Blog Categories
Web design Branding Blogging Social Media Inbound All
We post weekly tips, tricks, and marketing advice to help grow your business.
Tuesday Tip #8: Let Your Personality Shine
Take a good look at your current website, social media platforms, and other marketing collateral. Do they speak to who you are? Do they give a prospective customer or client an accurate glimpse into what it will be like to do business with you? If not, here are four quick and easy ways to incorporate your personality into your marketing …
Photo courtesy of Audra Nicole Photography
One of my favorite things about the LMG website is that it fully embodies who me and Katie are as people. Colorful, fun, witty, and real. I browse the Internet often and have stumbled across many websites that completely lack personality. Copy-heavy, overloaded with stock photography, and boastful … yet lacking true substance. Missing the kind of stuff that would make me want to do business with you because I already feel like I know you.
Today’s Tuesday Tip: Let Your Personality Shine
Incorporating your personality into your website and other marketing materials is actually a fairly easy thing to do. And trust us when we say, it will pay dividends. People want to deal with real people. Not robots or those people depicted in stock photos who appear to be overly excited to be at work. If you’re selling products or services online, this is especially important. Personalizing your website will help visitors get to know and trust you. (For more tips on how to earn trust on your website, click here.)
Take a good look at your current website, social media platforms, and other marketing collateral. Do they speak to who you are? Do they give a prospective customer or client an accurate glimpse into what it will be like to do business with you? If not, here are four quick and easy ways to incorporate your personality into your marketing:
1. Utilize professional photos of you and your team.
Professional photography will make your marketing burst with personality. Candid pictures of you and your team at work. Light and bright head shots. Rich and vibrant close-ups of your top-selling products. Professional photos will make a dramatic impact on your marketing and truly help to tell the real story about your small business. Making an investment in creative photography will launch your marketing from the realm of mediocre into magnificent!
2. Blog.
If you follow LMG, then you know that me and Katie are big fans of blogging. And we practice what we preach! A blog not only benefits your website from an SEO perspective but it also provides you with a platform to speak to your customers in your own voice. We’ve had numerous clients express fears over blogging. “I’m not a writer!” “What do I talk about?” “I’m clueless when it comes to this stuff.” Let us reassure you: 1. You CAN write. You KNOW what to talk about. You’re NOT clueless. (Read our Small Business Resolutions For 2018 for more on getting your blog started. You can do this! We promise.)
3. Don’t be afraid to record videos.
I’ll be quite frank. Facebook Live used to scare the shit out of me. The thought of pressing that record button and then completely freezing, not knowing what to say or do. However, when I realized how important videos were becoming in the world of social media, I knew I had to get over these fears. The success of our Instagram and Facebook accounts depended on it! However, I learned something else about videos. They allowed us to put a voice and personality with all of those photos we had been posting! Our website visitors and social media followers could now see us and hear us … making our connection even stronger!
The bottom line is, video is crucial these days. Get over your fears and start connecting with your audience on a much more personal level! (Need more evidence? Review Social Media Today’s infographic on The State Of Video Marketing In 2018. It’s incredibly compelling.)
4. Feature a bio on your website.
About Us pages are not overrated. When I’m exploring a website, I always look for the About Us page to gain further insights on the company. How did they get started? What’s their backstory? Why are they in this line of business? For me, knowing more about the business owner gives me a level of comfort.
Featuring a bio on your website allows your visitors to connect with you. Tie that in with your professional photos and blog, well, that’s personalization at it’s finest! To get an idea of how to draft a bio, check out how me and Katie did ours!
We hope you found today’s Tuesday Tip helpful! For more marketing advice like this, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe to our blog!
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
Tuesday Tip #6: Responding To Reviews
Some things never change. People will always have an opinion. What has changed are the pedestals and platforms that have been provided for everyone to voice said opinion. For today’s Tuesday Tip, we’re going to share some advice on responding to online reviews.
Some things never change. People will always have an opinion. What has changed are the pedestals and platforms that have been provided for everyone to voice said opinion. The Internet and social media have completely transformed how we obtain information about different businesses. In a land before time, you would choose the restaurant, cleaning service, or retail shop based on the referrals of other people in your circle of friends. Now, you can look up a business with a few strokes of your keyboard and scour the reviews left by strangers to base your decision on where you are going to bring your business.
As a business owner, this can be amazing, devastating, or sometimes even a mix of both, for your business. One “off” experience can lead to scathing comments and warnings to potential customers or clients. It can be a very tough pill to swallow. Here are two key pointers on how to respond to reviews.
1. Respond to positive reviews!
Say 'thank you' and let the reviewer know that you appreciate them taking the time to write such kind words. If they offer a suggestion, thank them for their feedback and implement the improvements if they seem suitable.
2. If you are going to respond to a negative review, do so carefully and with class.
Do not engage in a battle of keyboard warriors. Sometimes saying nothing is appropriate. Depending on the situation, you can certainly respond but do so in a professional manner. Do not take this opportunity to degrade the customer because you are simply painting an ugly picture of yourself. Sometimes even a simple “We are sorry you didn’t enjoy your experience. We hope you give us a second chance in the near future ... ” If you feel further information is needed in order to rectify a bad situation, be sure to attempt to take the conversation offline.
For more sound advice on professionally handling negative online reviews, click here!
Why does this matter? It matters because people are absolutely reading reviews and watching to see how you respond. Bad reviews are like a train wreck that people can’t help but watch. Good reviews give potential customers/clients a glimpse into the positive experience they, too, can enjoy by doing business with you someday. Reviews help people determine what type of business owner you are and if they want to do business with you. Always put your best foot … or keystroke ... forward.
