Need to polish up your social media? Want to get started on LinkedIn to help reach customers for your small business? We’ve got you covered! Front Porch Marketing handles social for several B2B businesses to help them build their brand. We help then reach new and old customers and grow their bottom line.
Often, this marketing endeavor is a lot to figure out, so here is a cheat sheet of some of our tips and tricks. Get started using a marketing channel that is cost-effective, targeted and can help make a difference.
Social Media Beginnings
How to Create an Audit: Start by taking stock of your current digital situation. Then set up your next steps. This article walks you through an audit.
Social for Small Business: First, we advise you to start small and use this article to help you assess the assets you already have. Repurpose them and figure out a game plan to optimize with less.
Where and What to Post
The Best Platforms for Your Business: Focus on your goals, your audience and what you are willing to create. Read this article to pick the right platform.
Spring Cleaning Your Social Media: Much like an audit, a good spring cleaning helps you focus your business intentions on social media.
Extras to Build Your Brand
How Social Media PR Works: Combining the efforts of digital and PR is a dynamic duo. Take advantage of this marketing partnership with tips from this article.
Overall, social reaches your audience whether your business is direct to consumer, a service or B2B. So if you’ve always wanted your small business to have more presence, strong messaging, clear goals and connection with customers, consider social media as a great channel choice. With the articles we share every week, gathered here, we hope that you’ll be able to take some of this insight into building your company’s voice in the digital world. And of course, if you need more guidance or help getting it done, let us know!
This month, we are welcoming Peyton Gray, our newest intern rocker, to the team. So as we always do, we asked her a few questions to get to know her better! She’s a student at The University of Texas in Austin majoring in journalism. Peyton is passionate about thoughtful communication, creative collaboration and building meaningful connections through media and storytelling. We love that!
What is the biggest misconception about marketing today?
I think a common myth is that good products will sell themselves and success will happen immediately, which I believe overlooks human behavior and crowded markets. Marketing is even more important today than it ever has been because brands must work to intentionally capture their audience and build trust.
What advice would Peyton Gray give to her younger self?
If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell her that everything works out, even if it doesn’t happen exactly how you planned it!
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned so far at school?
College has taught me how important it is to build a strong community. Finding people you can relax, study, work and have fun with creates a space where you not only survive but begin to thrive.
What does good brand strategy look like?
A good brand strategy begins with a steady and strong brand identity. Using this as an anchor, a brand can establish a clear presence and cohesive image.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?
I would be in Paris, France! I visited the summer after my senior year of high school with my mom and was lucky enough to return for the Paris Olympics the following year — I am already planning my trip back after I graduate and CAN’T WAIT!
If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?
I would have dinner with Princess Diana. Aside from the fact that I think she is absolutely the most elegant woman of all time, I really admire her strong character and love for those around her.
If you could describe Peyton Gray in three words what would they be?
I would describe myself as optimistic, determined and creative.
Tell us about a major milestone in your life?
One major milestone in my life was leading the recruitment of a pledge class of 95 members into my sorority at UT. I learned so much about leadership, relationship building, analytics and teamwork all while making 95 freshmen comfortable and confident in a new place!
From your perspective, how does Front Porch Marketing differentiate itself from other marketing companies?
What drew me into Front Porch Marketing, and what I believe sets the company apart, is how personable and intentional each member of the team is. Even in my interview I could tell how much each member was valued and supported, making me eager to join and get started. Front Porch is collaborative, intentional and genuinely people-oriented.
This week, we’re welcoming Sydney McKinney to our team as our newest rocker! She is our new guru of problem-solving and detail, and who doesn’t love that! Sydney says she is thrilled to join the Front Porch team and looks forward to helping make everyone’s life a little easier every day.
Sydney sat down with us on the Porch for a chat:
1. What is the biggest misconception about about the work you do?
The biggest misconception is that all I do is color code and look at a calendar.
3. What advice would you give to younger Sydney McKinney?
Don’t worry so much and trust in the Lord.
4. What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned in your career?
When asked to do something outside of your comfort zone in a job, always say yes. You never know what opportunities might come out of it.
5. What does good work team look like?
A team that communicates well and can rely on each other.
6. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
Sydney, Australia. I have always wanted to visit the location matching my name!
