As my final semester of college comes to an end, I’ve had the chance to reflect on all the opportunities I have been given along the way that exceeded just my education. While I have had prior internships, HMG Creative was a unique challenge for me that I will be forever grateful for. Working with HMG, I got exposed to inbound marketing, a topic that I had not yet covered in school or working for other agencies. Not only has HMG connected me with the digital industry, it has motivated me further to pursue a career in this field.

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Hi! My name is Natalie Matthews and I am ecstatic to begin as the new social media and marketing intern at HMG Creative, this semester. Born and raised in Clear Lake, Texas, I have enjoyed dancing competitively for twelve years with my older sister and traveling alongside the rest of our family in our free time. I am an avid cooking show viewer, occasional chef for one and dedicated consumer of all things sweet. You can often find me making my way around Town Lake while listening to some of my favorite artists, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Katy Perry. I am passionate about empowerment, the alleviation of poverty, education and positive living.

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When is the last time you have walked into a store just to try on that shirt and redeem the coupon you received via email last month? The last time you’ve checked the reviews on that electronic you’ve been anticipating for a year, just to wait in line for 6 hours on the day it is released at Best Buy? Is it that we are becoming more impatient and comfortable with a screen controlling our purchases? Or could it be that buying online is the most efficient and economical option for today’s society?

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Hate waiting in lines during Black Friday? Good thing it’s 2017 and Cyber Monday is more popular than ever, with fewer shoppers relying on Black Friday. This holiday will be the first year holiday shoppers do the majority of their spending online. According to a recent study by Deloitte, eCommerce sales could peak at $114 billion this holiday season. For deal hunters, this Cyber Monday will be a critical time to find and take advantage of the best deals of the year. As the holiday season approaches, here are some things you should know to have a successful Cyber Monday.

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Throughout history, we have seen a direct correlation between the rise in population and the rise in crime rates. This has held true in the digital space as well with cyber thefts as the fastest growing crime in the U.S. From intruders to hackers, it is imperative now more than ever we as professional marketers secure our websites to protect both our business and our users. Google has recently campaigned for website owners to convert to HTTPS by rewarding secure URLs with a minor SEO boost. Google currently holds 77.43% of the market shares, making SEO vital to the success of your business’ site.  Not only is making the switch the ethical thing to do, it’s quickly becoming a necessity.

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In history classes growing up, we’ve studied the importance of the printing press and how it led to a revolution: the rise in literacy rates and the spread of knowledge across the world. More recently, however, we have encountered another revolutionary invention that democratized the digital world and pioneered graphic design. The introduction of the Macintosh computer in 1984 changed the design world forever with its featured font menu. After taking a calligraphy class at Reed College, Steve Jobs understood the importance of typeface and later integrated this feature into his computer. This type menu has transformed design forever and become an integral part of artistic composition. As you devise your branding and marketing efforts, keep in mind the importance font plays in identifying with target audiences, gaining the attention of consumers and creating an image that resonates with them.

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Webinars have evolved and become an excellent learning tool, extremely personable outlet for marketers to reach their prospective audiences and helpful in connecting with others in like industries. In the ever-changing industry of digital marketing, continued learning is imperative in order to stay ahead of the game. These three webinars will help you understand the latest trends in marketing and how to integrate them into your marketing plan in order to see tangible results.

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In today’s fast-paced, deadline-driven work environment, we have little time to write a well-crafted paragraph when conversing with our colleagues. Messages need to be written and exchanged quickly, with no time for too much detail. Keep things at work moving with our list of workplace acronyms:

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It’s the beginning of October and every Austinite knows what that means—the first weekend of Austin City Limits. Whether you’re a festival goer or festival avoider, this weekend will impact us all. ACL brings people from around the country to the city of Austin, giving our businesses and the city itself unique exposure. This weekend, the city will be packed with music, events, locals, and travelers from around the world. With hundreds of festival-goers hitting the streets of Austin, this is the perfect weekend to take advantage of blockchain marketing and consulting opportunities for your business.

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Digital acronyms are heavily used as a way to simplify digital language in most workplaces today. In the marketing and advertising world, it is important to be aware of as many digital and workplace acronyms as possible in order to stay up to speed. Broaden your knowledge of the digital space by familiarizing yourself with acronyms from programming to social media metrics.

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