Brandi Benton

05/21/2025

Not all organic traffic has the same value.

We recently dug into the performance of our event listings at Leap. We compared our self-service and professional ticketing platforms. What stood out?

For well-known brands and large events, referral traffic was much more valuable than organic even when our listings ranked on the first page.

Take Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. A strong brand with loyal fans. When someone searches for it, they’re heading straight for the branded result not the ticketing page, even if we’re visible.

It’s a great example of how intent and funnel stage matter.
Being findable isn’t enough.

You need to show up where users are ready to act.

05/13/2025

Starting a new role is exciting but it can also be overwhelming.

I’ve been in jobs where I was handed a login, a few vague goals, and wished good luck. No roadmap. No onboarding. Just figure it out.

That’s not how I want to lead.

This week, I’m building a structured training plan for our new Digital Marketing Specialist. He’s experienced, but every new role comes with a learning curve along with new people, platforms, expectations, and culture.

At Leap, I really appreciate that our People Team has put a thoughtful onboarding program in place. It gives leaders the flexibility to make it personal, and the accountability to make sure it actually happens.

Because everyone deserves to be set up for success—not just handed a to-do list and left to sink or swim.

05/10/2025

Most of my photos from the past few years were from vacations, events, or special occasions.

Amazing memories, yes, but I realized how much I was missing in the space between them.

So at the start of 2025, I gave myself a creative challenge: take more photos. Not of perfect scenes or big milestones. Just everyday life.

A quiet moment. A soft detail. A bit of light or color that catches my eye.

I used AI to help structure the challenge, but the practice has been fully human—slowing down, being present, and seeing the beauty in the ordinary.

Here are a few glimpses from the year so far. I’m excited to see how this creative habit continues to unfold.

05/08/2025

Change is part of growth but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Over the past two years, our team has navigated a major rebrand, redefined our voice, and adapted to an evolving identity at Leap Event Technology.

We’re still learning, still refining, and still figuring out what this brand truly means in action not just in theory.

One thing I’ve learned: great leadership during change isn’t about pretending to have all the answers. It’s about making space for your team to ask better questions and move forward together.

To anyone navigating change keep going. You’re building something meaningful.

Learn how Leap empowers you to transform events! Discover our core values, our leadership team, and how we work together to push the industry forward.

05/07/2025

As a manager, I’ve spent a lot of time focused on helping my team grow.

Supporting their development.
Creating opportunities.
Offering guidance and feedback.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

But here’s what I’ve learned: managers need that same support, too.

We don’t talk about it enough. Once you step into leadership, it’s easy to feel like you should have all the answers or that asking for mentorship means you’re not ready for the role.

But leadership isn’t a finish line. It’s an ongoing practice.

We need space to grow.
We need honest feedback.
We need the same investment we offer others.

Because when leaders are supported, everyone benefits.

Growth doesn’t stop when you become a manager. In fact, that’s when it matters most.

05/01/2025

Great brands don’t just tell stories. They invite people to become part of something transformative.

We all know that building a strong brand goes beyond just selling a product. It's about telling a story that resonates with your audience on a deeper level, one that invites them into a journey.

This week, I’ve been listening to Donald Miller’s Building a StoryBrand 2.0, and it’s been enlightening. If you want to craft a brand message that doesn’t just capture attention but drives meaningful engagement, Miller’s framework is where to start.

Miller’s approach is simple: Your customer is the hero of the story, not your product.

Think about it like a movie or a book you love. Your customer is the hero, and your brand plays the role of the trusted guide who helps them overcome challenges. Sound familiar? That’s because it follows the Hero's Journey. The universal narrative structure that drives some of the most iconic pop culture stories we know, from Star Wars to Harry Potter.

Here’s how you can apply the Hero’s Journey framework to your brand story:

1. The Customer is the Hero – Like Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter, your customer is on their own journey. Your brand exists to help them succeed and ultimately transform.

2. The Problem – Every hero faces a challenge. For Harry, it’s Lord Voldemort. For Luke, it’s the Empire. For your customer, it’s their pain point. Clearly define their problem so they can see your brand as the solution that helps them conquer it.

3. The Guide – In the Hero’s Journey, every hero needs a mentor like Yoda or Dumbledore. Your brand takes on the role of the trusted guide, providing wisdom and tools to help the hero (your customer) succeed.

4. The Plan – Every great guide gives the hero a roadmap. Whether it’s Harry’s quest for Horcruxes or Luke’s mission to defeat the Death Star, a clear plan is essential. Make it simple: Show your customer exactly how to overcome their challenge with your help.

5. Call to Action – Every hero has to take action. Think about the moment when Harry decides to stand up against Voldemort. Your call to action is that crucial step, the invitation for your customer to take the next move with your brand.

6. Success – The hero triumphs. Whether it’s the destruction of the Death Star or the defeat of the Dark Lord, the hero succeeds with the help of the guide. Show your customer what success looks like with your brand, and how their transformation will feel.

When you apply this framework to your brand, it shifts the narrative from just selling a product to creating an inviting, impactful journey for your customer. It's about helping them envision their transformation and positioning your brand as a key player in that story.

If you’re feeling like your messaging isn’t landing, or you’re struggling to connect with your audience, take a step back and ask: Is your customer the hero of your brand story?