7. If you could go to dinner with one person, living or dead, who would it be?
I would have dinner with my grandma. She passed away when I was too young to have taken advantage of conversations with her so I would love to be able to chat with her now as an adult!
8. If you could describe Sydney McKinney in three words, what would they be?
Motivated. Planner. Friend.
9. Tell us about a major milestone in your life.
Becoming a mom in the last year has been a huge milestone and I am loving every second of it. My daughter is a true joy and an “easy” baby, so I have been so blessed in that regard as I navigate the new season of motherhood.
10. What is a fun fact about you?
I have been to all 50 states!
What’s coming up for Sydney McKinney on The Porch?
Well, we sure hope that Sydney gets to see Sydney sooner than later! We’re super excited to have her expertise on our team, as our client roster continues to grow and we take on more and more challenging assignments. Welcome Sydney!
The brands we love most rarely win us over all at once. Instead, they unfold over time. They reveal thoughtful details, unexpected moments, and small surprises that make the experience feel personal. Like finding an Easter egg hidden in plain sight, these moments create a sense of discovery. And more importantly, they give customers a reason to keep coming back.
In marketing, those “Easter eggs” aren’t accidental. They’re intentional touchpoints designed to surprise, delight, and deepen connection.
What Is a Brand “Easter Egg”?
A brand Easter egg is any unexpected detail, feature or moment that adds value beyond the obvious. It’s something a customer discovers rather than something you loudly promote.
It might be:
A clever line of copy hidden on packaging
A personalized follow-up email that feels human, not automated
A thoughtful freebie included in an order
A subtle visual detail that rewards repeat viewers
An inside joke or reference your audience recognizes
These moments don’t need to be big. In fact, the smaller and more organic they feel, the more impactful they can be.
Why Easter Egg Moments Matter
Easter eggs work because they tap into emotion. They create a feeling of being “in on something”. It’s a quiet connection between brand and customer.
When done well, they:
Encourage repeat engagement (“What else have I missed?”)
Build emotional affinity, not just awareness
Make the brand feel more human and thoughtful
Turn passive customers into active fans
In a crowded marketplace, that kind of connection is what sets brands apart.
Where to Hide the Magic
The best part? Opportunities for these moments exist everywhere in your marketing.
In Your Messaging
Look beyond the headline. The body copy, subject lines, and even disclaimers are all chances to add personality and warmth. A well-placed, unexpected line can turn standard communication into something memorable.
In Your Customer Experience
From onboarding to follow-up, think about where you can exceed expectations. A simple thank-you note, a check-in that isn’t sales-driven, or a resource shared “just because” can leave a lasting impression.
In Your Design
Visual Easter eggs like subtle illustrations, hidden icons or layered details reward customers who take a closer look. These touches show care and craftsmanship, even if not everyone notices them right away.
In Your Process
Sometimes the “Easter egg” is how you work. Being unusually organized, communicative or thoughtful as a partner or provider can feel like a surprise in itself, especially in industries where that’s not the norm.
Practical Ways to Add Easter Eggs to Your Brand
If you want to start building these moments into your marketing, keep it simple and intentional:
Think beyond the main message. Where are the overlooked spaces you can enhance?
Reward loyalty. Give repeat customers something new to discover over time.
Stay true to your voice. Surprises should feel natural, not forced.
Focus on the audience. What would they find delightful or useful?
Be consistent. One great moment is nice, but many small ones build a reputation.
The Long Game of Delight
Brand loyalty isn’t built through one campaign or one interaction. It’s built through a series of small, meaningful moments that accumulate over time.
When customers feel like there’s always something new to discover they don’t just engage. They stick around. So as you think about your next campaign, email or piece of content, ask yourself: Where can we hide a little Easter egg? Because sometimes, the smallest details are what people remember and what they come back for again and again.
The best marketing doesn’t feel transactional, it’s really love. It feels intentional. Considered. Human. At its core, great creative work is rooted in love. Love for the craft, caring about the message and most importantly, caring for the people on the other side of it. When brands lead with that mindset, the work resonates more deeply and the message lasts longer.
In an industry built on deadlines, deliverables, and data, it’s easy to forget that love still plays a critical role in effective marketing, design, and strategy. Since it’s close to Valentine’s Day, we thought we would remind you.
