2 min read3 Questions With Account Director Rebecca Blackburn Lowry
June 10, 2021
Rebecca’s personal philosophy is “better and better,” which, as luck would have it, aligns nicely with our agency’s motto of…
2 min read
2 min readBuilding Financial Literacy Via a Cultural Lens
May 21, 2021
Becoming better educated about your finances—from spending to savings to investments—is something most people would benefit from. Whether you’re a…
4 min readEmail Marketing in the Land of No Email Trackers
May 20, 2021
For years, I’ve been a fan of the way Basecamp thinks about both product development and customers’ needs. Also, I…
2 min readUsing Testimonials in Financial Services Marketing. Finally!
May 14, 2021
The times they are a-changin’. I grew up in a family with a Bob Dylan fan, and the lyrics of…
< 1 min readBlue Flame Thinking Named to List of 2021 Top Web Development Companies in Chicago
April 27, 2021
Techreviewer.co, the well-regarded IT market research and analysis company, has named Blue Flame Thinking to its list of top web…
2 min readThe Road Less Traveled… by Women
March 18, 2021
As colleagues who have spent many years in the financial services industry in different roles, we’ve had the privilege of…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Digital Marketing Specialist Beth Henkels
March 10, 2021
Our digital marketing specialist, Beth, feels digital marketing is key to building customer loyalty because it allows you to meet…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Digital Marketing Coordinator Sydney Barcey
March 2, 2021
Sydney believes in pushing herself by having the courage to try new things and being brave enough to make mistakes….
3 min readStarting Strong: Tips for Beginning a New Agency Relationship
January 28, 2021
The start of a new agency-client relationship is always exciting. The agency is pumped for the new challenge and opportunity…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Junior Web Designer Léon Sarfoh
January 12, 2021
Léon’s secret marketing power is authenticity, and that’s something he brings to everything he touches. From designing client brochures to…
3 min readTrends and Changes in 2021 Marketing Strategy Planning
December 9, 2020
If 2020 taught us anything as marketers, it’s the importance of being agile. Seemingly overnight, many of our clients had…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Account Manager Danielle Bloom
December 1, 2020
When Danielle puts her mind to something, she’s all in. She thrives on crushing goals and overcoming challenges and appreciates…
< 1 min readFire Starters: How COVID-19 is Transforming Holiday Marketing in 2020
October 29, 2020
In the ever-changing world of marketing and technology, Fire Starters are team discussions designed to spark innovation and conversation at…
4 min read2020 Digital Transformation — Virtual Panel
October 23, 2020
One of the reasons I enjoy participating on panels with people I’ve never met before is that the other panelists…
3 min readB2B Content Marketing During COVID-19: How to Adjust Your Strategy
August 20, 2020
Like everything else in today’s world, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned content marketing on its ear. Chances are that the…
3 min readPage Experience and Core Web Vitals Will Be Ranking Factors. What Does That Mean?
August 6, 2020
Beginning in 2021, the way users interact with and experience your website’s pages will influence rankings. Google’s latest algorithm update…
< 1 min readFire Starters: Managing Your Brand on Social Media During Times of Crisis
June 26, 2020
In the ever-changing world of marketing and technology, Fire Starters are team discussions designed to spark innovation and conversation at…
2 min readThe Possibilities of Personalized Video
June 18, 2020
Video is undeniably one of the most engaging and effective ways to communicate with any audience. We’re all familiar with…
3 min readExpanding the Definition of UX
May 6, 2020
UX Is a Holistic Process UX has become ubiquitous. A search for “UX” on LinkedIn alone returns well over 1…
3 min readWhat Are the Benefits of Wireframing a Design?
May 5, 2020
Every good app or website begins with a strong structure, and designing wireframes is one of the key tools for…
5 min read5 Website Development Trends to Add to Your Digital Toolkit
April 22, 2020
In our ever-changing and technology-dominated world, your brand and digital properties need to keep up with the pace of web…
3 min readBlue Flame Thinking’s Favorite Team Collaboration Tools
April 16, 2020
COVID-19 has many of us learning how to effectively work remotely. For teams that are used to working in person,…
5 min readFrom UX to CX: Expanding the Experience
April 7, 2020
Over the last 10+ years, the popularity and focus on UX for digital products and properties has grown by leaps…
2 min readOur Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
March 13, 2020
Given the growing concerns over Coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted you to be aware of the extra steps we’re taking to…
3 min readGoogle’s Latest Search Algorithm Update: BERT
January 23, 2020
In October 2019, Google announced a new core algorithm update known as BERT, short for “Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers.” Google…
3 min read2018 Holiday Hurrah Retrospective
November 27, 2019
Last year, we did something new at Blue Flame Thinking to celebrate the end of the year and the holidays….
