Join host Monica Pitts, founder of MayeCreate, and her team as they guide you through the maze of digital marketing. Listen, laugh, roll your eyes, and leave each episode with another nugget on how to make your marketing less stressful and more successful. You're on the path to marketing with purpose!
Subscribe:.rss.atom.json.md.m3u.pls
Live Last read · last published · next check
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
Every organization has a Bob. He means well, he really does. He cares about the mission, shows up to every meeting, and is FIRED UP about mailing out magnets. Or a magazine ad. Or a whole new initiative nobody asked for. This episode was a listener request - because apparently everyone has a Bob, and nobody knows quite what to say to him. Monica and Stacy walk through how to handle board members,…
If your services pages are just a paragraph and a phone number, you're leaving money on the table. In this episode, Monica and Stacy break down exactly what needs to be on each of your services pages so the right people find you, trust you, and actually reach out. They cover: Why you need one page per service — and when the exception applies Whether you need a services landing page (hint: it…
If you've been watching your blog traffic drop and wondering if blogging is dead—this episode is for you. Short answer: blogging still works. But the 2015 playbook (publish 4+ posts a month, chase keywords, watch the traffic roll in) is dead. The goal changed. It's not about driving massive traffic anymore. It's about proof—proving you know what you're doing, getting cited by AI, and building…
Every third question we get these days is about AI. "Is it going to kill Google?" "Do I even need a website?" "What does this mean for my business?" So we figured it was about darn time we talk about it ourselves from the angle we do best - websites. Yes, AI is changing how search works. Heck, AI is changing how AI works. But for most businesses, the impact is more "interesting shift" than…
The internet changes faster every year. And 2025 said, “hold my beer.” How people find you, whether they trust you, and if they even visit your website - all of it changed. Again. And if you’re not paying attention, you could be losing customers without even knowing why. The internet in 2026 isn’t the internet we built websites for five, ten, or fifteen years ago. Traffic is down. Tracking is…
You wake up to 47 emails about cryptocurrency, someone wants to sell you SEO services (the irony), and three bots are VERY concerned about your website's performance. You know the drill. You delete five, ten more appear. You silently cuss technology and consider just shutting down your contact form entirely and making people send carrier pigeons instead. You, my friend, are NOT alone. AND you…
Ever stare at your computer thinking "there HAS to be a better way to do this"? Like that task at work that takes 3x longer than it should. The one everyone complains about but nobody fixes.You know it needs to change. You might even know HOW to fix it. But telling your boss? That feels risky. What if they think you're just complaining? What if you come across as difficult? What if they say no and…
Quick question: If someone landed on your home page right now, would they know what you do in nano seconds? Or would they have to scroll, squint, and guess? Most home pages fall into one of two traps: they're either cluttered and confusing, or they're an image desert with no actual words explaining what you do. Either way, visitors can't figure out what you offer—so they just leave. Your home page…
Your year-end campaign emails are probably amazing. Your social posts? On point. Your stories? Compelling. But if your website doesn’t back it up during December, none of that matters. We've seen it happen too many times. Nonprofits pour everything into their year-end campaigns only to have the donation process fall apart at the very last step. So Stacy and Monica made you a checklist.✨ This…
Since the DOJ rolled out new ADA website compliance rules in March of last year, we’re busy updating sites—and answering a lot of questions about what it all means. The one big sticking point in client conversations is linked documents. PDFs, Word files, slide decks—anything you link to is now considered part of your website. That means those documents must meet ADA accessibility standards too .…
If your website is turtling - and not in the good ninja turtle way, but in the slow-crossing-the-highway way - everyone's noticing and cringing. Here's the deal: while you're sitting there wondering why your site is loading at turtle speed, your competitors' sites are loading in milliseconds and stealing your sales. That sucks. But figuring out what’s wrong can feel like rocket science. Tyler,…
