Valentine’s Day Marketing Strategies for Businesses

Valentine’s Day presents an abundance of opportunities for business marketing. Many people celebrate Valentine’s Day and tend to spend a lot of money on their loved ones. This is the perfect time to leverage the holiday of love for your business. Here are some marketing strategies that are useful for eCommerce businesses. Have a Valentine’s Day Sale During Valentine’s Day, millions of consumers shop online and in stores for their significant others and family members. This is the best time for your business to send out promotional emails or come up with discounts on selected items specifically for Valentine’s Day. Customers love sales and involving holidays and offering coupons and deals is a sure way to bring traffic to your business.   Offer Benefits Many stores offer Valentine’s Day discounts and deals; however, you can make your business stand out by offering incentives as well. These benefits could include free shipping on orders of a certain price, free shipping on all items until Valentine’s Day, or even gift wrapping for the holiday. You can also offer a gift with a purchase of a certain amount such as a tote bag or a festive T-shirt. These deals are the perfect Valentine’s Day marketing strategy for your business.   Promote Relevant Products for Valentine’s Day Make sure that your website and business social media channels are flashing Valentine’s Day hearts and love. You want your products to stand out as Valentine’s gifts over birthday gifts or everyday items. If you focus on the theme of red, pink, and glitter, you can’t go wrong! Design special Valentine’s Day limited edition items that can’t be bought any other time of year. This will make your business stand out and can increase your sales. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it is best to start promoting Valentine’s items quickly! This is the time of year when sales spike for businesses who have products relevant to the theme of love and hearts. Follow these marketing strategies for Valentine’s Day for your business and you won’t be sorry you did.

New Year, New Resolutions for Growth

With each new year comes opportunities for businesses to become better than ever. When the new year approaches, it is good to start thinking of new business resolutions for growth. Here are our top three New Year, new resolutions for growth in 2023.   Expand Social Media Channels New Year. New Resolution for Business means time to make some changes. Devoting time to social media and other digital channels is very important for small businesses. More and more people are using social media which is a top business trend that is expected to grow in 2023. There are many platforms that businesses can use to reach a wide variety of consumers by advertising and engaging directly with the customers using different marketing techniques.  This helps build customer loyalty as well as helps the business build their image and brand.   Learn a New Business Skill The world of business is full of learning opportunity. Learning new software, apps, or other business-related information can not only help your business thrive but can help you grow as a business owner. Your business will not take off if it stays in a bubble. Keeping up with the new trends is the perfect way to learn something new. Being able to adapt to new things is always a win when it comes to your business.   Stay Consistent Consistency is the key to success. Whether it is posting daily, writing weekly blogs, or making videos, it is important to be consistent so the business attracts more followers as well as increases traffic to the site.  This reflects on your business and staying consistent will give the image that your business is true to their customers and care about their content. It is fact that consistently leads to results, especially in business.   New Year’s resolutions can be a very helpful tool when it comes to your business. Creating new business resolutions for growth is the perfect way to start the new year.

