The rise of ad-blockers and increase in cord-cutting are changing how companies deliver content. The clutter alone can be mind-numbing, so PR and marketing agencies have begun to leverage influencer marketing.

According to the Association of National Advertisers, influencer marketing and content marketing will be the fastest-growing brand activation channels for the next three years. Recent research shows that 70 percent of consumers want to learn about products through content as opposed to traditional ad methods.

When you are planning your next marketing campaign, evaluate the ROI of these two tactics, as they are proven winners.

— Chuck Norman, APR, S&A Communications

The complex and changing nature of healthcare makes professional development and growth a necessity and a challenge. Coaching may be the key to helping healthcare professionals navigate this tricky terrain and become curious, courageous and energized in their pursuit of better care for patients.

In this issue of TD at Work, healthcare and coaching professionals DJ Mitsch, Mark Greenawald and Cindi Ackrill explore how coaching can help medical personnel reframe their thinking to prevent burnout while achieving greater success in their work.

“Coaching in Healthcare” includes:

• Sample coaching questions

• Coaching journey map

• Descriptions of coaching types

• A self-coaching exercise

— DJ Mitsch, Pyramid Resource Group

Turkish textile company Tukek Holding Inc. is pledging to create 260 jobs in Winston-Salem. The company is asking $125,000 from the city over seven years for its startup, HPFabrics Inc.

HPFabrics will seek to replace Microfibres Inc. after it filed for bankruptcy recently. Tukek plans to make raw and finished fabrics for domestic and international customers. The estimated average salary for local jobs is $30,310 plus benefits.

This estimate is below the county average, but Assistant City Manager Derwick Paige isn’t bothered. “While no one can predict the future, they clearly have the expertise to be successful,” he assures.

— Ty Myatt, S&A Communications

How much is enough? How much is too much? The answer is … it depends. In my recent blog, I outline the four key things to consider when first developing your marketing budget:

• Industry research and norms. What is typical for your vertical?

• Goals. What are you trying to accomplish?

• Scope. What is needed to effectively reach your target market?

• Implementation. Do you have the in-house expertise or will you need to engage marketing professionals?

There is a lot to consider in developing a marketing budget, determining your marketing strategy, and implementing an effective marketing plan. Need help? Let’s talk.

– Deneen Bloom, The North Carolina 100

North Carolina’s jobless rate dropped to 4.7 percent in April, the lowest since 2007.

The data, issued by the NC Department of Commerce, shows that NC’s jobless rate fell from 5 percent last year, but increased to 5.3 percent in January before its decline.

NC State University economist Michael Walden told the New & Observer, “The state’s jobless rate fell largely because the labor force shrunk by 5,209 people. The labor force includes workers and job seekers, and a reduction of the pool will reduce the jobless rate even though a shrinking labor force is regarded as unhealthy.”

– Leah Brown, The North Carolina 100

In April S&A Communications was accepted into the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN).

Clients across six continents depend on the combined resources of the network to deliver targeted public relations campaigns in markets around the world. With revenues of more than $110 million, PRGN is one of the world’s largest international public relations networks. It harnesses the resources of 50 independent PR firms and over 900 communications professionals.

With deep industry expertise across all verticals, S&A is now the Southeast extension of 49 other US and international agencies, and capable of working with any company of any size.

– Chuck Norman, APR, S&A Communications

The North Carolina Department of Commerce has won the 2017 Prosperity Cup. The prestigious award from Site Selection Magazine is given to the most competitive state-level department of commerce and/or economic development.

North Carolina tied for first place with Texas last year and won the award in 2015, when it was called the Top Competitive States award.

One thing that helped the 2017 ranking was our state being fourth nationally in total new and expanded facility announcements in 2016, with 289 projects. Rounding out the top 10 states: Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky and Louisiana.

– Deneen Bloom, S&A Communications

Things are looking up for startups this year. North Carolina companies raised more than $347 million in the first quarter.

According to the Durham-based Council for Entrepreneurial Development’s report, this was a 105 percent increase from the first quarter in 2016. Forty-five companies received funding in 48 different deals – up thirteen companies from last year.

SmartSky Networks, a Charlotte-based telecommunications startup focused on improving Internet connectivity for airplane passengers, raised $170 million and was mainly responsible for this increase.

This quarter was the highest-grossing quarter since the third quarter of 2015, when startups received $441 million.

– Leah Brown, The North Carolina 100

At Cherokee Media Group, our approach is “In print. Online. In person.” It’s how we give our content a longer and more relevant shelf life.

We break news online, provide in-depth follow-up in print, and give real-world context at our conferences. And, we’ve added a twist: “Over the airwaves.” Well, not really “airwaves,” but audio nonetheless.

In April our auto industry publication launched a podcast that dives deeper into our stories. That includes interviews with industry newsmakers and discussions on key auto-business issues. Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes and Google Play.

– Joe Overby, Cherokee Media Group

Convincing someone to see things your way is more complex than you might think. In fact, neuroscientists and social psychologists have long asserted that people alter facts to align with their preconceived beliefs.