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
Tuesday Tip #5: How To Use Instagram Stories For Small Business
So what’s up with the little bubbles at the top of your Instagram feed? They’re Instagram Stories! And considering there are an estimated 500 million monthly active users of the Instagram app, this is a feature you’ll want to start utilizing right away (if you’re not already). …
So what’s up with the little bubbles at the top of your Instagram feed? They’re Instagram Stories! And considering there are an estimated 500 million monthly active users of the Instagram app, this is a feature you’ll want to start utilizing right away (if you’re not already).
The Gist Of Stories
“Instagram has always been the place to showcase the most beautifully edited version of your brand. But with Stories, the pressure is off. Content is quick-lived, unpolished, and even a little silly. Here, you don’t have to be picture-perfect.” (HubSpot)
With Instagram Stories, you can give your fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your small business. You can show your fun side. You can just be you. That’s what’s so perfect about it!
“Instagram Stories are a series of images and videos that appear at the top of a user’s feed. They live for 24 hours in chronological order, and give users the option to post as much as they want without cluttering up people’s feeds.” (HubSpot)
How To Use It
Creating a Story is super easy. You can get started in one of two ways:
Go to your Instagram home screen and click the little plus sign that’s next to your icon.
Go to your feed and simply swipe right.
Now the real fun begins! You have the option to:
Take a photo
Take a video
Upload a photo/video from your camera roll
Type a message
If you’re brave (which we know you are), you can even go live with your video!
If you’re looking to create something funky, you have some cool video styles to choose from:
BOOMERANG: takes a burst of photos and stitches them together into a high-quality mini video that plays forward and backward
FOCUS: blurs the background while keeping someone's face sharp
SUPERZOOM: zooms into someone’s face and adds audio
REWIND: takes a video and plays it back in reverse
HANDS-FREE: allows a single tap to start recording a video
STOP-MOTION: takes individual photos and combines them to make a video
And of course, you can shoot just a Normal video as well!
Once you’ve got your photo or video all set, you can now go ahead and jazz it up with some text, a doodle, or a few stickers. You can resize these objects by tapping and zooming out or in with your fingers. You can delete objects by clicking on them and dragging them down toward the bottom of the screen (a trash icon will appear when you do this). You can also add filters to your photo or video by swiping left or right.
Featuring another brand or special guest in your Story? Use the text tool to @-tag them!
After your masterpiece is complete, simply click the “+ Your Story” button at the bottom of the screen. Later on, you can check back on your Story and swipe up to see who has viewed it!
Highlights
Remember how we said Stories stay live for 24 hours? Well, Instagram recently created a way to archive them with Highlights.
To add a Story to your Highlights, go to that Story by clicking your icon on the home screen. When the Story appears, click "Highlight" at the bottom of the screen.
If you haven’t already created categories for your Highlights, now’s the time you can do that. (Think of categories as folders … a neat little way to organize all of your different Stories.) Click the “+New” button and simply type the name of a new category and the Story will be archived there. You can also add a Story to a pre-existing category by choosing the icon for that category in the pop-up menu that appears after selecting Highlight. Highlights will appear underneath your profile info on the home screen.
The Takeaway
Stories are meant to be fun! Use them in a playful and creative way to showcase the personality of your small business. Snapshots from office parties. #FoodPorn from the lunch room. Boomerang videos from Bring Your Dog To Work Day. The opportunities are endless. So go for it!
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
Tuesday Tip #4: Ideal Lengths For Your Social Media Posts
Hootsuite recently published The Ideal Social Media Post Length: A Guide For Every Platform. In it, they share some pretty cool insights (which, of course, are backed by research) on the ideal post lengths for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Keep reading …
How long is long enough? Does less really equate to more? Believe it or not, when it comes to social media posts, there is a recipe for success regarding post length … and it varies by platform!
Hootsuite recently published The Ideal Social Media Post Length: A Guide For Every Platform. In it, they share some pretty cool insights (which, of course, are backed by research) on the ideal post lengths for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Here’s a recap of their findings!
Organic Posts = 80 characters of less
Paid Posts = A. Headline = 5 words B. Main Text = 14 words C. Description = 18 words
Videos = 30-60 seconds
Organic and Promoted Tweets = 71-100 characters
Hashtags = 6 characters
Organic Posts = 138-150 characters
Sponsored Posts = 125 characters or less
Hashtags = 5 to 9 per post at less than 24 characters each
In Hootsuite’s guide, they also cover optimal post lengths for LinkedIn, Pinterest, and even YouTube. Be sure to read the full article here.
Happy posting, people!
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
5 Tips For Marketing Your New Small Business Online
Our friend Audra recently launched a new photography business in Tampa, FL. Using the know-how from her full-time marketing job, she was able to quickly build up a clientele and strong social media presence. We asked her to share some highlights from her success so we could, in turn, share them with you! So here they are … Audra’s five tips for marketing your new small business online.
Photo courtesy of Audra Nicole Photography
Our friend Audra recently launched a new photography business in Tampa, FL (Audra Nicole Photography). Using the know-how from her full-time marketing job, she was able to quickly build up a clientele and strong social media presence in just a few short months. We asked her to share some highlights from her success so we could, in turn, share them with you! So here they are … Audra’s five tips for marketing your new small business online.
Guest Blog Post
Being a small business owner is a delicate balancing act. As if it's not hard enough taking your passion and making it into something profitable, you also need to know where the people who want your product/service spend their leisure time online. Once you know them then, gosh! Then comes the website and the social marketing just to get a few leads. It's a lot of work and you start to say to yourself "I didn't go into (insert your business) to spend all of my time marketing."