In-house Agency vs Outsourced Agency

So, you want to market your business. The first step is to decide whether you want to create an in-house marketing team vs working with an agency. Each of these solutions has pros and cons; what works best for one company might not for another.   Marketing Agency PROS vs CONS Expertise – You are now working with experts who have a wide berth of knowledge and are not limited one-dimensionally. Some agencies may specialize in specific industries. However, all agencies understand how to make the best use of your budget, build your brand voice and message, and track analytics. Agencies can also show you a return on your investment. Capabilities, software, and tools – As marketing professionals, agencies have all the right tools and software to build your brand effectively. There is no need to purchase your own software or invest in a bank of information.  Agencies have more training and experience, and can focus on helping you reach your goals and objectives. Specialties – Agencies are composed of people with different degrees of specialization who work together to create multiple cross-channel campaigns, whereas an in-house team might be limited in this area. Scalability – At busy times of the year, some in-house agencies may not have the bandwidth to sustain or increase your marketing presence. Multiple clients – While agencies are committed to each brand they work with, some clients could feel put off by the notion that the agency is working just as hard with other clients. However, this is often not the case. Your account managers are a part of your team and want to see you succeed. Control – Sometimes it is hard for businesses to relinquish any control over their marketing efforts, but agencies function best with some wiggle room. They value your input, and will not move forward with any big strategy decisions unless you grant your permission first. The ability to trust your agency to pursue your best interest doesn’t always happen overnight.   In-House Marketing Team PROS vs CONS Brand familiarity: – The people who work within your company know the brand — presumably inside and out. They have a thorough understanding of what you do, why you do it, and what goes into it on a daily basis. While agencies are committed to getting to know the ins and outs of your brand, in-house teams have a different stake in the game. Accessibility – Everyone works for the same company. Focus – Your in-house team does nothing but marketing for you and cash their paycheck. Recruiting Talent – Putting together a solid in-house team that works well together is a massive time and financial investment. Expenses – A successful marketing team uses SEO tools. In fact, this is another reason why an agency is a better idea. SEO training requires consistent CEU clases to keep up with industry trends. In-house marketing departments typically freelancers if your employees aren’t trained in everything you need to accomplish your goals. You can usually count on an agency to have the necessary tools already at their disposal, so you don’t have to fund them independently. Capability and Scalability – When putting together your team, you are limited to the skills found within your applicant pool and the resources you have to work with. Assembling your dream marketing team can be a long and costly process. In-house teams often have less access to specialized skill sets. Similarly, any employee turnover can offset the balance of your team and lead to setbacks. This puts pressure on the remaining staff, which could lead to lagging performance. Compare this to an agency, where there is no risk of your strategy being put on hold.   At Silesky, we pride ourselves on being an outside agency with an in-house attitude. Want to learn more about what that means? Give us a call.

