Star Rise Marketing

29/04/2025

Your newsletter subscribers are tired and distracted, so give them less, and they'll love you more

Attention spans now average just 47 seconds, creating challenges for traditional email newsletters. Instead of scheduled roundups, marketers are moving towards focused, needs-driven emails that trigger based on user actions and have a clear and immediate value. Emails that state their purpose in the subject line and focus on one pressing need are more likely to survive inbox fatigue and earn customer engagement.

15/04/2025

👉🏼 ChatGPT Now Uses All Past Conversations

ChatGPT can now remember all your past conversations, which is a step toward more personalized and long-term practical AI systems.

25/03/2025

🚨 Most Plumbers Ignore These Free Tools—And It’s Costing Them Customers

If you’re running a plumbing business or own a local service company and relying only on word-of-mouth or paid ads to bring in new customers, you’re likely leaving a lot of money on the table.

The truth is, there are powerful tools and platforms—many of them completely free—that can dramatically boost your visibility, credibility, and lead flow… but most service businesses don’t even know they exist, let alone how to use them effectively.

In our latest blog post, we break down a step-by-step checklist of essential tools every plumber should be using right now. We’ll cover:

🔧 How to set up and optimize your Google Business Profile, Yelp, Apple Maps, Bing, and more so you rank higher in local search

📲 The best free platforms to connect with customers fast—even if you’re out on a job site

📈 How to track where your leads are coming from using free analytics tools and call tracking (so you stop wasting money on what isn’t working)

💬 The communication, booking, and CRM tools that help turn inquiries into paying jobs

🛠️ And some lesser-known tools that can elevate your reputation and keep your business organized like a pro

We included direct links and best practices to help you implement each of these tools without needing to hire a marketing team.

This guide was written specifically for plumbers and local service businesses—whether you're just starting out or looking to tighten up your marketing foundation before investing more in paid campaigns.

💡 Ready to make your business run smarter and more efficiently?

👉 Read the full guide here:
🔗

Unlock marketing for plumbers by utilizing free tools that drive leads and revenue. Don't let your competition outpace you—read this guide now!

11/03/2025

The Future of Marketing is Zero-Click Search

Hi friends, it’s time to rethink how we’ve been doing things. For years, we’ve optimized for search, tailored our strategies to generate clicks, and worked hard to boost traffic. But guess what? The game is changing. Fast.

The Rise of Zero-Click Search - The world of search has entered a new era, and it’s largely driven by two shifts:

Generative AI summaries on search engines like Google and Bing, deliver direct answers without users ever needing to click.
Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Perplexity are redefining how people search and interact with information.
Search is no longer just about finding a link to click. It’s about finding answers immediately. And as zero-click searches rise, marketers are getting pushed out of that crucial "first touch" with potential customers.

The decline in organic clickthrough rates means we’re losing visibility in high-value, non-branded searches—those early-stage searches when users are just looking for answers before they even consider committing to a brand. These moments are critical in the customer journey, where discovery and conversion often happen.

It’s not just a small tweak; it’s a fundamental change in how people discover, learn, and decide on what they want to buy. The traditional approach of just optimizing for SEO is no longer enough.

What You Can Do to Stay Ahead
As marketers, it’s time to adapt. SEO still plays an important role, but now we need to refine our strategies to thrive in a zero-click world. Here’s how you can future-proof your marketing efforts:

1. Prioritize AI Crawlability
Don’t just focus on keywords anymore—optimize your content for semantic search. Think about how AI engines are interpreting and crawling your content. Use high-intent, long-tail keywords that are more likely to generate rich answers. Also, when possible, get rid of gated content and PDFs—they don’t work well in an AI-powered ecosystem.

2. Redefine Success Metrics
Clicks aren’t the only thing that matters anymore. It’s time to stop measuring success based solely on clickthrough rates. Start focusing on search impressions, AI reach, and how well your content is showing up in AI-generated summaries. The goal now is visibility and influence—not just conversions.

The Future of Marketing Is AI-Driven
As search evolves, brands that succeed will be the ones that embrace AI and experiment with new strategies. This is no longer a future trend—it’s happening right now. And if you’re not adapting quickly, you’re going to miss out on valuable customer interactions.

Make sure you stay visible and relevant in this exciting new era of search. Good Luck!

Kind regards,
I.A

06/03/2025

OpenAI Announces GPT-4.5, Warns It's Not a Frontier AI Model

OpenAI has launched GPT-4.5 as a research preview for ChatGPT Pro users. The model offers enhanced writing capabilities and improved world knowledge but is not considered a frontier model. It will roll out to Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users in the coming weeks.

04/03/2025

Instagram may launch a separate Reels app to take on TikTok

Instagram is reportedly considering launching a separate Reels app amid uncertainty over TikTok's future in the US.
President Trump granted a 75-day extension to the law threatening a TikTok ban and floated the possibility of a joint venture between the US and ByteDance, but it was unclear how that would work.
The law was enacted due to arguments that China could use TikTok as a tool for spying and political manipulation.

