Author: Leah Monica

Is GenAI Jeopardizing Your Brand Authority?

…and why should associations care? Here’s a rundown on what AEO is, and how it will help you show up as the answer in AI, voice, and zero-click search results.

What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? 
Posted on June 24, 2025

Summary: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the strategy of structuring your content so it becomes the direct answer to specific questions people ask through Google and voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. It builds on strong SEO practices and helps your content show up when there’s only room for one answer. For associations, AEO is a powerful way [...]

AI Note-Taking Part 2: Lessons from Five Months of Testing and Refining
Posted on May 1, 2025

After five months of testing AI note-taking tools, Matrix Group discovered that the right tool is only part of the solution. Fathom worked well but didn’t match our workflows, so we built a custom GPT that better fit our needs. Still, adoption lagged until we refined the process, simplified formatting, and gathered ongoing feedback. Real value came when [...]

How to Customize ChatGPT to Avoid Overused AI Words
Posted on April 3, 2025

CEO Joanna Pineda and I have a running joke that whenever we see “delve” and “embark” used in the same paragraph (even better if it’s the same sentence) we wager a lot that AI was involved in the drafting.

If you've been using AI tools like ChatGPT for content creation, you’ve probably noticed this, too. [...]

2024 Gift Ideas for the Techie in Your Life
Posted on December 2, 2024

The holiday season has arrived, and with it comes Matrix Group’s annual techie gift guide—packed with ideas straight from our team! Whether you’re shopping for a gadget-loving coworker, a nature enthusiast, or that one friend who’s always freezing, these staff-approved picks are fun, practical, and sure to bring a smile. Who knows? You might even find a little [...]

Google and Yahoo’s 2024 Email Policy Updates: What You Need to Know
Posted on January 18, 2024

2024 is shaping up to be THE year of safer email, starting with big email authentication policy updates from Google and Yahoo, which will take effect on February 1st, 2024. These policy changes will impact what email Google and Yahoo will accept and deliver to their users’ inboxes, in an effort to decrease spam and spoofing. 

Set 2023 Up for Success: 7 Easy Upgrades to Make
Posted on December 15, 2022

Looking for a few easy upgrades that are light on the budget but will start you off strong in 2023? Matrix Group Creative Director Alex Pineda and Lead Front-End Developer Jaime Quiroz have suggestions for a few simple upgrades and updates you can make that will improve your user experience, give you more accurate data, and help you [...]

What Your Virtual Sponsors and Exhibitors Want Most
Posted on August 31, 2020
Many organizations are wrestling with how they can pull off a successful virtual meeting, especially with regard to their sponsors and exhibitors. How do you provide real value for them in the virtual environment? How do you convince them that it’s worth the time and investment? Heck, will they even want [...]
Tips for Working From Home Effectively
Posted on March 17, 2020
Guest post by Leah Monica, Director of Marketing Matrix Group zoom video call With the Coronavirus officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, many organizations are requiring that their employees work from home. When working remotely full-time isn’t the norm for you and your staff, it can be tough to know [...]
Tips for Increasing Email Deliverability
Posted on July 30, 2018
Guest post by Leah Monica, Director of Marketing Sending Emails We all constantly hear about email marketing best practices to help increase our open and click rates - subject lines, concise copy, clear calls-to-actions - but what good are those best practices if our emails aren’t even reaching your contacts’ inboxes? [...]
5 Favorite Free Stock Photography Resources Part II
Posted on October 11, 2017
There’s no doubt about it: finding good stock photography can be tough.  And when it isn’t tough, it’s expensive. When I scroll through images on the popular stock house websites looking for images for our blog posts or newsletters and see how much they’re charging for their stuffy, posed, man-in-suit [...]