I Want To Be Your Social Media BFF

The most frequently asked question I get from small businesses I encounter is 'What exactly do you do?'  

The short answer:

I make your company look good online.

The long answer:

I make sure your customers know how to contact you.

I tell them about sales and offers.

I convey your brand and culture.

I appeal to new customers and engage loyal ones.

I build rapport with your followers so they will, in turn, evangelize your products.

I stay on top of trends and changes in social media.

I make sure the path from your social media page to your cash register is a smooth one.

I build turn angry complainers into satisfied customers.

I write your words, create your pictures, tell your story, and promote your brand...in your voice....while you do what you do best - YOUR BUSINESS!

I want to be your Social Media BFF!

Drop me a line on your favorite platform!

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

Pexels

Photo Credit: https://coffeegeek.tv/

Kaboompics

StockSnap.io

Unsplash

Lifeofpix

PicJumbo

BONUS!  A Royalty Free Video site!  http://www.lifeofvids.com/

What is a Social Media Manager?

When someone asks me what I do and I reply, “I own a Social Media Managing business.”  The reactions range from a glazed-over look of confusion to a blatant “Oh?  Is that a real thing?”

gify.com

Seriously, the job of a social media manager is 100% essential in today's online world.  The problem is that big corporations have known this for YEARS!  The small mom and pop business, however, heard once upon a time that they needed a Facebook like page for their business.  So, they started one.  And that's it.   They wonder why no one is liking, commenting, interacting, or otherwise noticing its existence.

“Treat your business like a business and it will pay you like a business. Treat your business like a hobby and it will cost you like a hobby.”

— Lisa Suttora

This quote is at the heart of the social media conundrum for small businesses.  So many times small businesses feel the need to cut corners in order to keep their heads above water.  I understand!  I am a small business too.   I run my business myself.  I make the phone calls, meet customers, and pay the bills myself.  I get it!

The part that is hard to understand for most is that social media is actually pretty easy to keep up with and is THE MOST POWERFUL marketing tool they can me using.  The cost is minimal.  The potential is HUGE!  The kicker comes with education and time (but then when doesn't it, right?)  So, that is where I come in.  My business is to do one of three things (sometimes interchangeably, sometimes all together.)

reachlocal.com

WHAT I DO:

1) Teach business owners how to properly set up social media accounts that are right for their type of business.  Let’s face it.  If you are a photographer, artist, designer, decorator, baker, cake decorator, underwater basket weaver...anything creative with a pretty product.  YOU BELONG ON INSTAGRAM!  When I ask all of the crafty folks at the farmer’s market where I can find them on Instagram and they say ‘Yeah, I don’t really do that.” I stop, have a slight heart attack and then proceed to politely suggest that it would be a GREAT idea to go ahead and do that!  

2) Suggest content for posting or ideas for crowd appeal.  I know it seems like an insurmountable task to post on multiple social media channels every day.  Small business owners have multiple questions.  Do these sound familiar?

These are all legitimate questions.  I find that when I sit down with a business owner and discuss all the concerns then make a plan for moving forward, the fear of social media evaporates.  Sometimes it is a simple as a reassurance that they are doing everything right and just need to keep truckin’.  Sometimes it is a recommendation to take advantage of my management services.   

3) Offer management services.  See what I did there?  Tricky, right? If a customer needs someone to take the wheel and drive, I can do that.  If they need me to field comments and complaints for them, I can do that.  If they want to run a giveaway online but aren’t sure how to go about it, I can run that one thing then disappear forever.  If they need someone to write blog posts for them, I can do that.  It really is anything they need, no matter how big or small.  

canva.com

The honest to goodness truth is I spend hour upon hours a day pouring over trends, changes, graphics, blog posts, and news.  I write articles.  I create beautiful pictures.  I engage in conversations.  I answer questions. I log in and out of a dozen social media accounts a day.  

Why?  

bestanimations.com

So small businesses with limited resources can grow and flourish.

FOLLOW ME:

 

FB for Small Business: Practical Uses

There are 50 Million Small Business Facebook Pages.

It is a part of opening a business these days.  

The problem comes after the setup.  

You may ask, “What do I post?”  “How often?”  “How do I make sure I am not bothersome to my customers?”

These are all real concerns and rightly so.  The thing that you must remember is that someone who likes your page wants to hear from you, if they don’t they will unlike you.  So, don’t worry about being an overposter (unless you post 10 times a day...that is too much!)

I want to share a few ideas with relevant examples for small business of various kinds to give a jumping off point for posting.  Obviously, these are just a few ways to use facebook, but hopefully it will spark a brainstorm for you!