Love the Craft to Do the Work Well
There’s a difference between producing content and crafting it. Loving it. The latter takes time, curiosity and pride in the details.
Loving the work means:
Choosing words carefully instead of settling for filler
Designing with intention, not just jumping on trends or settling for trite
Thinking through strategy instead of jumping straight to execution
When teams genuinely enjoy what they do, it shows up in the final product. The work feels thoughtful instead of rushed, confident instead of generic. Audiences may not know why it feels better but they can definitely feel the difference. It’s love.
Showing Love For Your Audience Means Making It About Them
One of the biggest shifts brands have to make is moving from “What do we want to say?” to “What does our audience need to hear?”
Loving your audience means:
Respecting their time with clear, concise messaging focused on them
Understanding their challenges before offering solutions
Speaking in a voice that feels approachable, not know-it-all
When messaging is built around empathy and love for the audience, it stops feeling like marketing and starts feeling like service. The most effective brands don’t talk at people, they listen first and then respond. They’re helpful. They’re kind. They’re loving.
A Strong Brand Voice Is an Act of Love and Care
A brand’s voice is often the first relationship it builds with its audience. When that voice is inconsistent, overly polished or impersonal, trust quickly erodes.
Brands that love and care invest in:
Defining a voice that reflects their values
Writing copy that sounds human and relatable
Staying consistent across channels and touchpoints
A thoughtful brand voice signals reliability. It tells the audience, “We know who we are and we respect you enough to show up clearly every time. Because we love you.”
Strategy With Heart Is Strategy That Works
Data and insights are essential of course, but remember that they’re not the whole story. The strongest strategies balance logic with intuition and empathy. Look at your audience, your research, your approach through the eyes of love.
A strategy with heart means:
Looking beyond metrics to understand behavior (not just demographics, but psychographics)
Asking why people respond, not just how
Creating work that feels relevant, not opportunistic
When strategy is grounded in a genuine understanding of human needs and motivations, creative work becomes more meaningful and more effective. It’s a demonstration of not just your love of your product or service, but your care for the people you are helping with your product or service.
Doing Work You Believe In Changes Everything
When teams care about the work, the audience feels it. At Front Porch Marketing, we always say we are doing what we love, with people we love, while we take care of our loves. That’s our thing. We help clients who really care about their audience, and their audience loyalty grows. When marketing is rooted in connection rather than noise, it earns people’s attention instead of demanding it.
At the end of the day, the most impactful marketing isn’t built on cleverness alone, it’s built on intention, empathy and a real respect for the people it’s meant to reach. It’s built on love. Because when creative work comes from a place of caring, it doesn’t just perform better, it means more. And isn’t that why we do what we do?
In a world of crowded inboxes and constant notifications, effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the form of email and text messaging isn’t about sending more, it’s about sending smarter. Whether you’re communicating through email or text (SMS), the goal is the same: deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time.
CRM channels like email and text are powerful because they’re personal. These messages land directly in someone’s inbox or phone, making relevance, timing and clarity absolutely critical. Start with some best practices to help your email and text campaigns connect, engage and convert.
Start With Segmentation For Stronger Email and Text Messaging
Before you write a single word, define who your message is for in each particular instance. Generic messaging leads to generic results. But specific messaging for a specific set of people generates tailored results that the receiver will find to be helpful and motivating. Segmentation can be based on:
Past purchases or behaviors
Engagement history
Location or timing
Lifecycle stage (new lead, active customer, lapsed customer)
Write Like a Human in Email and Text Messaging
People don’t want to read corporate language in their inbox or texts. CRM messages should sound conversational, clear, and approachable. Even in B2B environments, friendly and direct almost always outperforms formal and vague. For both email and text messaging try to:
Use short sentences and simple words
Avoid jargon and buzzwords that you might use in your marketing department
Write how your brand would actually speak to a person, as if they were a person
Make the Value Clear and Get to the Point Fast
You only have a few seconds to earn attention, especially on mobile. Always ask yourself: What’s in it for the reader and make sure they can tell immediately.
