

The pandemic has accelerated the need for a modern workforce across industries that is increasingly mobile and dynamic. Even before remote work became normal, there’s a very good chance that some of your co-workers don’t sit in the same office as you.

the need for virtual meetings is growing

For many, the only time co-workers will get face-to-face interaction together is via a webcam. As a result, virtual conference calls and meetings have become a key ingredient in team synergy and communication during remote work.

Hand-in-hand with business growth and globalization, advances in technology and new applications have made long-distance communication even easier. At energyhill, we integrate virtual meeting technologies into our every day to meet seamlessly with clients.

Below we'll take a look at some ways you can lead effective meetings online, the most popular conference call tools available, and simple remote meeting etiquette.

how to lead a successful virtual meeting

We have all attended a poorly run virtual meeting or conference call. When it comes to workplace communication, nothing seems to be more awkward or a bigger waste of time. So, what is the trick to successful conference calls? 

Here are few elements to keep in mind that just might help your next remote meeting be a success:

  1. Know the Attendees. You want the people on the call to contribute meaningfully? Understanding who they are, including their goals and responsibilities, will give you a better idea of when and how they should be chiming in.
  2. Create an Agenda. Even if it's a recurring meeting, it's important that everyone understands what will be discussed. Send this agenda out before the meeting so everyone can properly prepare. In addition, it will keep the call moving efficiently and create a structure for how participants should engage.
  3. Keep everyone on the same page. Several of the top virtual meeting tools have built-in screen sharing and virtual whiteboard capabilities. These tools are great for giving attendees a visual to connect with the meeting discussions or share a meeting deck.
  4. Follow-up with a Recap.
    In order to keep everyone on the same page moving forward and deliverables are completed, it's best to send a recap email once the meeting is over. It doesn't have to be formal, but it should clearly outline what was discussed, and what action items there are to execute.

For hints on how to make your conference calls successful, check out this article from HubSpot.

apps for meeting virtually

Now that you know how to lead a more effective call, what's the best tool for you to use? Here are some of the most popular virtual meeting and conference call facilitators on the market and our impressions of them:

The most important feature of any system is how well it fits your organization's needs. These companies are a good place to start when doing your research for the best conference call tools.

virtual meeting etiquette

You may have seen viral videos from Zoom meetings where someone does something embarrassing. While these clips are hilarious, part of effective meetings is all the guests following some simple ground rules to keep the meeting on track.

  1. Send links or phone numbers to your meeting in advance
  2. Mute your mic when you’re not speaking
  3. Dress the same way on meetings as you would at the office
  4. Let others at home you’re going into a meeting
  5. Don’t multitask, focus on the meeting

There are countless other ways to improve meeting productivity, but good etiquette can go a long way in getting things done. 

adapt your business to now

If you'd like to discuss your organization's digital needs and how to better communicate in a global marketplace, please contact us at energyhill. Our team of multi-level marketing experts are eager to help you and your organization exceed your business goals.

At Energyhill, we’re passionate about helping organizations of all sizes achieve their goals. Recognizing that growing a business from a small startup to a large corporation is challenging, we strive to be there every step of the way, assisting with design, advertising, video, and more. Additionally, we provide consulting help to ensure you’re taking your company in the right direction. Read on to learn our tips for managing business growth in a way that’s effective and affordable.

1) Use the SMARTER SYSTEM

Trying to grow your business the right away? It helps to set goals that you can achieve in a reasonable amount of time. With that in mind, we recommend that companies use the SMARTER method for business growth. In other words, make sure your objectives are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-framed. Lastly, commit to Evaluating your progress every quarter to ensure you’re moving in the right direction and then consider a Re-do, or adjustment, if your tactics aren’t bringing about the desired outcome.

2) Research Your Market

It’s impossible to achieve successful business growth if you don’t truly know your market. Before putting money into hiring new employees or exploring different revenue streams, take time to understand the customers you already have. Learn what they want and how they act in order to assess your ideal market niche.

3) Hire the Right People From Day One

You’ve probably heard that your business is only as strong as the people it employs. Give yourself the best shot at success by hiring the right workers from the outset. Remember to look beyond skills and qualifications on a resume to find individuals who fit well with the company culture. After all, it’s a lot easier to teach someone how to use WordPress than to educate them on the importance of community-mindedness. Once you’ve located these superstar employees, make an effort to keep them around by providing regular feedback (including praise) and offering opportunities for advancement.

Maximize Your Business Growth With Energyhill

Looking for sales training or business planning? Maybe you need help rebranding your business to accommodate a change in leadership. Whatever your business goals, the team at Energyhill can help. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, we help organizations set and achieve their objectives. To learn more about business consulting services, call today or contact us online.

Remember that brief time in pancake history when IHOP changed its name to IHOb? Yes, it was a change that left the entire nation puzzled and somewhat feeling betrayed. However, this new identity was all too swift, as they went back to their old roots. And now, this change got us questioning, was this a brilliant IHOP marketing stunt or just luck?

Return on Investment for the IHOP Campaign

IHOP received great exposure that put it on the spotlight. Otherwise, how else would they bring attention to their new menu addition - burgers? We can speculate that this IHOP campaign to put their burgers on the map worked. It got people lining outside their doors, including Food and Wine. Whatever the reason for this IHOP name change was, we sure are happy to see that the beloved International House of Pancakes would never turn their backs on pancakes - as they captioned on Instagram.