This might be Meta's second attempt because in 2018, Meta launched a standalone app called Lasso to compete with TikTok but it was later shut down.

18/02/2025

Elon Musk’s ‘Scary Smart’ Grok 3 Release—What You Need To Know [Quck read]

xAI's Grok 3, trained with 200 million GPU-hours, introduces enhanced reasoning, self-correction, and synthetic data training. It is set to be released on Monday.
Read the full article here -

According to Elon Musk, “this might be the last time an AI Is better than Grok”—Here's why.

30/01/2025

Quick Read - Instagram is about to look a lot more like TikTok

Instagram is planning to introduce several changes to its platform, including a vertical grid, to give users more control over their profiles and allow users to customize the display of their posts, reorder their grid, and post directly to the grid without posting to their feed. The changes are part of Instagram's efforts to improve user experience, cater to dissatisfied TikTok users, and increase creator control.

28/01/2025

Quick Ready - How to Deal with an Angry Customer

Rather than rushing to problem-solve, successful customer service should follow this three-step framework: mirror emotions, find points of agreement, and commit to a resolution. Mirroring validates customer feelings ("I'd be frustrated too"), agreement builds connection without admitting fault, and clear resolution promises create loyalty. This approach can transform angry customers into brand advocates by making them feel genuinely heard and supported.

23/01/2025

Instagram Unveils Edits, a Video Editing App to Rival CapCut

Instagram recently announced Edits, a free video editing app similar to CapCut. The app offers features like advanced editing tools, AI animations, and insights for Instagram reels. It will allow 10-minute videos with customizable settings. Launching in February, Edits aims to rival CapCut, which was recently banned from U.S. app stores due to security concerns.

21/01/2025

The Art of Storytelling: How to Connect, Inspire, and Drive Action

Storytelling isn’t just a marketing buzzword—it’s the ultimate tool for building connections, sparking empathy, and driving real business results.
A great story makes your brand unforgettable and drives action. But what makes a story stick?
There are four key elements:
- connecting with your audience
- crafting a compelling narrative
- choosing the right medium
- evoking emotion

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Connect with Your Audience
Great storytelling starts with knowing your audience and speaking to their needs—not just telling your story.

Ask yourself:
Who is my audience, and what drives them?
What pain points or aspirations can I reflect in my story?

For example, Nike doesn’t just sell shoes—they tell stories of perseverance and triumph. When they feature everyday people chasing their dreams, they tap into something universal- the desire to succeed.

2. Craft a Compelling Narrative
A great narrative turns facts into an experience. It guides the audience on a journey with a clear message, relatable characters, and emotional tension.

Take Airbnb—they don’t just highlight lower prices than hotels. They tell stories of travelers creating meaningful connections in homes worldwide, turning a simple stay into a transformative experience.

Focus your message to build a powerful narrative - what’s the one takeaway you want your audience to remember?
Use relatable characters and details. Make your story engaging.
Show challenges and resolutions that keep people invested.
A story that resonates isn’t just informative—it’s transformational.

3. Choose the Right Medium
The format you choose impacts how your story is received.

Written content - Great for deep dives and thought leadership.
Visuals and videos - Ideal for emotional, immersive storytelling.
Audio - Creates intimacy and personal connection.
Interactive media - Engages users and increases retention.
For example, Patagonia releases powerful environmental documentaries to inspire action, while Headspace uses calming audio stories to connect with stressed users.
The key? Matching your medium to your audience and message.

4. Evoke Emotional Responses
Make people feel something—whether it’s joy, nostalgia, hope, or empowerment.

Think of Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign. It wasn’t about selling soda—it was about connection. They created emotional moments that customers couldn’t wait to share by personalizing bottles with names.

To create emotion, let your audience experience the story. Keep it authentic and relatable.
When you spark genuine emotions, you build loyalty, not just engagement.

Stories have always been how we share ideas and inspire action. In today’s noisy digital world, a great story isn’t optional—it’s essential. When you master storytelling, you’re not just marketing—you’re building trust, connection, and loyalty.

Ready to rise above the noise? Let’s get storytelling. 🚀

16/01/2025

China Discusses Sale of TikTok US to Musk as One Possible Option

Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok.
The plan involves X taking control of the platform and running the businesses together. It is unclear whether Musk, TikTok, or ByteDance have held any talks about the terms of any possible deal. TikTok may no longer be in ByteDance's sole control. Chinese officials recognize that they will face tough negotiations with the Trump administration, so they see the TikTok negotiations as a potential area for reconciliation.
Read the full article here >>

Chinese officials are evaluating a potential option that involves Elon Musk acquiring the US operations of TikTok if the company fails to fend off a controversial ban on the short-video app, according to people familiar with the matter.