Author: Brandon G. Wallin, Owner & Founder — Trio Assist, LLC Every year someone says email marketing is dead. And every year the numbers say otherwise. For small businesses in Minnesota and Wisconsin, email marketing consistently delivers a higher return on investment than social media, paid ads, and most other digital channels. It's not the trendiest topic at a networking event. But for the businesses that do it consistently, it's one of the most reliable ways to stay conne

Author: Brandon G. Wallin, Owner & Founder — Trio Assist, LLC Picture this: someone in Stillwater hears about your business from a friend. They pull out their phone, search your name, and find your Google profile. You have 11 reviews, the most recent one is from eight months ago, and your average is 3.8 stars. They keep scrolling. Your competitor two miles away has 47 reviews, all recent, averaging 4.9 stars, with the owner responding to every single one. That customer calls

Author: Brandon G. Wallin, Owner & Founder — Trio Assist, LLC I talk to small business owners across the Twin Cities every week. And when it comes to social media, I hear some version of the same thing over and over: "We know we need to do more with it, but we're not sure if what we're doing is actually working." Most of the time, it isn't. Not because the business isn't great — it usually is. But there's a difference between being on social media and actually using social me

If you’re running ads in the Twin Cities and not seeing consistent ROI, you’re not alone. Many businesses increase ad spend when revenue slows down. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: If your foundation isn’t built correctly, ads amplify weaknesses. They don’t fix them. Before you spend another dollar, it may be worth stepping back. Quick Answer: Why Aren’t My Ads Converting? If your Google Ads or social ads aren’t producing results in the Twin Cities, the most common reason