We're celebrating MayeCreate’s 20th birthday with something special - the whole team sharing their biggest lessons learned along the way. From "don't polish a turd" to "imposter syndrome is loud, but good design is louder," these hard-won insights aren't just about building websites - they're about building a life and career you actually love. Hear why getting uncomfortable is your secret weapon,…
Businesses everywhere are slapping whatever ChatGPT spits out onto their website. And then they wonder why it sounds like every other company out there - or worse, like it was written by a very polite robot. With human website traffic tapering and bot traffic on the rise, every single human visitor is precious. You can't afford to lose them to generic, robotic content that doesn't connect. Here's…
So... have you heard about these new ADA web accessibility rules yet? If your first reaction was "Oh great, another thing I need to worry about," we totally get it. But honestly? This stuff isn't as scary as it sounds, and in the end it's actually going to make your website better for everyone. Here's the deal, the Department of Justice finally gave us actual deadlines (April 2026 and 2027,…
Breaking News: Humans are now the minority on the internet. And no, this isn’t just tech drama. That's right. According to the 2025 Imperva Bad Bot Report , automated, aka bot, traffic has overtaken human activity for the first time in ten years, making up more than half—51% —of all internet traffic last year. But don't worry, this isn't a Terminator-style apocalypse (yet). In this latest episode…
Well, we're almost 2 years into our 4-day experiment now. Which probably makes it more of a permanent fixture than an experiment. There's not really a manual though, so...things ebb and flow and we're navigating the bumps as they come. When we started sharing about our four-day work week adventure, we quickly realized not everyone wanted a four-day week. Some people were downright opposed - one…
After years of wandering trade show aisles like a couple of booth anthropologists, Stacy and Monica may have cracked the code on standing out without emptying your wallet. We just dropped a new podcast episode that's basically our brain dump of every budget-friendly trade show hack we've discovered. Because let's be honest—those giant fancy booths with their LED walls and custom furniture? Yeah,…
Just like the other remaining humans on planet earth, us MayeCreaters survived this last year. And we like to think we’re humans who learn from the past and can use it with a heap of diligence and sprinkle old fashioned grit to chart our way forward to better things. Fortunately, and unfortunately, last year was a little itchy so we learned a lot. Like how to make stuff load faster and look…
The number one rule of good website navigation is: don’t make people think. Which sounds pretty straightforward but somehow people still keep messing it up! And that is why we are publishing this recent public service announcement all about navigation. Monica’s husband, Mike, sends her angry emails about sites with crappy navigation on the regular. He says he’s sending her “leads” …she thinks…
This time of year Monica always feels like marketing is like wrestling an octopus. She sits at her desk, neck deep in spreadsheets attempting to befriend and calm the octopi - emails, social media, website updates… It’s a lot . That’s why she’s always looking for ways to pin that marketing mollusk. She went to Shelly Niehaus, her guest on this week’s podcast, for answers. Shelly is a business…
As the resident master of 2D spatial relationships at MayeCreate (aka print designer) these days, Monica is pretty strategic when selecting the program for a project. Over the past 25 years she’s learned the hard way how choosing the right program to start: Saves time Makes future projects easier Produces a better design So if you’re tasked with designing for your organization AND you find…
Monica gets asked more and more frequently about how to get customers to leave reviews or make positive social posts for business. Which makes sense because marketing through user generated content is a powerful marketing tool. You don’t have to brag about your awesomeness because other folks do it for you Your raving fans create your marketing content for you PLUS Google and social algorithms…
“I have a Chrome extension for that!” became Monica’s catchphrase at one point, or so Stacy swore. The MayeCreate team isn’t far behind. We’re bonafide Chrome extension junkies. Some of us have collected so many we have to toggle them off and on so we don’t get overwhelmed! And we are forever recommending our favorite extensions to clients to save time and improve workflow. Like anything else,…
At lunch the other day a group of business people were complaining about how annoying their Google Business Profile is to use. Aaaaand they’re not wrong. But managing your profile is a necessary evil…like going to the dentist - you don’t have to love it but you do have to do it. You want to show up when people search for you on Google, right? Your Google Business Profile determines 9% of your…
