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I’m a big fan of Garrison Keillor and his radio show “Prairie Home Companion.” What is it that makes his listeners so loyal? Ask any of his 19,370 fans on Facebook and I bet they will agree it’s his mastery of story telling.

Some of the smartest ad campaigns have learned this lesson well. What dad can’t relate to Subaru’s “Baby Driver,” a story about the moment their “baby” drives the first time. Another favorite is an ad where Mark asks his girlfriend for a second chance using Google Chrome. Talk about viral marketing, this ad has gotten over 408,000 hits on YouTube since it first ran on TV. (if you haven’t seen it take a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTjHCCU2E4c)

When asked to create campaigns for clients we begin by considering the story behind the product or service. Stories invite listeners in and when done honestly, it feels like a conversation rather than a sales pitch.

One of our college clients asked us to create a brochure focusing on individual alumni. It’s a book of stories, stories about people who accomplished great things in their communities and beyond. What makes this piece resonate and inspire? In a few paragraphs we learn about their dreams and aspirations in a relatable way. It’s been a great success for the school, alumni bonds are strengthened and each year new stories are added.

Tips for telling a compelling story:
:: Make sure it’s based in reality
:: Give it a beginning, middle and end
:: Understand your audience
:: Give a payoff at the end
:: Tell it simply and with emotion
:: Make it relatable

So what makes a good story according to Garrison, “the first and strongest stories you have to tell are stories that happened to you before you were 12 years old.”

Websites have become an organization’s most important marketing tool and the best websites are well branded.

Ease of navigation is a given for any successful site, but a great brand experience is what makes a site stand out from the crowd. A website that is well branded and understands its target market will be a special place, and it will not look or feel like your competitors. It should capture your brand personality and your unique tone of voice. The colors, shapes and mood should make visitors feel they are meeting an interesting person who they would want to hang out with and spend some time. If it’s a non-profit it should make them feel something emotionally.

I know you’ve heard the buzz about Pinterest, so what is it really all about?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where you can tell a visual story about anything you want. You’re able to organize and share things you find while perusing the web. You can also browse others’ pinboards and discover new new things and get inspired!

Here at The Byne Group we were definitely inspired! We created an account on Pinterest [pinterest.com/thebynegroup] and here we thought we’d let others discover and get to know the people that make up our “group.” We each have our own boards where we “pin” things that we’ve found inspiring or shows a little bit about ourselves.

Pinterest suggests using your boards to: Decorate Your Home, Plan A Wedding, Your Style or Save Your Recipes

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” - Vince Lombardi

This year I am embracing excellence and rejecting the concept of perfection. The most interesting people I know have imperfections, and I never thought I wanted to be perfect. Now ask me if I try to be perfect anyway? Like many people there is a dichotomy between theory and practice. When I make a mistake or fail at something, I do a first rate job of berating myself (just ask my husband who’s been woken at 3 am to hear my tales of woe!).
 
That’s why I love this Vince Lombardi quote and plan to take it to heart.

What is the difference between excellence and perfection? According to Christine Casey, a leadership coach and blogger:

:: Excellence is willing to be wrong. Perfection is being right.
:: Excellence is spontaneous. Perfection is control.
:: Excellence is accepting. Perfection is judgment.
:: Excellence is flowing. Perfection is pressure.        

To sum it up, excellence is an attainable and healthy goal for each of us to pursue.

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become." –Gandhi

Okay, I get that change is good but why is it so damn hard? For me, as well as many other small business owners, I struggle with making those tough decisions. Why? Because no one likes uncertainty – When we change, we are swimming in untested waters and that can feel unnerving.

Have you ever sat in on a meeting, rehash it moments later with others who were present and discover that none of you left with the same message? I know I have. Communication is such a tricky thing. We are so busy thinking about what our response will be that we barely digest the information just shared. Listening well means letting go of what's on your mind and being present in the conversation, not an easy task for most of us.

To quote Leo Tolstoy, "All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy it its own way." To prove my point, consider some very recent ads.

First up is what I like to call “Gutless Guys and The Women Who Berate Them.” Last night while my husband and I were watching TV a commercial for AT&T came on. You know the one where a timid looking guy pops his head into what appears to be a greenhouse (hey, who doesn’t have one of those in their backyard). As his wife is watering a plant he shares that he signed the family up for some sort of unlimited texting plan. The wife then goes crazy, seething disgust for the poor guy.

Our guest blogger, John Scilipote, Founder and President, Babyface Interactive 

We all get them - constant email solicitations for SEO, (Search Engine Optimization) services. The email usually starts out with someone named Joe or Amy claiming they "came across" your website and noticed it wasn't listed on the first page of Google.

One of my all time favorite movies is “Field of Dreams,” a drama-sports-fantasy based on W.P. Kinsella's novel “Shoeless Joe."

Even if you never saw the film I bet you’ve heard the sentence Kevin Costner keeps hearing in his head, “If you build it, he will come.”

Have you ever wondered why your company's logo or branded colors look different on your office printer, computer monitor, and professionally printed materials? (They shouldn't by the way!)

 We see colors in three different ways. 1) Natural color: what you see in nature; 2) Printed colors: inks, pigments, dyes, and paint; 3) Light Spectrum: computer monitors, screens, televisions.