The Importance of a Branded Business Email Address

The importance of a branded business email address can not be over stated. Email is an essential part of running a modern business, but too many owners still operate with a generic ‘@gmail.com‘ or ‘@yahoo.com’ email address. You wouldn’t show up to a sales meeting wearing another business’s branded shirt, would you? You must treat your business email addresses the same way — with a branded email address. “Email is dead.” At least, that’s what everyone has been saying for years now. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth — for every $1 put into email marketing, $42 is generated. Email is an essential part of running a modern business, but too many owners still operate with a generic ‘@gmail.com‘ or ‘@yahoo.com’ email address. You wouldn’t show up to a sales meeting wearing another business’s branded shirt, would you? You must treat your business email addresses the same way — with a branded email address. By the end of this quick explainer, you’ll know everything you need — including where you can go to create a free business email address. Let’s begin!   Breaking Down the Domain Okay, ‘breaking down the domain’ sounds a bit like a band that makes terrible music, but it’s vital to get the terminology right. Let’s start an imaginary business. We’ll call this business Glassier, a dating app exclusively for glass-blowing artists. You decide to buy ‘glassierapp.com‘ — here’s what that means: glassierapp.com — this is the domain name glassierapp — this is the second-level domain .com — this is the top-level domain.   When you start using a professional business email address, it will include a local part and your domain name. For customer service at Glassier, customers can contact ‘help@glassierapp.com“. In this scenario, ‘help’ is the local part. When you send emails back and forth with customers, this is the address that they will see.   Why You Need A Branded Email Address Having a custom business email address that is easily recognized and associated with your brand is crucial for several reasons: It increases the professionalism and credibility of your company. Makes it easier for customers and prospects to find and contact you. Can help improve your search engine rankings. Makes it easier to track customers and sales statistics. Assists in communication efforts both inside and outside of the company. Besides, there’s a certain oomph to sending emails from a custom address. Now, the real question: how do you get your hands on one of these things?   How to Get a Branded Email Address for Your Business There are a few ways you can go about getting a branded email address, but it really boils down to three easy steps: 1. Purchase a domain name that is associated with your company or product. We’ve settled on “glassierapp.com” because ‘.com’ is the most popular and well-recognized TLDs out there. However, “glassier.app” or “glassier.net” would also have worked. Your web hosting provider may provide email services if you already have a domain and website. 2. Use your company’s website address as your email address. For this, you’ll have to use an email service provider such as Google Workspace, Verizon Small Business Essentials, Godaddy mail, etc. An ESP lets users create customized branded email addresses with descriptive domain names while maintaining complete control of all their email messages. 3. Set up the right accounts. You can do this with company services, like ‘help’, ‘contact’, ‘returns’, etc. You can also use it for internal communications: ‘harry@glassierapp.com’, or ‘rob@glassier.app’.  Some tips: avoid special characters in the local part and keep your email short. It’s that simple! While you may run into some technical work setting up the connection from your domain to your email, your ESP will make the process seamless. And, you can always ask someone on our team to assist you.   Where to Get A Business Email Address   Here are some of the best providers for paid and free business email accounts available today: Google Workspace. Google Workspace makes it easy to set up a branded email address. The email address can have any name associated with it, and users also get 30 GB of cloud storage to store files in. Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft’s Office 365 for businesses offers a suite of cloud-based applications, including Exchange Online email service. It allows businesses to create branded email addresses with their company name (@yourcompany.com). Weebly. Weebly offers a free business email address (with 5 GB of storage) when you create a website using their platform (note: you’ll be using a Weebly subdomain, which is far from ideal). You can choose from various domain names (including your own custom domain name) and receive spam filtering and virus protection. Zoho Mail. Zoho offers a suite of online business applications, including a free business email account with 5 GB of storage. Zoho Mail is also very affordable, and you’ll receive anti-virus and anti-spam protection. Wix. When you use their website building software, Wix also gives you a free business email address (with 2 GB of storage) and email services. With Wix, you can also welcome a free domain and web hosting! Most of these providers give you the option of multiple business email addresses. That means you can set one up for customer service, help, information, returns, etc.   Tips for Getting a Business Email Address   While creating a branded business email account may seem like a simple task (and sometimes even free), there are several things you’ll want to consider before doing so. Here are a few essential tips: Cheaper Isn’t Always Better To begin with, when searching for an appropriate email service provider, do not go for the cheapest option you can find. Cheap or free services usually don’t offer all that you might need in terms of features such as unlimited storage space or an unlimited number of email addresses. Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that the provider you choose has a good reputation and is known for providing quality

John Sindorf

Director of Strategic Alliances

John believes most businesses don’t need more vendors; they need the right strategic partners.

With decades of experience helping small and mid-sized organizations grow, John specializes in connecting business leaders with the expertise they need to overcome challenges, strengthen operations, and scale with confidence. Whether the conversation centers on sales strategy, marketing, AI, or operational efficiency, his focus is always the same: identifying the right solution for the business, not simply adding another service provider.
Known for his relationship-first approach, John builds partnerships rooted in trust, practical guidance, and measurable outcomes. He helps business owners simplify complex decisions, align the right resources, and spend less time managing vendors and more time leading the businesses they’ve worked so hard to build.

Off the clock: You’ll likely find John networking over coffee, strengthening relationships, and proving that the best business opportunities still begin with genuine conversations.

Kiki DeVane

Marketing Operations Manager

Kiki started her career wanting to change the world through policy, then discovered that a well-built website could be just as powerful. That pivot led her through event marketing, federal communications, and sponsored content for some of the world’s most recognizable brands. She came out the other side a marketing utility player, skilled across strategy, design, development, and copywriting, allowing her to support client campaigns from the front and behind the scenes.

At Silesky, she’s the connective tissue, keeping projects moving, clients informed, and the team empowered to focus on what they do best. What sets Kiki apart is her ability to move fluidly between the operational and the creative without losing momentum in either direction. Whether she’s architecting a workflow, shaping a campaign, or jumping in on a deliverable, she brings the kind of range that elevates every project and strengthens the team around her.

