On Sunday, February 24th, Nina Hale sat with Cyndy Brucato on KSTP’s Greater MSP Business Segment to talk about Integrated Search Marketing. With ninety-one percent of people who use the Internet utilizing search engines to find things they need, it is no wonder why it is incredibly important to be able to be found on search engines. Nina explains the importance of a balanced marketing plan that includes a healthy budget attributed to digital marketing, the important factors to getting you those rankings, and the crucial element of having an authentic site.
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Nina Hale Talks With KSTP About Integrated Search Marketing
Tuesday, March 12th, 2013Step-Up Interns
Monday, February 11th, 2013Last summer we hired two interns through a program called Step-Up. This program runs through the city of Minneapolis’ Achieve program and helps place high school students into professional jobs throughout the city, often giving them their first jobs, or first jobs in office environments. From their website: ”STEP-UP Achieve places Minneapolis young people ages 16-21 in paid internships with top local companies, nonprofits and public agencies, providing work readiness training, professional connections and ongoing support. We’ve connected over 5,000 young people with more than 200 top employers since 2004.”
I recently attended a breakfast celebrating the 10th anniversary for the program, and heard a number of inspiring success stories. This year (2013) the program is planning to place at least 800 youth in jobs, which will bring in over $3 million in wages, often to low-income families.
Last year we had two wonderful interns, Todd and Sowda. They were smart, curious, and hardworking. They learned about search engine marketing, assisted on a number of our Pro Bono clients, and each week they scoured the internet marketing news and updated the staff on important changes and announcements in our industry.
For our staff, it was a great opportunity to mentor and train young people, and it helped us define some of our training processes. We’re a pretty intense bunch of Type-A personalities (actually Type D is you follow the DiSC profiles, as we do), and that means that we’re so focused on results and action that sometimes we don’t develop the processes and onboarding training that’s necessary for new people. Bringing in the STEP-UP Achieve interns helped us to this, and also gave our staff more opportunities to mentor and manage others.
We’re excited to have two more interns from the program this summer, and I highly encourage other MN companies, including other agencies, to bring in STEP-UP interns of their own.
Learn more about STEP-UP and Achieve Minneapolis.
NHI Presents at #BigDataMN Conference
Monday, January 28th, 2013The Nina Hale Analytics Team battled the 5 below temperatures on Monday to attend and present at #BigDataMN, one of Minnesota’s first big data conferences. Alongside 700 attendees we learned about what lies at the intersection of data, programming, analysis, business, and communication. The event was organized by the local analytics professional organization, MinneAnalytics, and was held at the Carlson School.
The day commenced with the Carlson School announcing its newest program from the Social Media and Business Analytics Collaborative (SOBACO), which aims to educate more data and analysis professionals. It is encouraging to see academic institutions acknowledging data as a necessity within business studies. The proliferation of data requires that we build our talent pool, educating more people on how to collect, make use of, and understand our data.
Alongside Chris Malone, Professor of Statistics at Winona State, I co-chaired a room devoted to discussing the question of how we develop, find, hire, and retain talent within the data field. My panel discussion consisted of HR representatives from large Minnesota corporations, a professor from the Carlson School, and a third-party recruiter for SMBs. Our conversation was rich, demonstrating an increased need for academic preparation for the data profession as well as a method to measure the performance of and retain practicing data specialists. We seemed to agree that there is no distinct definition of what data scientist does, which makes the job of recruiters and HR professionals extremely challenging.
#BigDataMN was a fantastic opportunity to observe the interdisciplinary nature of an emerging field. Because of the breadth of applications for data, it was enriching to learn from people across a multitude of professions. Data is forcing a marketing renaissance; time to get ready and ride the wave.
Nina Hale, Inc. 2012 Review
Friday, January 25th, 2013Nina Hale, Inc. (NHI) closed out another prosperous year full of awards, recognition, growth, and development in 2012.