For Email Messaging:
Subject lines should quickly communicate benefit or relevance (remember your character count here is 60, including spaces)
The first sentence should reinforce why this matters to the reader
For Text Messaging:
Lead with the purpose of the message
Avoid burying the point under greetings or filler
Remember you have a maximum of 160 characters, including a link and the best practices phrase “Text STOP to end” at the end of the SMS
Keep Calls to Action (CTAs) in Email and Text Messaging Simple and Specific
Every CRM message should guide the reader toward one clear next step. Avoid stacking multiple asks or multiple CTAs into a single message. Focus in your messaging increases a reader’s follow-through.
Best practices for strong CTAs:
Are action-oriented (“Book your spot,” “Download the guide,” “View your offer”)
Match the intent of the message
Feel easy to complete
Optimize for Mobile (Because That’s Where It’s Read)
Most CRM messages are read on phones, even emails are mobile first these days. If it’s not easy to read on a small screen, it’s unlikely to be read at all.
Best practices:
Use short paragraphs and plenty of white space
Avoid long blocks of text
Make buttons large and easy to tap
Keep SMS messages concise and skimmable
Test, Learn and Refine Your CRM Messaging
The most effective CRM programs evolve over time. Even small improvements in open rates or click-through rates can lead to significant gains. Consider regularly testing:
Subject lines
Send times
Message length
CTA wording
Personalization
When it Comes to Email and Text Messaging, Be Helpful First, Promotional Second
At its best, CRM messaging feels like good service to loyal customers, not advertising. When emails and texts deliver value, solve problems or save time, they build trust that lasts beyond a single click. Strong email and text messaging isn’t about filling calendars or hitting send quotas. It’s about building relationships one relevant, well-timed, precisely-crafted message at a time.
It’s the last post of the year, y’all, time for a round-up of the best marketing tips from our blog. It’s about to be 2026 in a few days, and we’ve accomplished a lot! To move forward to the future of your marketing success, we thought it would be helpful to go back and share some knowledge from the past. Hopefully, this will help you start thinking about what you want your business to be in 2026.
Start the Year With a Marketing Plan
First of all, you don’t know where to start planning for the year ahead? Start with an official marketing plan. Put a document like this together to help guide you through the year. Here are some marketing tip posts:
Next, does your branding stand for the company the way you want it to? Can you strengthen your brand? Will 2026 be the year for a re-branding to more align your business goals? Here are some branding posts to help you evaluate your situation.
To continue this thought, part of your brand is your voice. The words you use, the story you tell. Are you maximizing that voice in every point of contact? Here are some marketing tips on topics to think about when you are evaluating your content:
Finally, need marketing tips on how to do email or newsletter marketing? Social media posting? We’ve got you covered. Get started by checking out these post for information, or advancing your digital marketing prowess this year:
Overall, we might have covered just about every every marketing topic that a small business could use to grow their brand. Because, we’ve been creating content on our blog for over a decade! Find a nugget or two in there to help you get started. If you want to subscribe to the blog and get a tip post every week next year, just subscribe here. If you have questions, be sure to holler.
As the year winds down, most marketers are thinking about holiday campaigns, reviewing Q4 deliverables, and tying up loose ends. But there’s one task that can make a bigger impact on next year than any last-minute push: a thoughtful review of the past 12 months.
For marketing and advertising teams an end-of-year assessment isn’t just a nice tradition. It’s a chance to pause, zoom out, and understand what worked, what didn’t, and how to set yourself up for a more efficient, more creative and more rewarding year ahead.
How do you go about conducting a meaningful year-end review and then turn insights into an actionable plan for next year?
Start by Reviewing the Work Itself
Look back at your projects, campaigns, pitches and deliverables from the past year. What felt strong? Did anything fall short? Were there things that surprised you?
Questions to ask yourself as you’re reviewing the work:
Which projects delivered the best results for clients and why?
Which projects were the most creatively fulfilling?
What took more time or budget than expected?
Which deliverables consistently ran smoothly?
What bottlenecks or frustrations came up repeatedly?
Look for patterns here, not one-off issues. These patterns will tell you where your firm naturally excels and where possible tweaks could make a difference next year.
Evaluate Your Processes
Even the best work can feel stressful if the work behind the scenes isn’t efficient. Reviewing your processes helps you identify where extra time can be eliminated, or needs to be added, next year. Put best practices in place. Write down processes that work to share with the team and onboard with new team members.
