As a business owner, it is your responsibility to meet your audience both ways. In the cyber world, social media plays a vital role in building a connection with your customers that will establish trust and loyalty in the long run.
5 Simple Habits for Social Media Success
Social Media can be hard to handle. What do I say? How often should I post? What platforms should I be on? Slow down, breathe, and start with these 5 simple steps. The rest will come with time!
Use the platform that works for you
If you sell something beautiful, you should be on Instagram. If you create services that should be shared, be on Facebook. If you sell to other businesses, build your LinkedIn network. “But the pros say I should be on….” Who cares what everyone else is doing? Do what works for your brand and your audience. Step outside your comfort zone to try new things for 90 days at a time. If you are not gaining momentum or you find it hard to connect with, leave it. You may be saying, “But everyone else is doing XYZ”...Don’t cause yourself more stress. Just do you!
Be predictable
If you post on Monday mornings with a weekend debriefing, your customers will come to expect it from you and even look for it. The one time you miss, they will call you out. Building trust and relationship takes time and effort. You want those who buy from you to be your biggest advertisement. It costs 5x more to acquire new customers than to retain current ones. Plan time to interact with your customers on a regular basis. It doesn’t need to be every day. Pick a pattern that works for you and run with it.
Be unpredictable
While it is true that you should build a rapport with your customers to where they know what to expect, you also need to have a few surprises in your pocket. If you usually post tips or quotes, pop on with a live video every once in awhile. If you typically post sale items using a picture, use creative wording in a graphic instead. Do something out of the ordinary every 2-3 months to catch your audience off guard. They will love you for it.
Tell Your Story
Social Media will not work for you if you are doing it to sell. I am sorry, but it is the truth. People can smell a sales pitch a mile away. If the only thing you post on your social accounts is what you want them to buy, you will have a flat social media presence. No eye-catching graphics or fancy videos will fix that. You need to create a feeling around your product/service. Tell your audience why you are in the business you are in. 98% of the time, there is a beautiful story with great intentions. Convey that! People follow ideas, causes, stories...not products. The products are the result of the story. Show personality and be vulnerable. That is what is important to those who will buy from you.
Keep Your Chin Up
Most social media marketing doesn’t directly tie to dollars. It can seem like you are doing all this work for nothing. The ROI is invisible, what is the use? DON’T THINK LIKE THAT! It takes time and effort to build a business, and sometimes a business doesn’t turn a profit for years. Then one day, BAM! It clicks or something strikes a chord with customers and you are an ‘overnight success’ that has been in business for 10 years. Social media is very similar. It will take time to build a following of a true community, but when you do, they will follow you anywhere and buy pretty much anything from you. Build the relationships and do the work, the payoff will come. Trust the process!
The 10 Minute Fix to Perfecting your Facebook Business Page
At some point in the past, you started a Facebook Business Page. Maybe you did it yourself, maybe your employee did it. Either way...it is done. Here is the killer question: Was it done well? Are there elements that are missing that could be impacting your business? Do you look as professional as you should?
Have no fear! I am going to give you a 3 quick fixes to make sure you are maximizing your pages potential. Ready, Set, GO!
1. Vanity URL
Your Vanity URL is the name of your site in the Facebook web address (ex. Facebook.com/BuzzHustle) AND it is also the tool used to tag your business in conversations (EX. I Love @BuzzHustle so much!). If you are missing this important key, it is a super easy fix!
On your main page, click on About. Then Click Username. A new box will pop up where you can enter your wonderful name. If it gives you an error, pick another one because the one you want is taken.
2. Cover Photo
Your Cover Photo is super important. If you already have one, go to it and make sure it follows these rules. If you do not have one, do this immediately!!!
Rule 1: Make sure all text fits in the box on both Desktop and Mobile. In July, Facebook began rolling out a new business page format. This made cover photos not display correctly. Make sure yours does! If your photo is getting cut off on the sides on mobile, try cropping it to 838px X 315px. This should adjust correctly on both devices.
Once you get your Cover Photo Uploaded and looking awesome, click on it. See that box to the right? Fill it in with information about your business AND your contact information. Small Change, BIG impact!
TIP: To make your Cover Photo have maximum impact, Use it to showcase something impactful about your business. You do not have to use your logo or any words or you can make it nothing but text, but you do need to showcase what is awesome about your business! Here are a few good examples.
3. Profile Photo
Look up at the cover photo examples again. Notice the profile photos on the left?
The profile photo is a logo for a company and the person's face for a personal brand. If you are a company, your logo should be simple, bold, and easy to read. If you are a person, your photo should show your face clearly. Remember that the profile photo is most often seen next to your posts and comments. It is REALLY small! Make sure you can see it well on any device!