According to George Lakoff, retired UC Berkeley professor of cognitive science and linguistics, if you want to create messages to persuade, you have to understand other worldviews, and facts and rational debate have less value than you’d think. We can use this when seeking to persuade.

Arguing from our worldview can cause others to dig in and defend their position. Seek understanding, then frame your argument accordingly.

– Lisa Cutter, The Colorado 100

First Horizon National Corp. and Capital Bank Financial Corp. will become the fourth largest regional bank in the Southeast with First Horizon’s acquisition of Capital Bank.

First Horizon operates 170 First Tennessee branches across Tennessee and the Southeast, and Capital Bank operates 193 branches in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia. The merger accelerates First Horizon’s strategic plan to enhance its presence in fast-growing markets in the Southeast.

First Horizon has $30 billion in assets and Capital Bank has $10 billion in assets. The combined organization will have $32 billion in deposits, $27 billion in loans and 300-plus branches.

– Deneen Bloom, S&A Communications

Asheville artist and jewelry designer Ilana Fiorenza became interested in honeybees after her parents began keeping bees at home. Fascinated that a honeybee spends its entire life creating about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, Fiorenza decided to create her “honeypot” jewelry line.

Each locally hand-blown glass piece holds the approximate amount of honey that a single honeybee can make in its lifetime. Fiorenza donates a portion of the proceeds to a local nonprofit called Bee City USA, which works to raise awareness about the decline of honeybees and helps create pollinator gardens and other bee-friendly habitats.

– Amber Lawrence, S&A Communications

Everyone is currently talking about the future of work. North Carolina has been adding jobs, but what are the growing occupations for good-paying jobs in our state?

From 2011 to 2016, the occupations that added the most jobs, and also paid an average salary of over $20 per hour, were business and financial operations, health care practitioners, and computer and mathematical careers.

There are several other fast-growing occupations, including sales, office support, transportation and production workers, with average salaries between $15 and $20 per hour. The fastest-growing occupation (percentage) was computer and mathematics, up 31.4 percent.

– Ted Abernathy, Economic Leadership LLC

Wilson, the little city nestled in the heart of Eastern NC, recently was named among the top 10 best small cities to start a business – our state’s only city to make the top 20 list.

WalletHub analyzed more than 1,200 business-friendly U.S. small cities to rank the best ones for starting a business.

“Our data set of 16 key metrics ranges from average growth in number of small businesses to investor access to labor costs,” according to WalletHub.

Wilson came in 6th best after Holland, Mich.; Carbondale, Ill.; Springville, Utah; East Chicago, Ind.; and Jefferson City, Mo.

– Deneen Bloom, S&A Communications

Trilliant recently reported the relocation of its global headquarters to Cary, representing another company in the smart grid industry to call the Triangle home.

Simply put, the smart grid is “the evolution of our current electrical grid, using new technology to optimize the conservation and delivery of power.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, it will transform how energy is delivered throughout the country.

The Triangle is widely documented as an international smart grid hub. According to the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, the area is home to more than 100 companies at the forefront of this growth industry.

– Mike Trainor, S&A Communications

One in three Americans currently have a debt in collections. Employers say that nearly 40 percent of graduates lack the skills to succeed in the workforce. American new business failures outpace new business creation.

These seemingly unrelated statistics speak to the heart of Junior Achievement of America’s timely mission: to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Its K-12 programs foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.

Junior Achievement has chapters in Eastern NC, Central NC and the Triad, each with many volunteer and mentorship opportunities for business professionals, college students, parents and retirees.

– Mike Trainor, S&A Communications

Duke Energy, one of the largest electrical holding companies in the U.S., is launching a 10-year, $13 billion project to modernize NC’s electric system.

The Charlotte-based company’s project, called Power/Forward Carolinas, will strengthen the system against storms, cyberattacks and physical threats. As a result, there’ll be more renewable energy, nearly 14,000 jobs, $10.4 billion in salaries and wages, and $1 billion in state and local taxes generated annually. Additional bill-lowering tools will be designed to help customers reduce their energy costs.

Our state’s electric grid is the sixth largest in the U.S.

– Zach Huffstetler, S&A Communications

My company has been in business for 15 years and with that tenure we’ve garnered some great media hits – People Magazine, the Today show, Sports Illustrated, etc. What I’ve realized is that in some cases clients push back on certain opportunities because they believe the topic or outlet doesn’t highlight their product or service directly.

Although this might be true, we have to think big picture. The reason the client is being chosen is because they are seen as an expert. By doing such interviews, it’s likely the media contact will seek your opinion over others’ for future media opportunities.

– Tara Frier, The Boston 100

The extent of due diligence is based on initial and ongoing discussions between the parties. That is when surprises can start to develop.

Buyers use several due diligence checklists to evaluate the seller’s business. They cover simple items like your corporate record book (important to have), minutes of meetings, as well as complex matters like your ESOP.

Whatever the nature and type of your business, make sure you have the basic items ready. A big question is how to get organized, whether you are the buyer or seller. You can use our short form due diligence list to get started.

– Ralph J. DiLeone, The DiLeone Law Group, PC