< 1 min read3 Questions With Account Director Laurie Moran
November 19, 2019
Laurie isn’t one to shy away from tough challenges or complex topics in her role as an Account Director. In…
2 min readGoogle Announces Algorithm Update for Nofollow Links
November 18, 2019
Google recently announced a significant update to its algorithms: They now treat nofollow attributes as hints for ranking purposes. So,…
2 min readOur Top Takeaways From Digital Summit Detroit
November 11, 2019
Back in September, I had the privilege of attending Digital Summit in Detroit for the third time, along with my co-worker,…
3 min readSEO Best Practices: Steps for Improving Your Website’s Performance
November 5, 2019
When it comes to your organization’s website, it’s easy to get complacent about its performance and focus on other business…
2 min read3 Questions With Junior Developer Kelsie Miller
October 15, 2019
When Kelsie chose her major in college, she didn’t know much about web or digital development. But with her drive…
3 min readWhy You Should Consider Mobile-First Design
October 7, 2019
When it comes to designing a website, it’s easy to want to jump to seeing a large, beautiful site on…
4 min readWhy Social Media Should Be Included in Your Marketing Strategy
September 3, 2019
As marketers, we are tasked with mapping the customer journey in order to understand how they interact with our brand….
4 min readMobile User Experience Best Practices in 2019
August 12, 2019
Designing a good mobile user experience and interface is not an effortless task. Today’s mobile users are sophisticated, impatient, very…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Designer Daniel Gallegos
August 8, 2019
For Daniel, a designer with Blue Flame Thinking, an important part of creating work that resonates with audiences is a…
< 1 min readIs Your Website Crippling Your Marketing Efforts?
July 10, 2019
We’re more than halfway through 2019, but ineffective, outdated and unhelpful websites still hamstring a majority of organizations’ marketing efforts….
< 1 min readTechstars Startup Weekend: A Validating Experience
June 7, 2019
Our own Jason Wagner recently served as a coach and mentor for the Grand Rapids edition of Techstars Startup Weekend,…
2 min readMorningstar® Investment Conference Takeaways
May 20, 2019
Last week’s annual Morningstar Investment Conference at Chicago’s McCormick Place gave our team an opportunity to catch up with ongoing…
2 min read3 Questions With SEO & Analytics Specialist Rachel Barnes
April 12, 2019
Collaborating with clients on their digital marketing strategies, especially on ideas that may be outside of the box, is the…
2 min read5 Steps for Building Stronger Customer Relationships Through Content Marketing
March 22, 2019
Unlike paid advertising, content marketing is about more than prompting an immediate purchase. It’s about cultivating awareness of your brand…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Digital Engagement Strategist Eryn Leedy
March 8, 2019
Building the right a brand story, one that really resonates with the people you want it to, is something of…
2 min readWhat’s So Creative About Mornings?
February 22, 2019
Inspiration can come in many forms: a new song, brilliant sunsets, even a clever headline. For more than a few…
3 min readOwn Google Search Results With Featured Snippets
February 15, 2019
Getting your page rewarded with a Google featured snippet appearance is great for visibility and improving click-through rates, especially if…
2 min readThings Have Changed: Social Media’s Relevance to Marketers Post-2018
January 29, 2019
While social in 2019 may not have the cleanest reputation, it’s still the best place for B2B marketers to engage…
2 min read7 Ways Online Retailers Can Boost Web Page Performance
January 25, 2019
With revenue from ecommerce projected to grow by 8.6% annually through 2022, ensuring your digital presence is as compelling as…
< 1 min readThe Role Design Plays in an Agency
October 1, 2018
Our Design Director, Adam Rice, was recently a guest on the PR Hangover podcast, where he discussed his thoughts on…
2 min readSay What You Mean
September 7, 2018
Every industry has its own language. From acronyms to buzzwords, we all have a verbal shorthand we use at work….
2 min readOther Voices: August 6, 2018
August 9, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
4 min readReflections on Leadership: A One-Year Anniversary
August 1, 2018
Today marks my one-year anniversary as a small business owner. I’ve never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but I…
2 min readOther Voices: July 6, 2018
July 6, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
3 min readWhat Is Brand? Logo Don’t Brand Me. Don’t Brand Me, No More.
