The United States is home to roughly 45 million bird watchers or birders and more than 800 species of birds. Birders interested in observing as many species as possible should plan several trips since many of the nation’s rarest birds have limited ranges.

For instance, the great kiskadee is a reasonably common bird throughout Central and South America. They are an easy find, with bright yellow feathers and a body larger than most flycatchers, a family of birds including more than 20 species in North America. Nearly the only location in America where birders can see kiskadee is along the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Any birder planning a trip to Southern Texas should also watch for additional localized species, including green jays and Altamira orioles.

Rivoli’s hummingbird has a global distribution similar to the kiskadee. The larger hummingbird variant with purple and emerald feathers is a perennial inhabitant from Mexico to Nicaragua. They fly north to Southeast Arizona and parts of New Mexico to breed. Birders interested in the Rivoli hummingbird can research local feeding routes and wait near a sugar-water feeder.

While the kiskadee and Rivoli’s hummingbird are large for their species, they are small compared to the whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America at nearly 5 feet. In the 1940s, the population of whooping cranes fell to just 21. The species has been rehabilitated but is still scarce, with a wild population of about 700. Birders can track the movements of whooping cranes as they migrate from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Southeastern Texas.

The Kirtland’s warbler is one of several bird species in the northern United States. The bird lives in a few small areas in the world, including stretches of pine forest in Michigan and Wisconsin. Birders can observe Kirtland's warblers in their local breeding grounds or track their winter migratory paths to and from the Caribbean.

By certain metrics, the island scrub-jay is the rarest bird in North America. The vivid blue jay, a close relative of the nearby California scrub-jay, has the smallest range of any bird on the continent, limited to Santa Cruz Island, part of Channel Islands National Park in California. Although the bird maintains a narrow range, any birder willing to make the journey can check the island scrub-jay off their list.

Puffins are among the most instantly identifiable birds in the world, with colorful oversized bills and a distinctive black and white coat. Rising ocean temperatures have impacted Puffin populations found along cliffside burrows and nests. Restoration efforts have seen the Atlantic puffin return to coastal Maine for breeding during the summer.

Finally, the elf owl is the smallest owl species in the world. Birders preparing to see the elf owl should carefully study the differences between the elf owl and pygmy owl, the former recognizable by its shorter tail. Elf owls are relatively abundant along the country’s southern border. However, they migrate over the border from October through March.

​If small businesses are to thrive, they must be conscious of their competitors' products, services, and practices. Given the impact of information technology and the prevalence of digital marketing, consumers have more brands from which to choose. This forces small businesses to research companies that offer similar goods and services and incorporate the results into their marketing strategies.

Competitive analysis involves sourcing details and trends about an industry and its companies. Without competitive analysis, companies will lack clarity on their shortcomings, growth opportunities, and reasons other companies in their industry are succeeding. Metrics used in competitive analysis include the nature of products or services, the marketing approach, customer engagement, and corporate ethos, which encompasses a company's core objectives and how it is reflected in its work culture.

Companies seeking to understand their competitors should begin by identifying direct and indirect competitors. Direct competitors are other companies selling goods or services essentially identical to the analyzing company's. Indirect competitors are companies with somewhat different goods and services that address the same need. For example, a small business that sells blue light eyeglasses indirectly competes with another company that sells sunglasses, since both products address eye protection.

Small businesses should also be conscious of their physical competitors, with whom they compete for local customers, and digital competitors, with whom they compete for a wider online customer base.

Companies can identify their competitors by using search engines and business directories. They can gain clarity on their competitors’ offerings by checking relevant websites and social media pages, which typically feature details of products or services and customer testimonials.

In addition, companies should check independent review sites for less-biased accounts of how a product or service has benefited customers. Companies should also note the demographics of reviewers, the cost of the product or service, and any money-back guarantees or return policies. Through the lens of customer pain points, small businesses can identify the leading benefits and grievances of competitors’ customers. Pain points refer to specific issues that customers frequently deal with, and which businesses seek to solve with products, services, or customer service.

Additionally, a competitive analysis should examine how competitors market and distribute their offerings, including lead generation and online customer engagement. A direct approach requires small business owners or employees to follow competitors' social media accounts and sign up for their mailing lists to learn their brand voice. Concurrently, companies can engage their client base through open-ended surveys to learn why clients opted for their product or service over their competitors.

Companies can also analyze the keywords and descriptive metadata on competitors' websites, especially competitors with a larger customer base. This information can offer insight into what attracts customers, which can then inform a marketing strategy. Small businesses can also create Google Alerts for mentions of competitors to stay updated on industry and marketing trends. Alternatively, small businesses may subscribe to free industry-specific newsletters on social networking sites to get valuable insights from industry leaders.

Further, companies should assess research data to learn the percentage of the market share they control. Concurrently, companies should attune their sales funnel to the demography of customers best suited to their offerings. For example, a company may tailor its marketing emails and social media posts to a specific age or occupation.

​Growth is crucial for most companies, and digital marketing has become an important tool for expanding any business. Digital marketing uses email, social media, apps, video streaming, and pop-up ads to connect with customers.

An estimated 89 percent of Americans use the Internet daily, with 48 percent claiming to use the Internet multiple times a day, and another 31 percent reported to be constantly online. This means an online presence has become a minimum requirement for companies, as evidenced by the $616-billion estimate of global digital advertising in 2022, with Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft capturing most of this revenue.

These digital giants offer platforms such as Google's AdSense, which allows websites to display Google-driven advertisements targeted to their specific content and audience. Digital marketing excels at increasing the customer base. The goal of digital marketing is to guide customers toward a purchase, increase the customer base, and generate more revenue.

Digital marketing strategies are increasingly important due to the accessibility of digital channels. In April 2022 alone 5 billion global users were recorded to have used the Internet. This shows the value of a digital campaign to any business. Ranging from websites to social media, there are various ways to employ digital marketing tactics to reach potential users. The combination of minimal upfront costs and a high success rate has resulted in the growing popularity of digital marketing.

To use digital marketing as a tool for business growth, companies should hire talented and experienced professionals to spearhead digital marketing efforts. Before the start of any digital marketing efforts, companies should define and understand their target audience. This makes it easier to identify strategies and platforms for specific customers.

Further, data-driven strategies should bolster the efficacy of a digital marketing campaign. Using the correct channels provides better results. For example, a company targeting a young consumer market would be well served by TikTok, with those aged 10 to 19 accounting for 25 percent of users. In contrast, Facebook is better suited to an older base, with an estimated 71 percent of Americans over 50 using the platform.

Companies also must consider mobile devices and their influence. Customers now demand higher levels of service from companies, and every interaction counts. Mobile devices allow customers to communicate with brands through multiple platforms. A seamless experience combined with instant access to information is key to digital marketing efforts.

Creating content that appeals to the customer base is the next step in an effective digital marketing campaign. Crafting emails, blog posts, hashtags, and ads that resonate with customers is a significant factor in retaining customers and attracting new ones. Building a relationship with customers ensures repeated patronage and a good public image.

The shift from traditional to digital advertising is driven by the growing number of Internet users and the increasing accessibility of the Internet. Potential customers are spending more time online for entertainment, socializing, and work. This opens up a plethora of choices for any business looking to expand by using digital marketing

The COVID-19 pandemic also emphasized the importance of digital marketing. The lockdown resulted in fewer physical interactions and more people and companies adopting digital strategies for buying and selling.