If you’ve ever wondered, "How many emails should we send in our year-end campaign?" Turns out, you're not alone! We get this question every year, and now, thanks to Jaime Freidrichs, a fundraising coach dedicated to helping small but mighty organizations succeed, and 71 nonprofit survey participants — we’ve got some real data to guide you. In our latest episode (and blog post), we dive into the…
A few weeks ago, Monica gave some tips on what to include on a business card and briefly mentioned QR codes, promising to dive deeper later. In this podcast/blog, Monica does just that! Recording and writing this felt a bit like QR code therapy to Monica. Turns out she has some strong feelings about where, when and how to use them (I’m sure you’re super surprised ). So…in this week's episode…
All the marketing gurus are saying “transparency” and “authenticity” are the measure of good marketing these days. And that’s great and all, but if we’re honest the road map to get there isn’t super clear. Unfortunately, there’s no universal yardstick for “authenticity.” It’s different for everyone. There is, however, a practical starting point to geo locating your version - defining your core…
Monica thought everyone just knew what to put on a business card and how to design it so it’s a functional marketing tool. But, alas, a recent visit to a tradeshow revealed a sizable knowledge gap in that very area. You want your prospects and your clients to have a streamlined, easy interaction with you all the time, right? And anytime you have an opportunity to control that process we want to…
Monica sat down with Donna Dube, a business growth strategist who knows how to simplify marketing like a pro. Seriously, she’s got some killer tips that will make you say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Donna talked about the Eisenhower Matrix—sounds fancy, right? But it’s really just a smart way to prioritize what actually matters in your biz, not just the stuff that keeps you busy. Plus, Donna…
Stacy calls Monica the “idea factory”. And blog topics just happen to be her favorite thing to produce in idea factory mode. In this episode, she’s firing up the factory to give you blog ideas out the wazoo AND share her framework she uses to make sure organizations are blogging about the right thing to meet the right people where they are. Join us in this “what to blog about” workshop style…
We’ve been honing in on our “why” at MayeCreate this year. Studying the concept introduced by Simon Sinek, reading the Power of a Positive Team, redefining our core values, and updating our mission statement. It’s been an incredible way to learn about each other and why we do what we do. MayeCreate’s “Core 4” (our senior team) has been together for over 10 years so we know in our gut why we keep…
In a world dominated by flashy visuals and fleeting social media trends, you might wonder, "Is blogging still relevant?" 9 out of 10 marketers use blogging to achieve their content goals ( SEMrush , 2023). That’s because it works. Blogging drives traffic to your site and traffic drives leads. Companies that blog have an average of 67% more leads each month than companies without blogs. (…
Monica’s brain turned into an idea factory while interviewing this week's guest, Shannon Houchin, owner of Roadside Republic. Yes, this episode is all about the success of roadside stands selling peaches, which is really fun all on its own. AND it’s also packed with ideas to locally market your business or organization. So. Before you do another carwash or bakesale for your nonprofit… Before you…
I hear alot about nonprofit boards. (Sometimes as web designers we get mistaken for marketing therapists…aaaaand tech support…) But while we work with boards to build websites…I don’t have to manage one. My advice in that area is limited at best. I do, however, see first hand how an engaged board could make marketing your nonprofit a WHOLE lot easier. I sure do wish I had a magic board motivating…
Choosing the colors for your brand is a combo of art, psychology and science. Aaaaand unfortunately there aren’t hard and fast rules to follow. There are, however, quite a few things to consider before putting the final stamp of approval on your logo and brand colors. And that’s what this episode is all about. Monica talks you through choosing the right logo and brand color combo to: Reflect your…
Have you ever stopped to think about why red dominates fast food chain brands while banks gravitate towards green? It’s because colors impact everything from our mood to our appetite. And those branding pros know color is just one more tool in their marketing tool box. Between 62% and 90% of a product’s first impressions are determined by its colors. If you've ever wondered why your logo's color…
If you have a really small marketing department, (like maybe just a quarter of a person ) this episode is for you. MayeCreate's own marketing team waivers between a half and full person (and at least one dog) depending on the day, so when Sarah said she had tips to get it done faster, we were all ears. In this interview Sarah shares her 4 C framework to get organized, get results and most of…