I've personally found Little Marketing Genius (LMG) to be such a great resource. I do Marketing for a living but their wealth of knowledge has been an awesome reminder for me. For instance, circa 2013, Google Business Pages still hadn't come up with a solution for service-based business. It was a clunky process where you had to do this crazy work around to just get found. So, I put them on the back burner. It wasn't until LMG had an Instagram post about it that I was like, "Sweeetttt, way to go Google" and followed LMG's suggestions to set up my service-based Google business page.
So, other than reading LMG's blogs religiously, here are the five online marketing tips that have helped me with my new small business:
1. Design a good website.
My husband is always on me about not spending money until I'm making money. (Let's just say I've dabbled in a few online business adventures in my time.) I followed that principle for years but it just lead to long hours for me that I just didn't have as we kept adding more kids to our family. So, I bought a custom URL and I paid for a WordPress website template. I had coupon codes and it was worth it.
If you already have a website, I suggest screen grabbing it right now and saving it somewhere. It will be fun to look back at how far you've come as you start to tweak your brand. If you don't have a website or are looking for a change, I suggest going to Wix, buying a theme to add to WordPress, or using LMG.
2. Girl, you need to blog!
Okay, so your website is set up. Now I suggest blogging. Like LMG says - blog at least twice a month but strive for even more! They have a blog post about why.
At first, I started blogging about myself. I'm an introverted extrovert so I'm this blend of shy but personable. Who knew, right?! So, it was VERY hard for me to start blogging about myself. For one I thought, “Who is going to care?” and then, two, “Gosh, what do I even say?”
My market is saturated with photographers but there's only one me out there. I'm a wife, believer, Mom to three young kids, and have a full-time job on top of my business so I figured somewhere another woman out there would totally relate to me.
I'm not a copywriter and I don't stress myself out about it either. I am who I am and I do the best I can to make my high school English teachers proud! It takes awhile to start to get organic traffic from the blog posts so don't get discouraged. Just keep doing it!
3. Find Your Audience Online
Okay, so have I stressed you out yet? No?! Okay, cool. So next, find where the people who want your product/service spend their leisure time online. I serve women with my photography business and they're predominantly on Facebook and Instagram. I use the platforms differently. On Facebook I share my blog posts. On, Instagram I share my portfolio and quotes to inspire women because inspirational quotes have always been my "thing." You can ask any of my friends. I'm always their cheerleader pushing them to do more so I thought, hey, why not do it for perfect strangers, too?!
4. Be Genuine On Instagram
Sharing:
Like the blogging, I try to be as genuine as possible. I share that I'm not a perfect Mom. I share when I make mistakes. No one is perfect and, again, I feel that somewhere out there another woman can relate to me.
Commenting:
Back in high school I found my calling as a complimenter. I just see the best in people and I like sharing it with them. "Oh girl, I love your top." I'm totally genuine about it. So, I took that to social media. At first I thought, gosh, these women don't know me and they're going to think I'm a total weirdo. Then I thought, when someone comments on my photos on Instagram, first, it makes me feel good and, second, I totally check out their pages. Who is this person? Natural relationships just formed, which has lead to increased relationships and followers for me.
5. Use Instagram Hashtags
Like Facebook, Instagram is always changing their algorithm. Right now, Instagram allows you to use 30 hashtags. However, I've been getting stuck around 15. After you share your photo, add a comment to your own post and place the 15-30 hashtags in there. That way it's not crammed in with your photo description but you'll still get found. Since I'm a photographer, I try to keep my hashtags local but sometimes I use broader ones, too.
So, there you have it! Those are my five tips for marketing your new small business online. I hope it helped you. Don't forget to follow me @audranicole_photography on Instagram so I can watch as you as you become #instafamous!
xoxo
Audra
How To Write Social Media Posts for Adoptable Pets
As we wrap up our 2018 Spring Fundraiser for Thank Dog Rescue, I wanted to write a special post for the local rescues and animal advocates who follow our blog. Today’s topic: How To Write Social Media Posts for Adoptable Pets.
As we wrap up our 2018 Spring Fundraiser for Thank Dog Rescue, I wanted to write a special post for the local rescues and animal advocates who follow our blog. Today’s topic: How To Write Social Media Posts for Adoptable Pets.
Social media has revolutionized the mission of rescuing animals. It is absolutely one of the best gifts that any animal in need could ask for. Of course, when the Internet became the norm for the American household, there were websites such as Petfinder and Save A Pet. Both were also excellent resources for shelter workers and families seeking a new furry friend. However, it required that family to not only become educated on the existence of these websites but to actually utilize them as well. In addition, the sites required shelters and rescues to upload photos and keep their profiles up-to-date. From experience, it was a time-consuming and inefficient process. Throughout the years, they have created a more streamlined way of posting the adoptable pets. However, the sites have also become cluttered with animals that either don’t actually exist, have already been adopted, or belong to less than reputable “rescues” that are usually not even remotely local to you.
Fast forward to the magical world of Facebook. In seconds you can take a photo of an adoptable pet, share their story, and just like that ... that adorable mug is popping up in newsfeeds all around the world. Part of the magic is that you are reaching potential adopters who do not even know they want a pet ... but something about that post and picture struck an emotional chord and boom!
With the thousands, if not millions, of homeless pets streaming across newsfeeds everywhere, how are you making the pets you are posting about stand out? Over the years I have picked up a few tricks along the way. So I’d like to share some of my secrets and tips for finding suitable and permanent homes for these adoptables.
1. Create a persona.
In marketing, we use a term “buyer persona.” We create characters that describe our target customer. It is very detailed and much deeper than just a person that fits into generic statistics or demographics. We break it down into “A woman in her early 30’s who goes to the gym 3-4 times weekly. She has 2-3 kids and drives an SUV. She shops at Old Navy and Pier 1.” We actually paint a very colorful picture of someone. I’m sure based on that short write-up, you started to envision someone who matches the description. What I started doing when creating posts for adoptable pets was create these personas for them. Then based on the character I created, I would write a captivating plea as if the dog or cat was writing it themselves, as that character.