Again, just like you did for the cover photo, click on your profile photo and add a sentence or two into the description box to the right. Make sure you include a way to contact your company.
That's it! DONE!
See that wasn't so bad, right?
Time is Money: The Plight of the DIY Business Owner
You will never 'find' time for anything. If you want time, you must make it. - Charles Bruxton
We, business owners, are a tough bunch. We want to do everything ourselves. We want to have our hands in every pie. The only way to know that things are getting done right is to do it ourselves, right? Sound Familiar?
That philosophy sounds all too familiar to me! I am bookkeeper, secretary, graphic designer, marketing dept, janitorial services, and anything else you can think of. I am a solo social media generating machine. Slowly, I am learning the important lesson that I can't do everything. My business is actually better off if I resist the urge to do everything. Getting outside eyes looking at my branding, copy, videos and course presentations helps keep things fresh!
I know it can be scary letting go of the reins, so I suggest giving up one small thing that annoys you the most first. For me, it is proofreading copy. I hate going back and making sure everything makes sense with grammar and punctuation. Pssst....guess what? I didn't outsource this to a person. I did it with an online program called Grammerly. Easy Peasy!
So...now your turn! What are you going to let go of first?
Tweet your answers to me: @buzz_hustle
7 Alternatives to Giving Your First Born for Stock Photos
You are writing a great piece.
You find a perfect photo.
You look at the price and....
This happens WAY too often to me. I bang out an awesome post for myself or a client only to find out that the amazing picture I wanted to use will cost my entire coffee budget for the week. As a solo business owner, a high priced photo can be the kiss of death to an otherwise productive day. What do I do now? Go pull one from Canva? Sure, those are a little overused and unoriginal, but they only cost a dollar. Right?
I recently stumbled upon an article about photographers who are posting their photos for free use. Sure, some of the sites have ads but who doesn't these days. I have found the photos on these sites to be more quirky, raw, and in most cases PERFECT! I am posting the links to the amazing sites while also posting my favorite coffee related photo (My Obsession!) from that particular site. ENJOY!
NOTE: Please read the rules of each site as they may have changed from the date of this post to the date you read it, but as of now, all photos on these sites are free of cost and restriction of use.
RawPixel
Photo Credit: https://coffeegeek.tv/
BONUS! A Royalty Free Video site! http://www.lifeofvids.com/
Why Social Media is Important for Small Business?
You get to show your customer base what you are all about.
The days of being the local one stop shop are sadly gone. People don’t just call ‘the town handyman’ anymore. There are dozens of options for every business, so it is important to show your customers who you are, what you stand for, and that you can be trusted with their business! For example, take a local Rants, Raves, and Reviews group in my town. Someone posted about a really good Philly cheesesteak in a local stop and shop. Within 2 weeks, they were so busy that the lunch hour wait was over an hour. Why? Because word of mouth comes from social media more than a conversation with the neighbor! If you have a quality service or product and the word gets out online, you had better be online to greet them or they will go to the next thing that glitters!
You can respond to complaints immediately.
Most people will not completely blast a company online, but some will! If you are there to apologize and make it right within an hour or two, it will limit the spread. However, if you are not online to find out about it, your bad review will stay in cyberspace forever. Critics (and observers) have serious respect for a business owner who will own up to a problem and offer a solution instead of hoping it will go away.
Your competition is on social media
It is just like any other type of advertisement. If you are not present and someone else is...your business will not get the recognition it deserves. If you are right there with your competition or even *gasp* communicating with them, then you will be continually upping your game and in return increasing your business’s bottom line.
It will increase your business sales
Obviously, if you are posting and interacting with your customer base on a daily basis, you will be on the front of their minds when it comes time to use your service or buy your product. Just today, I was talking to my husband about needing to paint in the living room. I mentioned a handyman I had seen online a few times and said I would contact him on Facebook. In addition to adding yourself to the mind of your customers, you can also offer incentives that keep your online following coming back for more. It is like an exclusive club. They will feel like you are offering a coupon code that only they know about.
It is FREE!!!
That is right. Create visuals using Canva. Create a newsletter using MailChimp. Post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. Write a blog on Wordpress.com. The only thing that it costs you is time. *Cough Cough* The gigantic advertising budgets of yesterday are of no value online. If you can connect with your customer, offer them a personal experience, and give value...you will win their loyalty and urge them to share it with others!