Tyler and Rebecca, MayeCreate’s lead developers, are super, mega smart. Everyday we find new reasons to be thankful to have them on our team. And in today’s episode you get to meet them as they lift the hood to peer inside the websites at MayeCreate and document the WordPress plugins they deem good enough to make the cut. They explain: Using plugins responsibly. Must have plugins to make your site…
A pretty website is one thing. One that sells is quite another. And writing copy that sells is not easy! It’s a marriage of education and psychology, both an art and a science. In this episode, our favorite sales copywriter tells just how she does it, workshop style! Tiff Carey digs deep into levers we can pull for major conversions including: How to use sexy bullets to entice window shoppers to…
We promised you in Podcasting 101 Part 1 that Monica would flip on her tech switch and now she's here to deliver. She geeked out (and loved EVERY minute of it ) explaining the ins and outs of: Hardware: We start with the basics - microphones. Then dig into essential accessories to enhance your recording setup and minimize background noise. Software: Navigating recording and editing software can be…
We’ve fielded a lot of questions about starting podcasts lately. Enough questions we started to think the universe was telling us we should do a few podcasts about starting a podcast. Luckily, with over 200 episodes under our belt, we're getting this whole podcast thing figured out. We cataloged our misadventures and advice into two podcast focused episodes starting right here with: Podcasting 101…
Monica is a website builder by trade…you’ve probably figured that out by now. But a website that can’t be found is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Which makes her a student of SEO…FOREVER. Because it changes faster than a Nascar pit crew. And it’s not one dimensional either, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is mutli-faceted. The MayeCreate team’s responsibility is to build a…
Domain Hosting Website Sooooo intangible…yet so important for your business. We talk about these things everyday but for normal humans they’re a question factory… What even is a domain? How do you get one? How do you connect it to everything? And what the heck is hosting? Do you need it? How do you know which one you need? So if you’re up to your neck in questions, this episode is for you.…
The latest episode of Marketing with Purpose, features none other than Chris West, President of West Contracting. ️ Chris and his team spent the past year in a cycle of change, reevaluating their internal structure, figuring out what works and what doesn't, and charting their course for the future. As part of their marketing team, it's been awesome to be a part of the journey! Today we’ll dig…
In this week’s Marketing with Purpose episode we're tackling a topic that hits close to home for many of us - quite literally. Working from home with your spouse and managing to: Not go nuts Get your work done AND stay married Tyler and Christi Ernst have been remote working from the same ROOM for the past 4 years…and they still like each other! So we had to know their secret. Tyler is our lead…
You know how Monica LOVES to geek out about podcasting? OK, not quite as much as she loves geeking out about websites…but close ! And recently, on the Marketing with Purpose podcast, Monica had the pleasure of geeking out WITH another podcasting veteran with over 300 episodes under his belt, Khalil Benalioulhaj. He likes podcasting so much he started a business to help people run their podcasts.…
When MayeCreate opened the new Camdenton office, Stacy and Monica needed a spot to meet up in between. They lucked into a relatively new co-working space, Jefferson and High that rekindled Monica’s belief that customer service is your number one marketing tool as a small business. So Monica invited owner, Chris Galloway, to give us a rundown of the seamless tech integrations, onboarding process…
How are you at saying, “No”? Monica always says, "it took birthing two kids and attempting to run a business at the same time" for her to get her head on straight and master her ‘no’ game. See, ‘yes’ can be a dangerous game for a busy human. Each yes has to align with your priorities. ‘Yes’ is about putting your energy where it matters most. ‘No’ is about protecting that energy for the next…
Over the past 18 years change is the one of the only things that has remained constant as in our business. And some people love it…other people…not so much. That’s why we talk about it so much on the Marketing with Purpose podcast. Because to make marketing and business decisions with purpose we have to be able to embrace the idea that things WILL change and then figure out WHAT the heck needs to…