For example, I recently wrote a post for an adoptable Pitbull mix named Bella. Instead
of posting the basic, “Meet Bella, she is 4 years old, a Pitbull mix … etc.” I created her a character of a diva fashionista. In the post you will see that she is witty and humorous. Of course dogs don’t wear Jimmy Choos and own offshore storage for their Louis Vuitton bags. However, it makes for a cute blurb that will grab readers who will undoubtedly share your post. As mentioned before, we are trying to strike an emotional chord, so we want to get that blurb in front of the eyes of the potential adopter that will see Bella as that character rather than “just another Pitbull” in the shelter.
I am sure you are thinking that you need to list the animal’s age, breed, gender, whether it is kid friendly...etc. Guess what? You do not need to worry about that in these types of posts. Why? Because if you have anyone who is remotely interested, they are going to ask you those questions. The goal is to get these posts shared. People are going to share these captivating posts over the generic listings that don’t contain any personality. If you can make someone feel emotional ... whether it makes them laugh or cry … they are more apt to want to share it with others. That’s the point. Even if that one person is not looking to adopt a pet, their cousin Lucy just may be. All it takes is one picture or one line that will remind someone of their childhood dog or tug at their heart strings for an elderly cat looking for a nice window to sit in.
2. Be honest.
Be honest and refrain from offering specifics in the original post. Nothing annoys me more than when I see a clear-as-day bully breed being identified as a Portuguese Water Dog mix or some other designer breed concoction. The bottomline is that unless you performed a DNA test on that dog, no one really knows what breed he or she may be mixed with. I’m using bully breeds as an example as they are flooding the shelters and have the most difficult time getting adopted. I understand the theory behind saying a bully breed is a non bully breed but there’s just no sense being dishonest. Bully breeds are excellent dogs and if someone wants to adopt that dog, well, that’s amazing. You do not want someone adopting a dog under false pretenses because one of two things will happen:
Nothing. Everything will be just fine.
The adopter will figure out said dog is a bully breed when someone who is more breed savvy tells them so. Some people just can’t stand the thought of owning a bully breed type dog, regardless of how awesome the dog is. It is just a stigma and we all know how humans are. So said dog will either be returned or face some other awful fate when they are promptly evicted because they are not the Portuguese Water Dog that you promised.
Another pet peeve (but likely less chance of becoming an issue) is when every grey cat is a Russian Blue, every long haired tabby is a Maine Coon, and every black cat is a Bombay. Lord have mercy! 99% of the time they are just domestic cats! However, there is less of a chance of a cat being returned due to false breed advertising but I am sure you catch my drift.
I recently read several articles that shelter workers are labeling dogs as bully breeds based on physical characteristics, when they actually are not. You can check it out here.
Why label a dog as anything when it can dramatically reduce it’s opportunity to be adopted? See how that works both ways?
3. Don’t write checks that you can’t cash.
Unless you are a licensed behaviorist and have done extensive evaluations of these animals outside of the kennel environment, you should not be making any guarantees about these animals’ behaviors towards children, other animals, etc. Of course you should be doing your due diligence to evaluate the animals and any obvious signs of aggression will dictate next steps. However, this is about what you are posting on social media. If you say “Great with kids,” you better damn well know that this animal is rock solid with children in every situation and under every circumstance. Why? Because if Fluffy gets adopted and bites a toddler in the face, you can bet they will come right back and refer to your post promising a perfectly kid-friendly pooch.
So when writing posts, you should use sentences like “Seems to be comfortable around children, but has had minimal exposure.” Or say nothing at all. If someone asks, you can make a statement prefacing it with “Based on our observations here in the kennel, this dog appears to be OK with children. However, we can not make any guarantees as this is not a ‘real life’ environment or scenario.”
4. Keep your options open.
Do not commit or make promises of animals to people that you have only met online. Remember, anything you write on social media might as well be a contract, as it is out there for the whole world to see. Anything you write is virtually impossible to truly erase. Choose your words wisely when interacting with potential adopters. You want the best family possible for your adoptable pet. Bottom line is that social media is amazing for making connections, but good ol’ face-to-face contact is a must before Fido heads home.
I hope these guidelines tremendously help with your pet adoption efforts on social media. Need more info or advice? Don’t hesitate to contact us for more free tips!
How Changes To Facebook's Newsfeed Algorithm Can Impact Small Business Pages (And What You Can Do About It)
When Facebook hands you lemons, make lemonade! In this post, we're metaphorically squeezing the creative juices to show you how your business can thrive on Facebook regardless of the 2018 algorithm changes.
When Facebook hands you lemons, make lemonade!
When Facebook hands you lemons, make lemonade! On January 11, Mark Zuckerberg announced some pretty big changes to the Facebook news feed algorithm. The changes will prioritize content from FRIENDS, FAMILY, and GROUPS. According to Zuckerberg, “you’ll see LESS public content from BUSINESSES, BRANDS, and MEDIA.”
So what does this mean for us small businesses? Unfortunately organic reach is likely to decrease even more. Yikes! This is frightening considering how organic reach has plummeted over the past six years.
According to a study performed by Edgerank Checker, organic reach for the average Facebook Page dropped from 16% to 6.5% between February 2012 and March 2014. (Source: HubSpot Blog)
In real numbers, this means that if your business page has 1,000 fans, you can expect only 65 of them to see your posts. Double yikes!
So back to the 2018 updates to the news feed algorithm. What can a small business do to keep their Facebook Page alive?
In Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement, he warned that “Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution.” On the flip-side, “Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.”
Again, when Facebook hands you lemons, make lemonade!