• Events - Holidays, Community Involvement, Special Occasions

  1. A restaurant could post details about a Kids Eat Free night.  Tell if there is a special element like a movie or balloon artist.  You could include the kids menu, so parents could already have in mind what to feed the kids.  You might add a photo of the drink specials for the parents too!  

  2. A pet bakery could show free treats offered on National Dog Day.  You could take pictures of pets as they come in and post them throughout the day.  If someone loves pets enough to shop at a pet bakery, you bet they love them enough to look at photos of them all day!

  3. During a community event, like a Farmer’s Market, near your place of business, you could post specials available just during the event.  Make an impression on the front of people's minds to come visit you while walking around the market.  The options here are endless: Freebies, samples, discounts, or highlight seasonal items.  

• Product Features - Special Items, Tools, Services

  1. As the local coffee shop, people who frequent your shop will want to know about any new offerings or specials on favorites!  It's Fall?  Pumpkin Spice ANYTHING! Christmas time? Peppermint.  New Easter Basket shaped cookies? Post it!  

  2. Shipping stores can post seasonal shipping boxes.  Promote a box or envelope that is already festive.  People will make a special trip in just to use the packaging.  Special Edition postage can also be a good draw!  When the season is over, tell your customers about sale or clearance items so they can stock up for next year and you can clear inventory!

  3. A plumber could feature the tool she uses to pull a doll or toy car out of the toilet.  A comical but all too real post like this would get the attention of customers while letting them know you are friendly, efficient, and can get the job done.  The same kind of post could be make for any kind of home service.  Show the tools of the trade or special services offered that address issues that people may be embarrassed about.  It shows you are sympathetic to their needs, but also prepared for anything.

• Content - Information, Tips, Guides, Checklists

  1. A great example of this is Lawn Care tips for every season.  If you are a lawn care company, you know that it is not the lack of knowledge that drives business to you, it is the lack of time.  So, show our knowledge by offering tips for caring for lawns, shrubs, or gardens.  When a lawn service is needed, your audience will remember your name because they trust your advice!

  2. How about a Gift Basket business showing how to tie pretty bows?  This could be a video or infographic with step by step instructions.  Like above, you will show your know-how and when your services are needed, you will be remembered as the expert in your niche.

  3. A bar or pub could offer fancy drink recipes.  Seasonal cocktails are always popular.  The truth is that people don’t always need or want to drink away from home, so provide good recipes they can use at a cocktail party to wow their friends.  Then when it is time for a night out on the town, they will come to you for the original recipe AND their friends will come to you for a taste test comparison!

• Video - Pre Shot OR (even better) LIVE!

  1. Show behind the scenes of your bakery getting ready for the morning rush.  Show the hard working employees, the ovens firing up, the coffee being brewed.  Remind patrons of the hard work that goes into their morning routine and they will love you all the more for it!

  2. While setting up for your holiday celebration at your brewery/pub, show the decorations coming out, the band setting up, the glasses ready to be filled.  Build anticipation for the event, while simultaneously reminding your customers to come participate and informing those who did not have prior knowledge.  

  3. Interview the chef at your restaurant about the Valentine’s Day specials.  You will want to post the menu, pricing, reservation information also (see #1), but a video of the chef describing the food in his own words will add another level of interest.  It also puts a face to who is preparing the food which is missing in most restaurants!

  4. Interviews (or even short comments) from patrons in your store.  They could state a favorite product, talk about an employee they love to visit with, even do a mini advertisement.  When a customer compliments you on a job well done, just say “Thanks so much!  Would you mind saying that again on video?”  Most of the time, they will say yes!   

Hopefully, these suggestions have sparked a few ideas of your own.  If you need any more ideas or want to talk over some of the suggestions above, contact me.  I would love to discuss how your business could use facebook to connect with your customers!  You can email me at sarah@buzzhustle.com or reach me on Facebook!

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 Keys to Attention Grabbing Facebook Posts

The only thing worse than doughnuts at the office on the first day of Whole 30 is spending hours on posts for Facebook only to have them fall flat with no engagement.  So, here are a few tips to make sure people are not only seeing your posts but are compelled to pay attention!

Tip # 1

When it comes to content, ask yourself “Is this something I would want to read?”  Is it boring, flat, humorless, offensive, poor quality, or error ridden?  If you wouldn’t want to read your own content, then no one else is either!  Remember these few tips!

• HAVE FUN! Talk to your audience as if they are your friends. As a small business owner, they should be! These are your people who like your stuff or store or food. Speak to them as if they were in your place of business.

• Work Smart! Write your posts in Word prior to posting to check for grammar or spelling mistakes OR download an addon like Grammarly to check as you go! Also, check all your links before you hit send. Nothing is more annoying than an engaging post that doesn’t go anywhere!