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04/30/2025

Have you ever received an email that made you wonder how it ended up in your inbox?

I recently received an email from a local auto dealership with a “special video just for me” showcasing the Tesla Cybertruck.

There was just one problem. I’m not the right audience for this promotion.

Beyond poor targeting, the timing of this email stood out. With many consumers being more mindful of their spending, promoting a $100K vehicle may not resonate with the broader audience.

Given the conversation around Tesla lately, it’s also a good reminder that public sentiment plays a key role in how marketing messages are received.

Since this isn’t a Tesla dealer, the misstep was even more noticeable. Instead of targeting likely buyers, it seems they cast a wide net, hoping for general interest. But email marketing isn’t about blasting promotions. It’s about sending the right message to the right audience at the right time.

Email marketing works best when it’s personalized, relevant, and well-timed. A poorly targeted email doesn’t just get ignored. It can shift how customers perceive your brand.

Good email marketing isn’t just about what you want or need to promote. It’s about understanding the customer, their needs, and what truly resonates.

04/29/2025

There’s nothing better than seeing your team nail it.

When I asked our team to create a blog on local SEO for events, I envisioned something practical, well-structured, and genuinely helpful for event creators trying to boost their visibility in local search.

What I got exceeded expectations.

As a former local SEO specialist, I know how nuanced this topic can be. And reading this post? It stopped me in my tracks. It’s clear, strategic, and immediately actionable. Honestly, it’s the kind of content I would’ve written back in the day (but better).

Huge kudos to our SEO Analyst for running with this and delivering something so solid.

I’m proud, impressed, and grateful to work with such thoughtful, talented people.

If you run events or support clients who do, this is one to bookmark.

Boost attendance with local SEO! Learn how to optimize your event for search, get listed, and attract local audiences with this expert guide.

04/28/2025

What are you building this week?

This weekend I completed the LEGO T-6 Jedi Shuttle, inspired by the Ahsoka series. Aside from being a fun and detailed build (yes, the wings really rotate), it reminded me how much creativity and patience go into bringing complex ideas to life. Brick by brick.

In both LEGO and leadership, the magic is in the process:

1 - Start with a clear vision
2 - Follow the structure
3 - Adapt when pieces don’t quite fit
4 - Celebrate the finished product and everything you learned building it.

Big breakthroughs don’t always start big. Sometimes, they start with small, intentional steps.

04/28/2025

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” – Fred Rogers

With everything happening in the world right now, this quote feels more relevant than ever. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but focusing on where we can help reminds me that there’s always hope.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be one of those helpers.

I volunteered at Second Harvest Heartland, an incredible organization working to fight hunger in our communities by connecting surplus food to families who need it most.

📦 61 bags of potatoes sorted
🍞 222 boxes of bread packed
🥔 5,579 pounds of food distributed
🍽️ 186 meals provided per person who volunteered

I’m incredibly grateful to work for a company that gives each employee an opportunity to give back in meaningful ways.

In times like these, it’s not about fixing everything. It’s about doing what we can, where we can.

04/27/2025

What if the Hogwarts Sorting Hat could sort your marketing strategy?

As I built the LEGO Sorting Hat this week (yes, brick by brick magic!), I couldn’t help but think about how each Hogwarts house reflects the unique strengths of our core digital marketing channels:

🦁 Gryffindor: Social Media
Brave, bold, and always putting yourself out there. Social takes courage and creativity. Always experimenting with new formats, starting conversations, and staying visible even when it’s uncomfortable.

🐍 Slytherin: Paid Media
Strategic, ambitious, and always calculating ROI. Paid channels are about precision, optimization, and knowing how to play the long game without wasting resources.

🦅 Ravenclaw: SEO & Content
Analytical, insightful, and endlessly curious. This is where smart research meets creativity by solving problems, answering questions, and building long-term authority.

🦡 Hufflepuff: Email Marketing
Loyal, consistent, and relational. Email is all about nurturing your audience over time with relevance, trust, and thoughtful timing.

In the end, a great digital strategy needs a little bit of every house and knowing when to lean into which strength makes all the difference.

04/26/2025

Digital marketing is part of marketing, but it’s not the whole story.

Too often, digital teams get lumped into the same category as brand, product, or publicity. And, while we collaborate closely with those teams, our expertise is distinct.

🚫 We’re not brand marketers.
🚫 We’re not product marketers.
🚫 We’re not a publicity team.

Digital marketing is its own discipline. One that requires a balance of strategic thinking, technical skills, and creative ex*****on across a wide range of platforms.

So what does a digital marketing team do?

🎯 We turn marketing strategy into measurable action.
🎯 We bridge content, data, and audience behavior.
🎯 We create, test, optimize, and scale.

That means:

✅ Building full-funnel campaigns across SEO, PPC, email, social, and content
✅ Analyzing data to improve conversion and ROI
✅ Managing marketing tech stacks and automation tools
✅ Aligning digital ex*****on with business goals
✅ And adapting every tactic based on real-time performance

Digital marketers are the architects of modern marketing ecosystems. Not just executors, but strategic drivers of growth.

So let’s give digital its seat at the table.

Not as an afterthought.

Not as “just the website and social team.”

But as a core function of how today’s brands grow, connect, and lead.