IHOP Backlinks

Getting these types of backlinks (e.g. Food & Wine) is ridiculously good for IHOP. When, if ever, would IHOP get this type of exposure? They wouldn't. This clever IHOP marketing stunt was a success that gave the chain restaurant online prominence.

IHOP Campaign Media Coverage

With any major news comes major media coverage. And of course, this IHOP campaign was no exception. The media coverage for the IHOP name change illustrated their surprise as well as that of consumers. Fox News and NBC Right Now are some of the TV news stations that commented on this change. Sure enough people took this matter to Twitter where IHOP held a poll for users to guess the meaning of their new acronym.

Brilliant IHOP Marketing Stunt

We must admit that it was the best marketing stunt ever by a chain restaurant. Why? It's simple. Not only did this unexpected name change shake consumers to their core, it also brought plenty of press to the chain restaurant. The fine dining magazine Food & Wine, equally as surprised as the rest of us, featured the IHOP name change in an article about the restaurant's identity. This reflects the genius behind their marketing strategy because, again, when would IHOP get this type of exposure? It got people talking everywhere, on social media, on news channels, at work. Also, curious consumers and regulars now felt they had to go and try their burgers.

https://twitter.com/AntoniaMireles_/status/1012402427587416065

Listen to your Uncle Burger and burger a burger this 4th of July. pic.twitter.com/gdABIBd6kq

— IHOP (@IHOP) July 4, 2018

Do we still have burgers AND pancakes? pic.twitter.com/ANSsG6db66

— IHOP (@IHOP) June 28, 2018

Faux Outrage?

Twitter is the platform of choice for people to take their opinions to. And surely consumers gave the world a piece of their mind, but did they take it too far? Did this new name call for a boycott?

YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR B IS FOR ME?

BOYCOTT.

— Jason Himself 🐘 (@fleetinstructor) July 4, 2018

https://twitter.com/datonedumbnigga/status/1014467463428431872

IHOP Campaign or Mere Luck

We should also consider that luck played a role in the campaign. IHOP, a stamp for pancakes, has been around for decades. What better way to make national noise than to tease a brand change, while adding new menu items and increasing foot traffic to their restaurants? But how much more creative can one get to push a campaign for a menu item? Does that mean that other chain restaurants should pull the same strategy in exchange of exposure? We dare say no, this was just a one-time thing for IHOP and we do not think it will work for other restaurants. Think cry wolf. Our digital culture is quick to realize and adapt ... and even filter out future attempts. So, yes, maybe the stars aligned just right to bring the luck IHOP needed to pull this off. However, with smart campaigns, is luck even planned for?

Well done, IHOP! You kept us entertained, confused, and intrigued for a while, all to present your newest menu item and tease that you were changing your brand. At energyhill we were fascinated by this IHOP marketing stunt and think it was a smart move for the chain. As a marketing and advertising company, we understand strategies and always devise tactics to help businesses grow. Now, don't worry, we will not use the name change card, but we will use business strategies to push your business forward. Contact us to get more information and get the conversation started.

Engage with us on social and give us your thoughts on this brilliant campaign. It was a campaign right, IHOP?

Growing your email list is a quick way to increase your reach and promote your products or services to a warm audience. Email subscribers offer businesses a great chance to reach engaged customers who have previously shown interest in your services. Below are seven ways you can generate more email subscribers for your outreach efforts.

Off-Site Options

  1. Conduct a Webinar
    This is a particularly good tactic if you offer a service to customers. A webinar, often conducted for free online, invites people interested in learning from you and your company about a specific topic. This is the perfect way to expose potential customers to your expertise and gain addresses for your email list.
  2. Create a Viral Loop on LinkedIn
    LinkedIn is a great networking platform. One of its lesser known features is creating a viral loop via a post. In short, you would create an article that is giving away something of value for free. In the example at the top of this article, Anna Vital created a PowerPoint template to help potential customers speed up their presentation design process. By instructing users to respond "yes" to the post and then add their email address to get access to the materials, Anna created an opt-in list. Once the additional materials are ready, it's also a good idea to send it to your already established email list for added exposure.

On-Site Engagement

  1. Gamification
    One of the newer options for list building is to offer a "spin to win" feature on your web site that allows for an email capture. There are plug-ins you can use to easily create this feature. You will determine what site visitors are spinning to win a prize, which could include on-site discounts or a free item. Once the user has spun, they will be prompted to add their email address in order to claim their prize.
  2. Pop-Ups
    While this may seem like a dirty word, on-site Lightbox Pop-Ups are a great way to capture visitor emails. A Lightbox Pop-Up appears on the screen once a user has clicked through and "darkens" the rest of the website. The user can then enter their email address and click continue to see the rest of the content. Careful about how you use pop-ups! Earlier this year Google started cracking down on annoying tactics.
  3. Crowdsourcing
    Use your audience to generate ideas on a certain topic and offer a prize. You will gain email subscribers as people offer their opinion and sign up for the offer.
  4. Turn Commentators Into Subscribers
    If your site has a blog with a decent amount of comments, offer an option for commentators to sign up for your newsletter next time they leave a comment.
  5. Use Trigger Words to Generate Action
    Certain words will persuade readers to become email subscribers more than others. Some of the key trigger words that prompt a call-to-action are: You, Yes, New, Stop and Instantly.

At Energyhill, we strive to help our customers make the most of their online presence. For more information about how we can help increase your email subscription list and ultimately generate more revenue, contact us today.

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