A systems thinker with a creative soul, Kiki brings order to complexity and a genuine investment in seeing the work land the way it should.

Aizaz UI Hassan

Web Developer & Graphic Designer

Aizaz has been the driving force behind Silesky’s web development for over five years. As both a graphic designer and UI/UX developer, he brings a rare mix of technical precision and creative clarity to every project.

What sets Aizaz apart is his ability to understand and interpret the assignment—no extra hand-holding, just sharp instincts and calm professionalism. When timelines are tight and expectations are high, Aizaz is the teammate you want in your corner.

Creative and detail-oriented, Aizaz builds clean, modern websites that marry style with substance. From intuitive flows to scalable layouts, his work consistently delivers digital experiences that perform as well as they look.

With every project, Aizaz ensures the design feels effortless for users and does the heavy lifting for the brand.

Sue Hilger, MBA

Chief Growth Strategist

As Chief Growth Strategist at Silesky Marketing, Sue plays a key role in expanding the agency’s client base while cultivating long-term partnerships grounded in trust, collaboration, and measurable success. She works closely with organizations to help them meet their business goals—and then go beyond them—through smart, scalable marketing strategies.

With an MBA and deep expertise in both B2B and B2C environments, Sue bridges the gap between strategic planning and hands-on execution. She guides clients through Silesky’s end-to-end process, beginning with in-depth discovery and needs assessments and continuing through branding, messaging, digital advertising, and campaign rollout.

Sue is focused on long-term impact. Many of Silesky’s client relationships span decades, which speaks to her ability to integrate seamlessly, think strategically, and consistently deliver results. For Sue, every engagement is more than a project—it’s a partnership.

Mya Stengel

Content Developer & Video Editor

Mya brings the heart of a storyteller and the precision of a screenwriter to every project. With a background in Hollywood scriptwriting—particularly in the horror genre—she understands how to build intrigue, capture attention, and deliver a message that lands with impact.

A lifelong book lover turned brand storyteller, Mya has a gift for finding each client’s voice and shaping it into something authentic and memorable. Whether she’s writing SEO-driven blog content, editing silent video loops, or cutting together a punchy hero reel, she focuses on what makes a brand distinct and brings it to life with clarity and emotion.

From blog posts to behind-the-scenes edits, plot twists to punchlines, Mya’s work helps brands connect more deeply and tell stories that resonate.

Ashelin Walker

Digital Marketing Strategist

Ashelin is a digital marketing strategist who blends technical know-how with creative insight. At Silesky Marketing, she turns strategy into results—helping clients attract the right leads, connect with their audience, and strengthen their online presence.

She designs high-converting landing pages, launches targeted email campaigns, manages CRM platforms, and creates on-brand video content that performs. From big-picture planning to the freckles of a campaign, Ashelin brings cohesion to the chaos and keeps every piece pulling in the right direction.

What sets Ashelin apart is how seamlessly she connects the tactical to the strategic. She doesn’t just check boxes—she makes sure every effort ladders up to a larger goal. Her work helps clients show up in the right places, with the right message, at the right time.

Susi Silesky

Founder & Brand Architect

As the founder of Silesky Marketing, Susi brings more than 30 years of brand strategy and marketing expertise to the table. Her experience spans ambitious startups, global enterprises, nonprofits, and household-name retailers.

Susi is most energized when she’s helping business owners find their voice, shape their story, and build a brand that reflects their vision and gets the results they deserve.

What sets her apart is her deep understanding of entrepreneurs. She’s built a career not just on strong campaigns, but on building genuine relationships. That blend of empathy and expertise is what makes her work both effective and meaningful.

Susi has led successful marketing initiatives across industries—from healthcare and legal to real estate, B2B tech, and pharma. She’s fluent in French, conversational in Spanish, and skilled at translating complex ideas into clear, compelling brand stories.