• Keep your content short and sweet. Social Media Examiner suggests 100 characters or fewer.

Tip # 2

Engagement on a personal level with your audience is key!  A few ways to keep engament high are:

• Images (use a photo editor to add your logo, quotes, or slogans)

• Ask a Question at the end of your post text. Where, When, Should...or do a ‘like if you would’ type questions. No Why Questions. People will skip responding if they have to think or type to much.

• Do 'behind the scenes'. How do you celebrate birthdays, decorate for holidays, in addition to how you do your day to day operations.

• Special ‘secret’ deals for FB users. For example, I have a promo code that I only publish on Facebook and I make sure they know it. "FB EXCLUSIVE JUST FOR YOU!"

• Take advantage of current events: Women's Day, Elections, Olympics. It proves you are relevant and active in modern culture.

• Give directions aka call to action - Post, Comment, submit, like, tell us, share

Tip # 3

Mix status updates up: educate, entertain, promote, inspire - track the analytics of your posts to see what works the best with your audience.

Tip # 4

Relate what you are posting to the type of media required.  Videos get the most engagement, but if you posted videos everyday people would lose interest.  

Consider the point of the post.

• Icing tip? Video.

• New blog post? Link with picture

• Special Event? Photo.

• Question? Text in a graphic.

Tip # 5

Post at the Right Time

If you don’t post your Facebook updates when your audience is most likely to see them, you can’t expect good engagement. When is the right time to post? Well, it varies depending on your audience.  For example, if you know your target group consists of working mothers, lunchtime and evenings are probably going to be effective times for you to post because that’s when they’re likely taking a break.

My advice is to always post half an hour before the prescribed optimal time. If the majority of your fans log into Facebook at 8pm, your update should go live by 7:30pm. That way, when your fans come online your post will already be in their news feed.

Adapted from Social Media Examiner

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!

5 Amazing Books for Personal Development

You Are A Badass - Jen Sincero

 In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. The kind you’ve never made before.

Rising Strong - Brene Brown

Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall.

It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people—from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents—shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. She asked herself, What do these people with strong and loving relationships, leaders nurturing creativity, artists pushing innovation, and clergy walking with people through faith and mystery have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean in to discomfort.

The Slight Edge - Jeff Olson

The Slight Edge is a way of thinking, a way of processing information that enables you to make the daily choices that will lead you to the success and happiness you desire. Learn why some people make dream after dream come true, while others just continue dreaming and spend their lives building dreams for someone else. The Slight Edge is not just another self-help tool for traveling the path to success. It is the doorway to creating powerful results in any area of your life, by using tools you already hold within you.

Presence - Amy Cuddy

By accessing our personal power, we can achieve "presence," the state in which we stop worrying about the impression we're making on others and instead adjust the impression we've been making on ourselves. As Harvard professor Amy Cuddy's revolutionary book reveals, we don't need to embark on a grand spiritual quest or complete an inner transformation to harness the power of presence. Instead, we need to nudge ourselves, moment by moment, by tweaking our body language, behavior, and mind-set in our day-to-day lives.

A Year of Yes - Shonda Rhimes

This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood creating imaginary friends to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her (like Cristina Yang, whose ultimate goal wasn’t marriage, and Cyrus Beene, who is a Republican and gay). And it chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun—when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and giving the Dartmouth Commencement speech; when she learned to say yes to her health, yes to play and she stepped out of the shadows and into the sun; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes.
This wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes, an unexpected introvert, achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. And how you can, too.

4 Perks of an Email Newsletter

1. You have a group of dedicated followers ready to hear what you have to say.

The customers who walk into your store or visit your online storefront want to hear from you.  They want to know when you are having a sale.  They want to know if you have a coupon they can use.  They want to know if you will be open late hours for the holidays.  Open communication with your customers is KEY to your success and their faithful patronage!

2. Allows you to reach your readers on a personal level – their inbox.

Personally, when I scroll through my social media feeds unless a really cute graphic catches my eye, I scroll on by.  However, when I get an email from someone I signed up to, I stop and read (at least the subject) to see what is going on.  Something that is so special to need an email is worth my time.  

3. Keeps your blog in front of their eyes and makes them aware of new content and new projects you are working on.

When sending out newsletter containing new blog content, you are adding value to the lives of your customers.  They may not catch your announcement or piece of advice in their social media feed, but it will be waiting for them in their email inbox.  

4. If you ever decide to sell a new product or service, you have an engaged audience ready to buy.

When you have a loyal following who already love your brand or store, they will be ready to buy anything you have to offer.  Coffee Shop who now offers donuts.  Etsy monogram shop who now sells custom decals.  Restaurant who now plays live music on weekends.  Your customers what to know and they will respond!!!