The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal rated NHI as one of the “Best Places to Work” for the second consecutive year, and named Nina Hale, founder and president, as an Industry Leader for Women in Business. NHI’s search engine optimization multi-tactic work for Land O’Lakes lead it to recognition as an OMMA Award Finalist, and it added national certification as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise to its accomplishments.
NHI expanded its service offerings in 2012 by expanding their services to include analytics, social media marketing, and content strategy. The agency aquired Conductor, an advanced SEO reporting tool. These services and tools enabled NHI to more efficiently and effectively serve their clients.
Agency growth hit an all-time high in 2012 with a move to downtown Minneapolis, 13 new employees including Managing Director Donna Robinson, and further community involvement through the AchieveMpls’s STEP-UP Program. AchieveMpls provides internships for high school students to help prepare them for college and their career through beneficial work experience, mentoring, and connections.
New Agency Intern, Allie Graupmann
Thursday, December 27th, 2012Allie Graupmann joins Nina Hale Inc. as an Agency Intern. Allie’s hard work, dedication, and great personality have already won us over!
More about Allie:
What is your educational background?
I graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Communication in Journalism and a minor in Business Administration.
What lead you to Search Marketing?
Marketing has always interested me, but I sort of fell into search through a good buddy of mine, Courtney Szews who is a stellar project manager here at NHI. I couldn’t be happier to have found such an exciting industry to work in.
What are some of your hobbies/ What do you do in your free time?
I love to scheme about potential business investments (think Shark Tank) and to cook and to eat and to spend time with friends and family.
What’s you favorite part about NHI thus far?
One of the best parts about working at Nina Hale is community. It is so refreshing to be surrounded by such passionate and talented people who are invested not only in the success of NHI but in the success of one another.
What’s your favorite aspect of living in MN? And your least?
I love Minnesota for Salted Nut Rolls, lakes and bike trails. I could do without the mosquitoes though.
Favorite local restaurant?
It’s hard to beat a burger, tots and a cold beer from the Blue Door Pub in St. Paul or fresh coffee and a puppy dog tail from Isles Bun & Coffee in Uptown.
Do you have a favorite band?
I’m not sure I have a favorite, but it’s always great to see Trampled by Turtles.
Welcome to the team Allie!
New Analytics Intern Welcomed to NHI
Wednesday, December 19th, 2012Stacia Zembal joins Nina Hale Inc.’s analytics department as an Analytics Intern. In the past Stacia worked as a Data Analyst Intern for FWRD and currently participates in AdFed/A2 Student Advertising Summit as the Social Media and Data Analyst Lead.
More about Stacia:
What is your educational background?
I am a junior at the U of M- Twin Cities studying business and marketing while minoring in mass communications
What lead you to Search Marketing?
I was a data analysis intern at FRWD last summer and had the opportunity to do work with both SEO and SEM. It was one of my favorite parts about my internship so it’s great that I am still able to work with analytics and search marketing.
What are some of your hobbies/ What do you do in your free time?
I was a dancer for 17 years of my life but now I devote my free time to yoga. I also enjoy reading and baking.
What’s you favorite part about NHI thus far?
My favorite part about working at NHI is the fact I get to work so close with Lizzy and Luke. They have such brilliant minds and I have already learned so much from them. I also appreciate that I am not looked at as an intern figure and have the opportunity to do real work and gain beneficial experience.
What’s your favorite aspect of living in MN? And your least?
I love everything about Minnesota. I have a cabin in Crosslake and I absolutely love going up there and enjoying every season. No complaints for me!
Favorite local restaurant?
I live in Dinkytown so it may be cliché for me to say this but I love everything about Tony’s Diner. I am a huge breakfast person and they have the best breakfasts. Also, the service there is great which makes it that much better. I also love sushi so any sushi bar is great in my book.
Do you have a favorite band?
Right now my favorite artist is Ben Rector, but I love every kind of music. I went to Lollapalooza a few summers ago and would love to go back.
What special qualities are you bringing to NHI?