Questions to ask when reviewing processes:
Where did communication break down?
Did we have the right information at the right time?
Were timelines realistic or chaotic?
Did approvals or revisions slow things down?
Did we use our tools effectively?
When taking a look at your processes, look for repeated snags or bottlenecks, overcomplicated workflows that can be simplified, missing steps that caused confusion, and tasks that always seemed to fall through the cracks. Process updates for next year will mean an easier year and a happier team!
Reviewing Your Team’s Capacity, Skills and Collaboration
A strong team is the core of a strong year. Assess whether or not everyone is working together well. Are there different communication techniques that could be used across the board for stronger connections?
Questions to ask yourself when reviewing your team’s strengths:
Did team members feel overloaded at any point?
Where did people shine, and where did they struggle?
Did cross-discipline collaboration happen naturally or did silos form?
Are there skills the team wants to learn in able to grow?
Look for opportunities to build up strengths and support areas needing more structure, tools or training.
Examine Your Client Relationships
Reviewing the past year in terms of client relationships helps guide you forward and grow your business. Find what types of clients or industries you want to attract next year, and which ones you may need to reevaluate, by reviewing your client base every year.
Questions to ask yourself when reviewing clients:
Who were your strongest partnerships? Why?
Where did expectations misalign?
Were you proactive or reactive in your communication?
Are there clients you’d love to replicate, or ones that weren’t a great fit?
Now Turn Your Review Into Next Year’s Plan
Once you’ve assessed the year, it’s time to transform insights into a strategic plan.
As you look ahead, start by identifying the strengths you want to carry forward. Don’t reinvent what’s already working well. Instead, recognize the processes, tools and team dynamics that consistently support strong outcomes. Maybe that was a solid creative brainstorm structure, reliable kickoff briefs, smooth approvals or content formats that performed especially well.
Equally important is acknowledging what didn’t work and choosing just a few meaningful improvements to focus on next year. You don’t need sweeping overhauls, just simple changes like streamlining intake forms, improving briefs, adding mid-project check-ins, investing in a useful new tool, tightening your revision process or strengthening client onboarding. Choose improvements that will make the biggest impact overall, and implement them for next year.
From there, use the insights gathered in your review to set specific, data-informed goals. These might include reducing turnaround times or launching new services. To make these goals truly effective, involve your entire team in shaping them. Because your team lived the work this year, they can offer invaluable observations, surface opportunities for improvement, suggest fixes, and help you prioritize what matters most. When everyone participates in building the plan, they’re more invested in bringing it to life.
From Reviewing to ReDoing
Finally, turn your insights into a clear “next-year playbook.” It can be as simple as a one-pager or a more detailed document. Both work. What matters is capturing the key takeaways from your review, outlining what will stay the same and what will change, clarifying team goals, identifying tools or training to implement and articulating your vision for the year ahead. It’s a guide your team can reference throughout the year to stay aligned, accountable and focused on continuous improvement.
This month, we are welcoming Riley Fry, our newest intern rocker, to the team. We love asking our new employees a few questions to get to know them better! Riley is a student at The University of Arkansas studying communications and journalism. Riley is particularly excited about storytelling, media strategy, and empowering others through effective communication while she sits with us on the Porch.
What is the biggest misconception about marketing today?
One of the biggest misconceptions about marketing today is that it’s only about advertising or posting on social media. Marketing is about understanding people, using research and data to meet their needs, and building lasting relationships. It’s not just about selling a product — it’s about creating real connections and value for customers
What advice would Riley Fry give to her younger self?
No matter what, everything always works out the way it’s meant to. It’s easy to get caught up in the future or dwell on the past, but today is the only thing you can truly control. One day, you’ll look back and wish you had taken a breath and appreciated the moment you’re in right now.
What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned so far at school?
Nobody has figured it out. It’s easy to feel intimidated or compare yourself to others, but comparison only steals your joy. True confidence comes from within — and while it may sound cliché, sometimes you just have to fake it until you make it.
What does good brand strategy look like?