Now’s the time to start squeezing those lemons and get creative. Here are a few tips for enhancing your 2018 Facebook strategy in order to stay in front of your fans and followers.
1. Remain active and relevant.
Plan your Facebook posts in advance and be methodical. (Pro tip: putting together an actual social media calendar can be especially helpful in planning out your posts.) The content you post should be relevant to your business and engage your fans. Ask yourself this question each time before you hit Publish: “Will this post get my fans talking and/or reacting?” If the answer is no, then either toss it or tweak it to make it engaging.
Some additional food for thought … According to Buzzsumo, “Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images.” (Source: HubSpot Marketing Statistics)
Videos are also a great way to boost engagement so put them to work for your business page!
2. Encourage your customers to select the See First option.
The Following tab on a Facebook Business Page allows a user to manage their viewing preferences for posts made by that page. By selecting See First, a follower of your page can elect to have your posts appear first in their newsfeed. This setting will override the Facebook algorithm and prioritize your content. (Source: Katie Wagner Social Media)
If you’re constantly posting valuable content, your followers will most likely want to filter out the noise and get your posts to the top of their feed. So don’t be shy about encouraging them to do so.
3. Participate in the conversation.
After you post content that’s engaging and sparking conversation, be sure to follow along and comment on what your fans are saying. Mention them in replies and keep the dialogue flowing. This will show your fans you’re paying attention to them and can potentially ignite even more comments and reactions to the post.
4. Use the Facebook Ad Manager to your advantage.
The truth is, organic reach just isn’t cutting it anymore. So if you want to add fuel to your Facebook marketing efforts, you will have to spend a little money.
Here at LMG, we advocate for the Inbound Marketing Methodology. That’s why we’re proponents of the Facebook Ad Manager. When you simply boost a Facebook post from your page, you have zero control over who it ends up in front of. However, by taking the time to prepare an ad using Facebook’s Ad Manager (and optionally boost that ad from the Ad Manager), you have much “more control over who sees your ad and the cost effectiveness of your spend.” (Source: HubSpot)
With the Ad Manager, you can:
Choose a specific goal of the ad such as clicks to your website, offer claims, website conversions, page likes, etc.
Include a call-to-action button
Target a very specific audience using demographics like location, age, gender, interests, etc.
The list goes on. The infographic here was put together by Reload Media and does an awesome job of explaining the differences between boosting content directly from your page vs. using the Ad Manager.
5. Stop being camera shy.
Does the thought of going Live on Facebook completely terrify you? Please … we beg you ... try to overcome this fear! According to Facebook data compiled by MediaKix, “Facebook Live Videos are watched 3x longer than videos that aren’t live anymore.” And going back to that whole importance of user engagement thing … “users comment on Facebook Live Videos at 10x the rate of regular videos.
Judging by what Mark Zuckerberg said in his recent announcement, it’s pretty safe to assume Live Videos will perform very well under the new algorithm.
6. Start a Facebook Group.
A recent blog post by Moz highlights the value of the Facebook Group:
“Facebook pages and personal posts rely completely on the newsfeed algorithm for organic exposure. Facebook Groups send users a notification whenever someone posts to the Group, thus driving traffic to each post. Facebook gives users the option to silence these notifications. However, if your Group consistently adds value, they won’t.”
We recently started a Facebook Group called Little Marketing Ladies. It’s sole purpose is to connect fellow women in business. And from what we’ve seen so far, posts we make to the Group Page are seeing more activity than those same posts on our Business Page. We’re going to continue experimenting with our new Group and hopefully publish a blog post on our findings once we’ve collected enough data.
For some really good information on Facebook Groups and how to start one, check out Moz’s article: How [and Why] to Build a Booming Facebook Group.
Facebook will always be making changes to the way they operate. So it’s our job to stay informed and, if needed, make changes to the way we operate on social media. Don’t look at this algorithm change as a frustration but rather as a new opportunity for your business to shine on social!
Thanks for reading! :)
-Jamie
5 Do’s And Don’ts Of Managing Business Social Media Platforms
Just because you can post something on social media, doesn’t mean that you should it. This especially applies when you are representing yourself on a professional level. That said, social media is a GREAT tool for marketing your business and keeping in touch with your audience. Are you using it to its full potential?
In this blog post, I'll share my 5 Do’s And Don’ts Of Managing Business Social Media Platforms.
Let’s face it, social media is almost instilled in us at birth. Ok, I am not that young, but I did grow up in the land of the Internet, Myspace, Instant Messenger, and … of course ... Facebook. Whether you are a social media professional or novice, you may think that running a business social media page is a piece of cake. Well, it can be … but I have a few key recommendations for you to keep in mind.
(Note: I tend to reference Facebook most often, as it tends to be an obvious go-to platform but these suggestions apply to the whole kit and caboodle of Social Wonderland.)
Managing a social media platform for a business or organization is a whole different ballgame compared to when you are just representing yourself as an individual. There are specific rules and strategies to follow. Remember, we are talking about the magical land of social media. Just like when trying on clothes ... just because it fits doesn’t necessarily mean you should wear it.
Well on social media, just because you can post it, doesn’t mean that you should post it. This especially applies when you are representing yourself on a professional level. That said, social media is a GREAT tool for marketing your business and keeping in touch with your audience. Are you using it to its full potential?
Here are my 5 Do’s And Don’ts Of Managing Business Social Media Platforms:
1. Keep it classy.
I bring this up first because we’ve seen many local business get themselves in hot water here. Social media can breed drama, right? Everyone is entitled to an opinion. However, Facebook has provided a platform for people to voice their opinion to the masses all from the comfort and safety of their home or office. Needless to say, some folks get quite bold behind a keyboard and monitor. With a business page, this can lead to trouble.