I consider myself to be extremely ambitious and industrious. I have a passion for advertising but also am extremely attracted to analytics and numbers which I think is something unique and definitely a quality most people don’t have. I am able to pick up on tasks given to me without much background and find it intriguing to learn new things and ideas. I am not afraid of failure and only see it as a stepping stone to success.
Anything else you’d like to share?
So excited to grow as a young professional at NHI and gain knowledge and experience from the people I work with.
Welcome Stacia!
Robin Nielsen Joins the NHI Team
Monday, December 17th, 2012Robin Nielsen joins Nina Hale Inc. as a Paid Placement Specialist. Robin started her search career doing pro bono work for a non-profit and later continued her career in the non-profit sector with Fraser as a Digital Marketer before coming to NHI. She loves the psychology behind search marketing and the interaction it stems on the web.
More about Robin:
What is your educational background?
I have Bachelors of Science in Marketing from Metropolitan State University
What lead you to search marketing?
I’m analytical and I also enjoy digital marketing so search marketing seemed like the perfect fit. I also enjoy working in a fast paced field that is always changing
What are some of your hobbies/ What do you do in your free time?
In my free time I play roller derby and work on my (aspiring) urban farm with my husband. We grow food and keep chickens in the city. Next year we plan to add turkeys and bees.
What’s you favorite part about NHI thus far?
My favorite part about NHI is working with such talented and friendly co-workers.
What’s your favorite aspect of living in MN? And your least?
I love Minnesota’s Urban Agriculture movement because it allows so many people to grow and raise their own healthy food. My least favorite aspect of living in Minnesota is the snow.
Favorite local restaurant?
My favorite restaurant is Victor’s 1959 café.
Do you have a favorite band?
Cake (and one of my favorite foods)
Welcome Robin!
NHI Welcomes Lizzy Wilkins, Data Extraordinaire
Monday, October 22nd, 2012Lizzy Wilkins joins NHI as a Data Scientist. As a Data Scientist Lizzy’s focus is on extracting meaning from data and making sense of it to provide NHI’s team with deeper insights and allow clients to easily grasp what their digital media activities are doing.
More about Lizzy:
What is your educational background?
My background emphasizes both formal research and media studies. I graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Cognitive & Linguistic Science and Italian Studies. My coursework emphasized psychology, specifically the intricacies of cooperation and competition.
I supplemented my coursework in Cognitive Science with a research opportunity at the MIT Media Lab in the Cognitive Machines Group and studied in the MIT Comparative Media Studies program. My goal was to uncover how people learn and process information alongside how cultures and societies use media and technology.
What led you to Search Marketing?
Search marketing is a continually evolving stream of data about people. Searching online is becoming a basic human behavior. No matter where you are and what you’re doing, you can find information that will help optimize your experience at that instant. This data, when understood in the context of the medium with which you searched, provides an incredible amount of insight into a moment in a life, and we’re lucky as marketers to be privy to it. We have a duty to understand it, because then we understand our people.
What are some of your hobbies/ What do you do in your free time?
I chase the wind! I’m in love with the sport of kiteboarding.
When it’s not windy, a bunch of other hobbies keep me entertained. I’m a regular gym rat who is often found in yoga classes. While I appreciate a well-executed downward dog, I favor the real thing! I grew up in a dog family and breed, raise, and show Bernese Mountain Dogs. Despite having multiple large dogs in the house, the fifteen year-old, twenty-pound Border Terrier rules the roost.
What’s your favorite part about NHI thus far?
There is so much data with an untold amount of power! There is also a brilliant coffee machine and neat people who teach you how to use it. The bike parking is sweet too.
What’s your favorite aspect of living in MN? And your least?
I love the State Fair and its all-you-can-drink milk stand, though I’ve been known to skip out on the fair for kiteboarding if the weekend happened to be windy. In turn, this happens to be my least favorite part about Minnesota: its unpredictable wind patterns!
Favorite local restaurant?
Bar La Grassa, for its rabbit orecchiete.