May 31, 2018
Your logo is great. Everyone agrees that it’s clever, smart and sophisticated. It even looks amazing on mobile. It’s simple…
2 min readThey’ll Believe It When They Feel It
May 8, 2018
Recall an experience where you established a connection with something you touched. Perhaps it was that warm, rough, sunlit stucco…
3 min readOther Voices: March 22nd, 2018
March 22, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
2 min readOther Voices: March 2, 2018
March 2, 2018
In an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
< 1 min read3 Questions With Amanda Jakubowski
February 21, 2018
From keeping us organized to understanding the most complicated of requests, we wouldn’t know what to do without our account…
3 min readMonday AM Quarterbacking: The LII-Edition
February 5, 2018
While the outcome of the Super Bowl was in doubt up until the end, the advertising challenge was settled early—at…
< 1 min readMarquette Associates New Website Wins Awards
February 2, 2018
The Marquette Equation: Industry Knowledge + Digital Chops = Award-Winning Website Marquette Associates needed its financial consulting website to work…
< 1 min readPentair’s New Website Earns Industry Awards
January 8, 2018
Pentair’s Website Earns Awards In the First Year As a respected leader in the pool product manufacturing industry, Pentair sets…
< 1 min readThe Power of Proper Punctuation
December 21, 2017
The Power of Proper Punctuation Admittedly, we have a passion for grammar, in general, and punctuation, in particular. A well-crafted…
3 min read‘Tis the Season to Unsubscribe
December 7, 2017
It’s time to unsubscribe. If you have any brand affinity at all, you’ve probably subscribed to notifications from the brands…
2 min read3 Questions with Tyler Wayner
December 1, 2017
Tyler Wayner, Junior Designer at Blue Flame Thinking From creating GIFs for our clients’ social posts to designing their websites, Tyler…
4 min readLittle Red Riding Hood: A Customer Journey Framework for Marketers
November 16, 2017
On the Road to Grandma’s House You may know “Little Red Riding Hood” as a cautionary folk tale about placing…
Finding Their Better: Pentair Pools Takes Silver
August 2, 2017
Pentair took home the Silver at Chief Marketer’s PRO Awards for “Best Holiday or Seasonal-Themed Campaign.” Now, since awards are…
Data Detective: Are You Afraid of the Dark (Data)?
March 14, 2017
A quick web search on the term “Dark Data” will give you chills. You’ll come across articles outlining its high…
4 Ways to Beta Your Way to Better
February 13, 2017
Adapting a Beta Mindset We believe considering our work as “done” is not as helpful to our clients as it…
Monday AM Quarterbacking
February 6, 2017
When it comes to football, the sign of a good Super Bowl is when the game is more exciting than…
Data Detective: Digging for Analytical Treasure
January 20, 2017
You’ve created great content, crafted a compelling call to action (CTA) and built a special landing page. But, do you…
3 min readOther Voices December 16, 2016
December 16, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
2 min readOther Voices December 9, 2016
December 9, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
2 min readOther Voices: November 18, 2016
November 18, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
3 min readOther Voices: November 11, 2016
November 11, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
3 min readOther Voices: November 4, 2016
November 4, 2016
With an industry that is heavily influenced by newsworthy and timely events, there’s always a lot to catch up on…
Fanning Brand Affection: 5 Key Considerations in Virtual Merchandising
October 27, 2016
Virtual Merchandising Considerations How do you translate offline brand affection into an online destination for virtual merchandising when retailing isn’t…
The Smart Stranger: How an Outside Perspective Boosts Creativity
September 15, 2016
The truth is familiarity can lead to familiar solutions. Sometimes, you’re just too close to the subject to see beyond…
Data Detective: Building the Big Picture with Analytics
July 6, 2016
Dream big? Start small. Analytics. We’ve all been there: an annual or quarterly meeting, a state-of-the-organization address, a corporate debriefing….
Know Your Audience: Why Personas Are More Important Than Ever
July 1, 2016
Cleaner Targeting with Personas While programmatic media buys can help pinpoint where targeted audience members are likely to be when…
Content Marketing: Where Marketing, Customers and Your Bottom Line Converge
July 1, 2016
I recently had the opportunity to attend the NewsCred #ThinkContent Summit 2016 in New York. This year’s theme, “Convergence: The…
Mythbusting: 3 Mobile Misconceptions
June 17, 2016
Nobody likes to be labeled. Being painted with broad strokes rarely captures a true likeness and can lead to false…
Beyond Words: How Businesses Use Visual Social Channels to Connect With Customers
June 10, 2016
For many businesses, having a social media strategy means posting to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. All are highly effective channels…