5 Tips to Increase Productivity
We all need more hours in our day. We all need ways to get us moving, get us motivated, and get our work done. I work from home with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. I have blocks of time set aside for working and I try not to work outside of those blocks, so I need a solid plan to keep me as focused as possible. These are the top 5 things I do in my crazy house. If they work for me, then they will work for you!
WORKOUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
Get up. Wash your face, brush your teeth, and drink a glass of water. Then get to it. Do not check your phone. Do not turn on your computer. Get to it and don’t look back until you have been at it for at least 30 minutes.
Not only is exercise good for your health, it is also great for your mind. I take morning runs and sometimes do yoga. During this time, I think about what I need to do for the day. I think about problems that need to be addressed or try to work through issues in my head. Exercise is mindless work. It is a great time to focus inwardly and get really good thoughts circulating. The next step is up to you, but I get done, drink water, then sit down and make my to do list before taking a shower. Since all the thoughts were swirling around in my head, I want to get them on paper as soon as possible. Yes, I use paper (the PUSH GOAL day planner to be exact.)
MAKE A TO DO LIST BEFORE BEGINNING WORK
Brainstorm what the TOP 3 priorities are for the day. These are the things that MUST get done TODAY. If these things do not get done, the entire day will be shot. These are the tasks that other tasks build on. Once, you get these duties on your list, list other work related goals that you need to accomplish within 2-3 days. These are tasks that need to get done, but if they are not done today, it will not ruin your work flow. Maybe they become tomorrow’s top 3, but today they are ok to get to later. Last, in a separate section, list the household/outside of work things you need to do. This can be cleaning, kids activities, dinner plans, pickups at the cleaners, etc.
At this point, I also make a rough schedule. More about that when I talk about breaks.
TURN ON YOUR MUSIC AND PUT ON YOUR BLINDERS
Since I work from home with kids running around, this is dangerous but it still must be done! I would assume that working in an office is no different with all of the chatter buzzing around. Choose a music that you can mindlessly listen to with a good upbeat. I personally listen to Afternoon Acoustic on Spotify. I do not listen to any of these songs any other time than when I am in ‘the zone’. I don’t know if that is important, but it is how it works out for me.
Blinders on means no phone alerts, no texting, no pms, NO FACEBOOK! I wear an apple watch, so I can see who is texting or calling but do not have access to my phone. If it is my kids school, I answer. Otherwise, I let it go. I have disabled any and all alerts that might pop up on my desktop to distract me while I am working. This may sound extreme to some, but do not worry. I have a method to my madness. Read on….
TAKE SCHEDULED BREAKS - SET A TIMER
Earlier, I mentioned the rough schedule. I make a rough outline of what must be done in order to accomplish my goals for the day, as well as remember the outside of work things that need to be done. I ALWAYS leave 10 - 30 minutes open between blocks of time. I use this time to get up and walk around, check my phone, use the bathroom, and refill my water. Since I work from home and still have Stay At Home Mom duties, I also schedule in pick up times, playdates, grocery shopping, etc. This keeps me on track because it can be so easy to let those things take the day over without getting any work done. This is my schedule for today, in case you need it visualized:
Work on Blog 6:30-7:30
Breakfast/Clean up 7:30-8:00
M School 8:00-9:30 (getting dressed, drop off, come home)
Work on Blog 9:30 - 11:30
M School 11:30-12:30 (pick up)
Clean 1:00 - 2:00 (Today, my task is cleaning bathrooms)
M Dance Class 2:00-4:00
Work ( research) 4:00 - 5:30
Family time 5:30-8:30
Work (Reply to all SM interactions) 8:30-10:30
It is a crazy schedule and it is never the same thing twice, but if I write it out everyday fresh, life is MUCH easier! I also set alarms on my phone for each stopping point (7:30, 11:30, 5:30, 10:30 in example) so that I can stay on track. It is so easy to say “Just one more minute and I can get this done” and it turns into 15-20 minutes….and I am off track with the day's tasks! As mentioned earlier, as soon as my work time is up I pick up my phone and check missed calls and messages. I only scroll my personal facebook after all my work is done.
MARK TASKS OFF LIST WITH A RED MARKER
This may sound silly, but seriously...DO IT! The sense of accomplishment when physically marking things off of a list is HUGE! When I kept my list on my phone and would check something off, it would disappear...but there are still a list there with lots of stuff. Now, when I mark off with a red marker, I can glance at my list and see how much I have accomplished! It is motivating to see what you can do in a day. I use red, just because of the WOW factor. You could use black or purple, but there is just something about red that says “HA! I HAVE DEFEATED YOU EVIL TO DO LIST!” No?...maybe that is just me!
Do you have a tip/trick that works for you? Please share below!