Bachelor Farmer, for its tasty Old Fashioned cocktails.
Do you have a favorite band?
I have a top 10 favorite albums list, like John Cusack in High Fidelity, but I can’t pick just one favorite!
1) Abbey Road, the Beatles
2) Siamese Dream, the Smashing Pumpkins
3) Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence, Glassjaw
4) Charlie Parker with Strings, Charlie Parker
5) Highly Refined Pirates, Minus the Bear
6) For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver
7) Domestica, Cursive
8) Separation Sunday, the Hold Steady
9) Blue Screen Life, Pinback
10) Third Eye Blind, Third Eye Blind (obligatory mid-nineties pop throwback)
What special qualities are you bringing to NHI?
Fearlessness!
Welcome to the team Lizzy!
Nina Hale Inc. Welcomes a New Agency Intern
Wednesday, October 17th, 2012Gretchen Baer joins NHI as an agency intern with a background in copywriting, blogging, and social media. Gretchen’s past internship at a New York PR agency, KCSA, influenced her desire to dive deeper into digital marketing.
More about Gretchen:
What is your educational background?
I graduated from Mound Westonka high school in 2008 and went on to Iowa State University to pursue my undergraduate degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Journalism. I graduated from ISU this past May.
What led you to Search Marketing?
Search marketing has always been a fascination of mine. I got a lot of great experience with my past internship in social media, which only made me want to explore digital marketing.
What are some of your hobbies/ What do you do in your free time?
My two biggest passions are travel and music. I love to travel (when time permits) whether it’s within Minnesota or somewhere preferably farther! I also love attending concerts; I try to get to at least 1-2 a month.
What’s your favorite part about NHI thus far?
Aside from the wonderfully, talented people I get to work with every day, I really enjoy the great location-and the view isn’t bad either!
What’s your favorite aspect of living in MN? And your least?
Minnesota summers are my favorite! Nothing beats a sunny day on Lake Minnetonka. But with that, I would have to say the cold winter and excessive snow is definitely my least favorite. We get it all in MN!
Favorite local restaurant?
Loring Kitchen & Bar is one of my favorites!
Do you have a favorite band?
Many! Bon Iver, The Lumineers, The Shins, Good Old War, Regina Spektor, just to name a few..
What special qualities are you bringing to NHI?
I love social media, blogging, and staying organized! Hoping I can contribute in all ways!
Welcome Gretchen!
NHI Welcomes Troy Lightfield to the Team
Tuesday, October 16th, 2012Troy Lightfield has been absorbing all Search Engine Marketing has to offer for the last six years, working with companies such as FindLaw and Brandpoint. Troy’s enthusiasm to dig into complex problems and willingness to tackle new things make him a perfect fit as a Senior Search Manager with Nina Hale Inc.
More about Troy:
What is your educational background?
Bachelor Degree. Liberal Arts for the Human Services. University of MN, Morris. Since no one ever knows what that means…it was a hybrid of Sociology and Psychology.
What lead you to Search Marketing?
Initially I wanted to be a website designer or developer but soon realized I was more interest in why, how and where people search. Probably stems from my educational background in sociology and psychology and wanting to understand people.
What are some of your hobbies/ What do you do in your free time?
Hunting, love good beer and cellar on a small scale, gardening and hope to add home brewing to my list of hobbies this winter.
What’s you favorite part about NHI thus far?
The diversity. Diversity in clients, staff and work. Everyone seems to have something unique to bring to the table.
What’s your favorite aspect of living in MN? And your least?
I love winter but hate that Minnesota has no real mountains to make winter more fun.
Favorite local restaurant?
Too many to name. But I do prefer restaurants that have a strong beer list to choose from.
Do you have a favorite band?
AC/DC. They are the greatest band in the world.
What special qualities are you bringing to NHI?
Very open minded and value new ideas. Always willing to tackle something new and love digging into complex problems. I also take pride in my customer service skills.
Welcome to NHI Troy!