MARKETING & BRANDING

Grow Your Business Through Public Speaking

You are leaving money on the table if public speaking is not a key element in your branding strategy. Public speaking is a “must-have” capability for every business owner. It is time to come out of the shadows and into the spotlight for your business to achieve your dreams, goals, and legacy. Engaging in public…
“We Need a New Logo!” … Or Do We?

How to Diagnose Before Redesigning, With Evidence-Based Brand Strategy Tools When a business leader says, “We need a rebrand,” they’re rarely reacting to just a logo. More often, it’s a sign of deeper misalignment between who the business serves, what it promises, and what it delivers. Business leaders might see a consistent drop in sales,…
7 DIY PR Tools for Smart Entrepreneurs

For entrepreneurs who want to build visibility without the agency price tag Let’s be honest: hiring a PR agency can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 monthly. For most entrepreneurs—especially those bootstrapping their businesses or investing every dollar back into growth—that’s simply not realistic. But here’s what the PR industry doesn’t want you to know:…
The 3.43 percent Rule: Why Most PR Pitches Fail (And How to Be Different)

For entrepreneurs who want sustainable visibility without burning out Let’s get real about PR. Most advice tells you to “be everywhere, always be pitching, never stop networking.” But here’s what they don’t tell you: the most successful PR strategies aren’t built on hustle. They’re built on systems that work even when you’re running at 60…
Compete With Big Brands Using the CMO-In-A-Box Marketing Strategy

High Peaks Marketing founder Cynthia Irons revolutionizes small business marketing with her innovative CMO-In-A-Box approach, delivering executive-level strategy without the Fortune 500 overhead. After 25 years navigating the corporate corridors of Fortune 500 companies, Cynthia Irons discovered a troubling pattern that would ultimately reshape her career and revolutionize how small businesses approach marketing. “I had…
How Healthcare Influencers Are Changing the Game

What do a YouTube doctor with 13 million subscribers and a hospital with a Facebook Live series have in common? They’re winning hearts—and health decisions—online. As traditional media outlets have seen their power and influence decline in the digital age, a new category of content creators rose to fill the information gap. But the influencer…
Integrated vs Specialized Agencies: Navigating the Two Approaches to Marketing

Media consumption has undergone a massive shift in terms of which content (news, advertising, entertainment) is consumed on which platforms (television, social media, websites). Numerous means exist for reaching a targeted audience. Against this backdrop, marketers must remain vigilant about how to optimize their messaging for specific audiences across a broad spectrum of mediums. That’s…
Branding That Reflects Your Values

A Step-by-Step Guide to Authentic Branding In a world where consumers are bombarded with choices, one thing stands out: authenticity matters. People want to buy from brands that stand for something—brands whose values align with their own. According to a report by Accenture, 82 percent of shoppers prefer to buy from companies that demonstrate a clear purpose and…
Anticipating Changes in the Social Media Landscape for Marketers

The social aspect of social media is at an all-time low. Friends engaging with friends has been supplanted by a torrential downpour of ads and organic posts from brands, squelching the casual conversations and independent creators who attracted users to social media platforms in the first place. So where can people go to be social…
Creating Your 2025 Marketing Plan

From Overwhelmed to Organized: Craft a Winning Marketing Strategy That Drives Results You’re sitting at your desk staring at an empty notebook or a blank Google Doc labeled “Marketing Plan.” You’re overwhelmed, unsure where to start, and wondering if this year will be another one of trial and error. Sound familiar? The truth is, most…
Essential Marketing Metrics for Small Businesses: A Beginner’s Guide

Let’s be honest, running a small business is tough enough without drowning in spreadsheets and statistics. If you’ve ever looked at your marketing data and felt completely overwhelmed, you’re not alone. I know several small business owners who share the same challenge: figuring out which numbers actually matter. Here’s the good news: you don’t need…
Why Visibility Matters for Diverse-Owned Businesses

How diverse-owned businesses can break through the noise, build trust, and seize growth opportunities In today’s crowded marketplace, visibility isn’t just a saying—it’s essential for the growth and survival of your business. The quest for visibility comes with unique challenges and unprecedented opportunities for diverse-owned enterprises, including minority-, women-, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. As an entrepreneur…
Taking an AI Approach to Digital Marketing

The rise of AI-generated copywriting and video scripts has been rapid and, in some corners, difficult to keep up with. Marketers who are not yet familiar with generative AI and large language models are already falling behind their peers. Harnessing these tools can make the creative process for marketers more efficient and, in many cases,…
Marketing Strategies in a World Of Opt-Outs

By now, the phrase “reject all cookies” is more closely associated with browsing the internet than dieting. In June, Google announced it would allow users of the Google Chrome browser to opt-in or opt-out of third-party data collection, effectively reversing its earlier decision to phase out third-party cookies in the second half of 2024. Businesses…
How to Leverage Storytelling in Digital Marketing to Drive Growth for Diverse-Owned Businesses

Are you ready to take your digital marketing game to the next level? If so, we’re about to dive into the magical world of storytelling—and trust me, it’s not just for bedtime anymore. Once Upon a Time… (aka Why Storytelling Matters) Let’s kick things off with a mind-blowing stat: your story can increase conversion rates…