Bossa Nova Strategies

09/09/2016

Even small businesses develop a workplace culture—characteristics that define how you relate to your team, consultants, and contractors. What characteristics can make you more effective? New research suggests it boils down to some surprisingly simple factors:

New research reveals surprising truths about why some work groups thrive and others falter.

08/17/2016

It is not enough for a business to have a page, they must use it to tell a story.

It is not enough for a page to tell a story, it must also speak with customers.

It is not enough to speak with customers, but to know them, get them, and let them join in the brand's larger story...

Nothing in this article is a new idea exactly—i.e., quality content has always been better than mediocre content—but it is becoming more vital than ever for businesses to shoot for that quality content and connect with influencers who share their brand values.

Gone are the days when you could post anything and expect to get a huge amount of engagement through doing nothing. Here’s how to make sure you can take on this new realm of marketing and grow your startup quickly.

08/08/2016

A UK man found a worm in his sandwich from the grocery store, Tesco. He tweeted about it, and Tesco's reply was ingenious.

One takeaway: Mistakes happen. How will you deal with customer complaints, particularly when your business is in the wrong? There isn't a single right answer, but human sympathy, creativity, and a dash of humor is a good place to start.

When a Tesco customer made a complaint about a worm in his cucumber, the conversation took a comical twist, which has gone viral

08/01/2016

Your brand story is everything because it touches on everything.

Have you ever considered what your photography is saying about your brand story? Not just the light, but the feel, the depth, the expression, the details, the setting—all of those little decisions say something about you. Are you polished and professional or warm and welcoming? What do you value as a company? What do your customers value? Where do they live? How does your business fit in with their lives? For your customer, your photography speaks a thousand words. The question is, are your photos saying what you want them to say?

(Photo from a Verity-directed shoot.)

07/20/2016

We're excited to announce a new member of the Verity Communications team. Cameron Forras is a native of Seattle by way of the Philippines and also a full-stack developer. Need help upgrading your website or defining your brand? Let's talk.

06/10/2016

We're honored to work with the clients that we do. Sometimes it's tempting to believe that there are no companies left who take pride in their work—that everyone is dedicated to shortcuts and duplicity. And then, you meet some people. And, to them, business is about relationships and sharing stories, as well as products. The Crary family is that kind of people and they run that kind of business. Take a look.

WHO ARE WE? We are a small group of family and friends dedicated to building the Ultimate American Boot. We start with a promise to never compromise quality.…

06/09/2016

We love it when a company's advertising demonstrates that it knows its audience. Here's a great example of advertising done right.

04/15/2016

We're happy to have helped our friends at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission with their new Light Up the City website. They wanted an online community center that echoed their urban PNW environment and would be easy to update themselves. Check it out at lightupthecity.org.

04/12/2016

It's easy to recognize the benefits of positive publicity, and this is the reason many professionals start their own blogs. But all new bloggers face the initial challenge of building blog traffic, and not all blogs survive this growth stage. This can take months and years—and sometimes your business can't wait that long.

One solution? Don't blog. If you don't have the time to commit to building traffic, consider instead posting to Medium.com or on an industry-specific LinkedIn forum. Save yourself some time and publish your thoughts on a website that already has daily traffic.

Consider who your ideal customer/client is and what their needs are. What questions do they have that your business might answer? What problems can you solve for them? You'll find writing topics and your ideal customer by answering those questions.

What places are they most likely to go to search for answers? Medium? LinkedIn? An industry forum? A niche-website? That's the place where you should be.

03/04/2016

Millennial women have stumped many marketers with their non-traditional views. For one thing, they're deeply skeptical when brands try to sell to them.

The value of the female dollar is rising: today, women account for a whopping 85 percent of all consumer purchases, and female income worldwide totals to over $18 trillion. Millennial women -- those

02/12/2016

A post for entrepreneurs in which we probably give away more information than we should.

Actually, nah. We don't mind.

It’s dangerous when you start your own business. Whether or not you realize it, you’re taking a risk. Every hour that you spend nurturing your own business is...

02/06/2016

What is PR anyway? Is it free advertising? A golden ticket to your business' success? Here's a quick guide to understanding what it can and can't do for your business.

Some people think of PR as a free advertising. Business owners often have the belief that if they can just get their business covered in a magazine, or put on...