I think of a brand strategy as the heart of a company. It defines who you are, what you stand for, and how you connect with your audience. More than just a logo or design, a strong brand strategy combines your mission, values, and understanding of your customers to create a clear and consistent identity. It highlights what makes you unique and tells your story in a way that builds trust and lasting loyalty.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would it be?
I’d love to be back in Maui, Hawaii. The summer I spent there with my family was unforgettable — it’s the most gorgeous and peaceful place on earth. The locals are so kind and genuine, and my favorite thing to do there is just sit on the beach and enjoy the calm.
If you could go to dinner with one person living or dead who would it be?
I’d choose Dakota Johnson. I admire her as an actress and love her sense of style. She has an incredible taste in fashion, home decor, and architecture. She’s also worked with so many talented people, and grew up in a famous family, I’m sure she has some amazing stories to share.
If you could describe Riley Fry in three words what would they be?
I’d describe myself as detailed, creative, and optimistic.
Tell us about a major milestone in your life?
A major milestone for me was coming to school at the University of Arkansas. Growing up in Houston, Texas, I had never experienced living in such a beautiful state or meeting so many new people. Moving here pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow both personally and professionally.
From your perspective, how does Front Porch Marketing differentiate itself from other marketing companies?
Front Porch creates a warm, close-knit environment that extends to both the clients and team. Their focus goes beyond delivering exceptional work — they’re dedicated to building lasting relationships with clients who quickly start to feel like family.
In marketing and creative endeavors, no great creative work is the result of a single perspective. The most effective strategies and boldest ideas are born when designers, copywriters, strategists, media planners, and account managers work side by side sharing expertise and building on each other’s insights.
Collaboration on a team isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the backbone of an efficient process toward a successful outcome. We’re stronger together. Here’s why it matters and some ideas for how to put it into practice.
Different Disciplines, Different Lenses
Each marketing discipline brings a unique way of looking at a problem:
Designers think visually, shaping how a brand feels.
Copywriters shape the voice, ensuring words connect emotionally and persuasively.
Strategists dig into audience behavior and market dynamics.
Media planners understand where and when the message will be most effective.
Practical Tips:
Host a kickoff session for each project with every discipline present, so all voices are heard and all questions are asked early.
Encourage short “discipline spotlights” in meetings to help the team learn how others think, and what others need to do their job.
Keeping Everyone Informed for Creative Work Efficiency
Working in silos often leads to misalignment, revisions, and wasted time. By keeping everyone informed, the team can anticipate needs, adapt ideas on the fly, and avoid costly detours. Including others in input meetings with the client, and in presentations with the client can also offer more well-rounded, on-target solutions.
Practical Tips:
Use a shared project board (like Asana, Workfront or even Microsoft Teams) where all updates live.
Send out weekly recaps or hold quick status meetings outlining progress, road blocks and upcoming deadlines.
Assign a point person (like a project manager) to ensure information flows between disciplines.
Collaboration Sparks Creative Work
Ideas rarely come out fully formed. They grow stronger through conversation and refinement. A strategist’s data might spark a creative twist, or a designer’s mockup could inspire a headline. Notes from a client meeting can provide unique perspective and insight for those creating the work who were not at the meeting.
Practical Tips:
Run quick brainstorm sessions with mixed disciplines, not just creatives.
Use tools like Miro for virtual idea-storming across departments.
Encourage team members to ask “what if?” questions, even outside their area of expertise.
Creative Work with Better Outcomes for Clients and Audiences
Collaboration on creative and marketing work leads to campaigns that feel cohesive, purposeful, and tailored to audience needs.
Practical Tips:
Share drafts with the whole team, not just the client-facing role, before presentation.
Do a quick “audience check” roundtable where each discipline explains how their piece serves the end user.
Build in one joint review session before final delivery to ensure cohesion.
The Human Side: Trust and Respect
When every voice is valued, people feel invested in the work. Respect and trust grow, making it easier to tackle challenges and celebrate wins together.
Practical Tips:
Open meetings with a “shout-out” moment where team members recognize others’ contributions.
Create a culture where feedback is framed as collaboration, not criticism.
CollaborationIsn’t Just About Working Together, It’s About Working Smarter
By keeping every discipline informed, inviting every perspective to the table, and nurturing open communication, you build more than solid marketing and creative work. You create partnerships, efficiency, and results that couldn’t exist any other way.