No matter what your business is, you are guaranteed to encounter a Debbie Downer or a complainer. While some of the negative feedback may be justified and accurate, some of it will not be. In these cases, DO NOT ENGAGE. I repeat: Do. Not. Engage. Your business is your child and I get it … the protective Mama or Papa Bear desperately wants to come to the rescue when someone is bashing you online. My best advice is to take a deep breath, maintain composure, and then politely ask the complainer to call or email you so the issue can be resolved offline.
Never, ever, ever get into a keyboard war with anyone. It simply adds fuel to the fire and makes you look unprofessional. To tie this advice into everyday reality, here’s a situation I once ran into on Facebook ...
I manage a municipal animal shelter’s Facebook page. The platform is utilized to announce adoption stories, post adoptable pets, and educate the public on an array of topics such as the health benefits of spaying and neutering, the dangers of declawing cats, tips to protect pets in dangerous weather. That sort of thing. Recently, I posted an educational piece on the never-ending struggle of the overpopulation of feral cats and discussed why “TNR” (Trap, Neuter, Return) is important.
The post received a ton of attention. News stations even came down to do a story! The thread of glowing comments off the Facebook post was 100+ deep yet tucked in between them glared the two-cents of Donny Downer. He was completely against TNR, describing it as an inhumane practice and suggested that these cats be euthanized instead.
Ok, so think about this for a moment. This was a heated topic to begin with. You have 10,000+ animal lovers following this page. For someone to even suggest harming an animal, you know things are about to get ugly.
The response I wanted to give started with a big WTF. But that’s not professional! Instead, I took my own advice of taking a deep breath. I then kindly asked that we agree to disagree on the topic. The bottom line here … I did not engage. I took the high road.
Needless to say, always take the high road. It’s not easy. I know that. I know that your business is your whole heart and soul. You miss Happy Hour, softball games, bridal showers, or bed time with your babies to run it. You are emotionally attached and naturally defensive of your hard work. Maybe the complaints made are legitimate. Take those as constructive criticism and make positive changes to move forward. Do not stoop to the level of the keyboard warriors though. They will simply win every time.
Be sure to check out this related blog post: Staying Afloat In A Sea Full Of Critics: How To Respond To Negative Reviews
2. Don’t be late to the party.
Respond to inquiries within 24-48 hours. Whether they’re private messages or public posts/comments, the speedier the response, the happier your followers will be. Now don’t stress about answering followers in the middle of the night. I’m just saying, be aware and do your best not to leave them hanging.
This especially applies when you are selling a product or service. If you have a wedding party looking to book a rehearsal dinner or a dog owner looking for a pet sitter, you need to respond very quickly. If you don’t, your competition will! The internet has taken things to a whole new level and customers expect instant gratification when it comes to inquiries or quote requests.
3. Post updates regularly.
Don’t make your followers send out the search party. If you are a bar owner, feature a weekly special. If you own an art studio, share some of your recent work. Oh, and guess what? Customers and clients love to see their smiling faces on your social media! It makes them feel special so share some photos of them, too!
If you are a local lunch spot, snap some photos of your regulars. If you are an electrician or landscaper, post pictures of your projects … and sprinkle in some educational pieces here and there. For example, a landscaper might post an article about the right time of year to lay grass seed. Anything to keep your platforms fresh and lively. You don’t want to appear dormant. There is always an abundance of cool content you can be leveraging. Sometimes you just need to get a little creative!
4. Use gorgeous graphics.
Ok, I am about to blow your mind. This is crazy complicated. I am just kidding, don’t panic ... but seriously ... your profile photo and cover photos need to be bold and clear. If at all possible, use professional photos.
Have a smartphone? Learn how to take incredible photos with it by reading this blog post: How To Take High Quality Photos On Your iPhone
If you have a logo, use it! Have your graphic designer create a smaller badge-like design for your profile photo and a larger design for a cover photo or Facebook graphic. It’s always good to have different variations of your logo for different purposes. There are tons of different social media platforms, so have a logo that will suit each one.
If you are going to use photos of products, menu items, projects, etc., just be sure they are high quality. Say it with me ... No Blurry Photos. People will click right by your Facebook page if it looks amateur.
5. If needed, hire someone to help.
If you just don’t have the time or aren’t comfortable managing social media accounts, hire someone to do it for you if your budget allows. I promise this will be money well spent if you find a true professional. Remember, you get what you pay for. Discount prices may very well equate to discount service. Do your research. Be sure your social media manager understands your mission, feels your vibe, and will deliver the level of service you deserve. Just because someone offers a service, doesn’t mean they are good at it or are right for you.
Alright social media warriors, you got this!
-Katie
Staying Afloat In A Sea Full Of Critics: How To Respond To Negative Yelp Reviews
Your business is like your baby, right? You’re protective of it. You work extremely hard to support it and make it better each and every day. You have literally poured your blood, sweat, and tears into it. Hence, you see red as perfect strangers publicly lambaste it on platforms like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Facebook.
Over the past several weeks, I spoke to several small business owners who share an aversion for Yelp in particular. Some of the common feedback they divulged included: 1.) Yelp frequently hounds them about advertising (which, btw, they find to be very pricey). 2.) They question Yelp’s integrity and business practices. 3.) 1-star reviews are oftentimes extremely harsh and lack actual constructive feedback for improvements.
The point of this blog post is not to give my personal opinions on Yelp. (If you wish to hear them, comment below and I’ll write a separate blog post.) The point is to give you sound advice for professionally handling negative customer reviews. Because let’s face it, guys. Customer reviews WILL impact your business.
Your business is like your baby, right? You’re protective of it. You work extremely hard to support it and make it better each and every day. You have literally poured your blood, sweat, and tears into it. Hence, you see red as perfect strangers publicly lambaste it on platforms like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Facebook.
Over the past several weeks, I spoke to several small business owners who share an aversion for Yelp in particular. Some of the common feedback they divulged: 1.) Yelp frequently hounds them about advertising (which, btw, they find to be very pricey). 2.) They question Yelp’s integrity and business practices. 3.) 1-star reviews are oftentimes extremely harsh and lack actual constructive feedback for improvements.
The point of this blog post is not to give my personal opinions on Yelp. (If you wish to hear them, however, comment below and I’ll write a separate blog post.) The point is to give you sound advice for professionally handling negative customer reviews. Because let’s face it, guys. Customer reviews WILL impact your business.
Before getting started, I want to point out that I believe restaurants take the WORST beating from Yelpers. If you own a restaurant or are thinking about opening one, KNOW THIS: You will get 1-star reviews. You will be told your food and/or service sucks. You will instinctually want to beat the living s#!t out of the people who post said remarks.
The restaurant business, in general, is excruciating. Now top that with public platforms that encourage everyone to release their inner food critic. You don’t have to be Mario Batali to understand that equates to a recipe for disaster.
I’m here to tell you that negative reviews can actually lead to positive outcomes. I’m sure you’ve heard this before but nobody is perfect. And yes, that includes you and your business. Mistakes will happen. People will call them out on social media. And it’s up to you to address them in the moment.
The beauty of a review site like YeIp is that it can shine light on areas you may need to take a closer look at. For example, if you own a restaurant and 90% of your Yelp reviews suggest that your service is lacking, then guess what? Your service probably needs improvement. It’s the whole “outsider looking in” philosophy. When you’re in the thick of it, day in and day out, sometimes it’s not so easy to see the obvious.
Ok, so now let’s talk about addressing those 1-star ratings.
1. Create a Yelp business account and claim your business.
In order to respond to Yelp reviews, you’ll first need to open a Yelp account and claim your business. Note: This will be a different account than your personal Yelp account (if you have one). You can open an account and claim your business using the link below.
Yelp For Business: https://biz.yelp.com
Not only will your Yelp business account allow you to respond to reviews, but it also gives you the ability to update information about your business (location, hours, parking, etc.), direct message people who have reviewed you, and manage ads if you so desire.
A good rule of thumb is to monitor your Yelp reviews daily. I would highly recommend responding to negative reviews within 24 hours and posting your comments publicly. It will show that you are indeed listening to your customers. Posting public comments can also help enlighten fellow Yelp users on your side of a story.
(For positive reviews, Yelp encourages you to respond with a direct message to the customer rather than a public comment. A simple “thank you” is a nice touch!)
2. Take a breather.
Get your emotions in check before posting a response to a negative review. This is critical! You do NOT want to come off as defensive or as a hot head. Read the review, take a breath, and then revisit it after you’ve cooled down.
Especially in circumstances where debasing remarks have been made, you’ll need to take the high road. Do NOT get into a pissing match with the customer. You will lose.
3. Assess the situation.
After you’ve performed yoga, squeezed your stress ball, or puffed into your paper bag a few times, read the review again … this time, from a more objective place. Was there any merit to what was said? Or was the review simply a rant? If the customer has legitimate points, make sure you address them and try to make the situation right.
For example, if someone complains their server was rude or not attentive, your response might be:
“I’m very sorry to hear you did not enjoy your recent experience. Customer service is a top priority for us and I would like to find out more about what happened during your visit. Please email me or direct message me if you wish to discuss this further.”
Now, if the customer is ranting or being just plain obnoxious, I think it’s ok to be a little more direct with them (without being unprofessional, of course). Below is a real-life example of a 1-star rating we recently responded to on behalf of a client:
“Small and tasteless portions. They try to act like a trendy west coast style place. But food and service is horrible. Not sure how they stay open between food and the prices. If they want to run a west coast style restaurant go to west coast. East coasters won't eat this trash.”
As you can probably tell, this would be classified as a rant. Vague comments. No substantive details.
Here was our response:
“[CUSTOMER NAME], you're clearly dissatisfied with your experience with us but your review lacks specific details on what needs to be addressed. You claim that our "food and service is horrible" ... what exactly did you try on the menu? Were you sitting at a table or at the bar? Your comment that "East Coasters won't eat this trash" is simply a rant; not constructive criticism that we could potentially utilize to make improvements. If you wish to provide actual substance to back your 1-star review, please reach out to me directly at [BUSINESS OWNER EMAIL].”
If you’re wondering, the angry patron has still yet to reply back.
The main takeaways here: 1.) Always come across as professional. 2.) Try to make right on legitimate wrongs. 3.) Keep your responses short and sweet and take the more in-depth discussions offline.
Lastly, Yelp does let you report certain types of reviews. I’ve listed them out below. Unfortunately, if your 1- or 2-stars don’t fall into any of these categories, there’s really nothing you can do except politely comment on them publicly.
It was posted by a competitor or ex-employee.
It contains threats, lewdness, or hate speech.
It doesn’t describe a personal consumer experience.
It violates Yelp’s privacy standards.
It contains promotional material.
It’s for the wrong business.
4. Ease your suffering.
The occasional 1- or 2-star review is not going to take your business down. Trust me! In fact, your competitors are receiving them, too. Don’t believe me? Go scroll through their Yelp reviews and sort them by Lowest Rated to see for yourself.
Think of Yelp as a tool that you can use to your advantage. Don’t focus so much on individual reviews … instead, assess what the community is saying as a whole. If you read all of your reviews taking a more objective approach, the common denominators (in both positive and negative comments) will be very obvious.
Namaste.
5 Small Business Marketing Resolutions For 2018
Happy New Year! Katie and I have big plans for The Little Marketing Genius this year. In the midst of our own organizing and planning, I thought that now would be a great time to share some tips for getting your marketing kick-started in 2018. The recipe mixes business with fun so it’s sure to be a success. Let’s do this!
Happy New Year! Katie and I have big plans for The Little Marketing Genius this year. In the midst of our own organizing and planning, I thought that now would be a great time to share some tips for getting your marketing kick-started in 2018. The recipe mixes business with fun so it’s sure to be a success. Let’s do this!
1. Commit to getting really good at one social media platform.
If you currently use social media, you most likely have felt overwhelmed at one point or another … especially if you’re trying to manage multiple different channels. My advice: pick ONE platform and become an expert at it. If you’ve been half-assing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat, now’s the time to try this new approach.
If you’re currently managing multiple channels, narrow down which one is getting the most traction. If you’re not currently using social media, you’ll want to do a little research to gain insights on which platform might work best for your particular type of business. For example, if you’re a local fashion boutique, Instagram would be a prime choice for showcasing amazing photos of your latest trends.
Once you have your platform picked out, dedicate at least 15-20 minutes a day to it. Learn more about it. Scope out how small businesses similar to yours are using it. And, most importantly, post to it! Consistency and compelling content are the keys to being successful on social media.
2. Start a blog and strive to publish at least two posts a month.
Katie and I are huge advocates of blogging. Why? Because it abso-freaking-lutely works to drive web traffic!
“Every time you write a blog post, it's one more indexed page on your website, which means it's one more opportunity for you to show up in search engines and drive traffic to your website in organic search.” [HubSpot: Why Blog? The Benefits of Blogging for Business and Marketing.]
Now you might be saying to yourself, “But I’m not a writer!” My rebuttal to that: if you can verbally explain your product/service to customers each day, then you can write about it, too! Blogging is easy and you DO NOT have to be an English major in order to launch great content.
Now, if you’re not used to writing, getting started might feel a tad awkward (and perhaps frustrating). However, the more you do it, the more comfortable it will become. All it takes is commitment and patience.
My biggest piece of advice concerning your blog is having CONFIDENCE. You are the expert on your small business. And you spend countless hours each week answering questions and explaining your products or services to people. Do you know what that means? You have a wealth of information to share in a blog format!
And bonus … when you develop interesting and informative content based on your own experiences it not only positions you as a thought leader, but also creates a fantastic opportunity for you to share something on social media!
3. Do something that you love (not work-related) once per month.
I don’t know about you guys but when I’m engaging in a hobby or activity that I love, it always helps re-energize my creativity and passion. I added this item to the list of resolutions because I truly believe that marketing success starts and ends with those very two things: creativity and passion. If you’re like most small business owners, your brain is probably always on overdrive. Make 2018 the year that you dedicate a few hours a month to letting loose!
My go-to activity: painting. Yup, those watercolor popsicles you see here were done by yours truly during a fit of some much-needed art therapy right before Christmas. I’m also a HUGE fan of Paint Your Pet Nights at Splat Art Studio in Wallingford. Sipping wine and creating Bama, Mickey, and Vi Vi masterpieces with my friends … can it get any better than that?
Participating in a hobby you love will enrich many areas of your life … including your business. So whatever it is, be sure to dedicate time to it at least once a month in 2018!
4. Make To-Do lists.
I’m Little Miss OCD (just ask Katie). While I may be the person who admittedly takes organization to a whole new level, I think that making To-Do Lists are extremely important to staying focused and getting shit DONE!
I’m going to interject with a funny story here. This past holiday season was incredibly stressful. With a business trip to Montreal planned the week before Christmas, I had way too much to do in very short order. Buying/wrapping gifts. Shopping for groceries. Prepping food. Etc. Etc. Etc. I was going a mile a minute right up until Christmas Day.
Anyways, there was one afternoon in the middle of all this chaos that I wanted to go to the gym. I went upstairs on a mission to get my gym bag but, when I reached the wardrobe room where my bag was, I noticed a small mountain of laundry that needed to be addressed (#OCD). I immediately forgot my bag and started separating clothes. I walked back down the stairs (Laundry basket: check. Gym bag: uncheck), put the clothes in the wash, and then realized I had forgotten my bag upstairs. Ok, let’s try this again.
I marched back upstairs, frustrated that I forgot my bag the first time. However, I was next greeted by a fresh pile of cat puke on the carpet. Off to the closet of cleaning supplies I went! As the cats were high-fiving each other on another victory over the Human, I made my way downstairs once again. Yup. Without the gym bag.
On my third trip up the stairs, I was laughing (yet mildly concerned) over my memory loss issues. I had also decided I had enough of a workout climbing up and down the stairs so the gym was probably not needed at this point. The moral of the story: I am basically lost without my good old-fashioned paper To-Do List.
I know you small business owners can totally relate to the whole “too much to do but too little time” thing. It’s the story of our lives. However, creating a daily To-Do List will help keep you focused throughout each day and allow you to achieve micro goals.
As Carrie Barron M.D. puts it, “In a culture with a surfeit of choices, lists can be a way to coalesce and conquer.” If you want a fun and quick read, check out her article: How Making Lists Can Quell Anxiety and Breed Creativity.
5. Exercise.
If you’re like many people, this resolution might have already made your list. According to data from Google, the term “Get Healthy” was searched 62,776,640 last year! Ok, so why did I put Exercise on my list of small business marketing resolutions? Honestly, it’s because I believe living a healthy and active lifestyle (like participating in those hobbies I mentioned in #3) will lead to major positivity gains in all aspects of your life. According to HelpGuide.org, exercise “relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood.”
Now you tell me these aren’t all things that every small business owner can benefit from!
2018 is going to be a magnificent year. God Bless!
-J