by Karen Petrauskas | Apr 29, 2021
We all know that marketing is important to any business, but when it comes to social media, are you one that forgets about creating regular posts and engaging with your customers online?
Yes it can be easy to forget, we get that – you’re a busy business owner with lots of plates to spin – but it’s also a vital part of your growth strategy which will help you further down the line.
- Putting off posting because you don’t know WHAT to post?
- Putting off posting because you don’t have the TIME to post?
- Putting off posting because you don’t think it’s RELEVANT?
All of these factors are important things to consider – but when you understand them, it’s a lot easier to put them into practice.
What to post on social media:
So many people have absolutely no idea what to post on their social media channels. We hear things like “I want to grow my business, but what on earth do I put on a Facebook page?”. They watch us take over for a month, and they’re like… “yes, we get it now”.
The first thing to do when you hit a brick wall like this is to get your notepad out and start to write everything down about your business. Split it up into sections, for example, if you’re running an e-commerce store:
- What types of stock do you sell
- Who is the stock for / age range / demographics etc
- What are the prices
- What’s your USP? Unique selling proposition. What makes you stand out from the rest. What makes your product better than anything else?
- Who would benefit from your products.
… you get the idea – everything you can think of in relation to what your business is about.
This then can be thought of in terms of a Facebook or Instagram post. Creating a post that’s showcasing a particular beauty product, list it’s benefits, who it’s for and the amazing price. This of course, would be a post that is targeting for selling.
*Tip: Don’t sell, sell, sell across your channels, you’ll need to mix it up with other engaging content as well.
When to post on social media:
Take some time to research when and where your audience is hanging out and what times of day they are most likely going to see your content. If you’re targeting new parents, during the day probably wouldn’t be best, as they’re busy looking after their newborn. But, how about early in the morning when everyone else is still in bed and they’re up feeding the baby at stupid-o-clock? Or later in the evening when they’ve put the baby to bed and have some time to lounge on the sofa and check their Facebook feed?
Get into the mindset of the reader and consider the most likely times they will be around. This might take a few trial and errors, but you’ll soon discover what times of day gets the most engagements. Then all your content can be scheduled ahead of time, ready to reach the reader when they’re ready.
Is your social media content relevant?
Some people think that their content is just not that relevant to others on social media, they have a ‘boring’ niche, or it’s not your average choice of reading material. Hey, everyone’s got to have what they need at some point in time, and why not while they’re scrolling their news feeds?
We’ve worked with quite a few Accountants in the past, and this is pretty similar to how they think – who’s going to want to hear about accountancy when they’re trying to relax!
Well, let’s switch it up a bit. You’ve got your newbie mum, looking after her baby and has lots of amazing ideas for what she could do instead of going back to work. She is etching to get a new business started when she has some free time. She’s worried that she won’t have the right knowledge in order to get started. Should she be a sole trader, start as a Limited Company… she’s lost. One evening she puts the kids to bed, tidies up the toys, and makes room to stop for the last part of the evening for some ‘me’ time and heads over to her Instagram feed. The first post that pops up is an accountancy company giving their top 5 tips for starting a new business – with tips on choosing the right type of company structure. This post instantly appeals to her and she stops to read, gaining confidence in the content she’s just read and giving her more ideas for her new business venture. Where is she likely to go back to when she wants to learn more?
You’ve got to know who your content is relevant for, how to target them and how to hit their sweet spot.
Your content isn’t going to be relevant if you go and post something about home life, when you’re looking for professionalism. It’s not going to be relevant if you want to target older couples and you use images of teenagers… work out who you’re speaking to and create the content to reach them in their safe zones.
At the end of the day, your competition WILL be online and growing their business through social media, and we don’t want you to get left behind. Your social media channels are a lifeline and can create many opportunities to see bigger and better results.
So get the post-it notes out and leave reminders for yourself to post on Social – every day is possible! Create a reminder on your phone to make time to write the content. When you find something that inspires you, write it on a post-it and keep them to one side ready for when you’re able to sit down and post… just get social! â€ïž
Need help getting started? Get in touch today đ
In the meantime, we’d love to give you a copy of our Social Media Awareness Days Calendar to give you some ideas of what to post about – find the ones that are relevant, get the conversation started and jump on the engagement with lots more relevant and timely content. Have fun!
by Karen Petrauskas | Jul 25, 2020
Our social media news feeds are filled to overflowing of posts and articles that half of the time are pointless to us. There is so much content out there that it can be really hard to make an impact or float your business above everything else that is going on out there. But there is a way for you to be proud of your posts and make people more aware of you and your brand – and that’s by being passionate about your business.
Let’s be honest, it’s quite easy to put a quick Facebook post together and put it out there in the hope that someone will see it but it’s not as easy to create a post that is going to get noticed and create a reaction.
We need to stop ‘just putting posts out there’ and start being passionate about our brand, the products or services that we produce and put our enthusiasm into the content. There was a reason you started your business, there is a reason why you believe in what you’re doing, there is a reason why you want people to work with you. You have a story to tell, you have a drive and motivation that you want to get out there… and that’s the ammunition that you need to use in order to create a result.
Start with yourself and your story
This is a good place to start, from the beginning. What made you passionate about what you’re doing? How did the whole business get started and how has it built to where it is today? Take your customers / followers on a journey or getting to know the real you. Let them gain enthusiasm like you do and take them through all that you love, say, do in order to really understand everything that you’re doing. You want to create a bond, a trust with your audience and you want them to love your brand as much as you do.
Speak with relevance
As we said, anyone can create a quick Facebook post but does it have meaning, is it true to your business, will it inspire or educate someone, does it reflect your brand? All these things make up what a post should include. It needs to speak to your ideal audience, not your next door neighbour or family member. Don’t put up a post that has no meaning or relevance to your business, you can do this on your personal profiles, but stick to relevant content that your readers are going to want to hear.
Create eye-catching content
We’re not all brilliant graphic designers but there are many (free) tools out there that can help. If you’ve not yet discovered Canva, we suggest you take a look! The perfect space for you to create images to the right size, with the right feel, utilising templates, colours, fonts and more to speak to your audience. There are many pre-made templates to inspire you and if you simply don’t have an eye for design, you can use these as your own. There are also many royalty free stock image sites that you can make use of too. The image you choose for your social media posts are going to be the stopping point, or not, for your readers. If they like the image, they’ll stop to read what you have to say.
Use thought-provoking copy
Just like the image, your copy should make someone have a reaction. Whether you are trying to make them smile, laugh, cry or think, touching a reader’s emotion will create an impact. By understanding your audience and knowing what they are looking for, you’ll have a better understanding of what to put in your posts. Create emotion, empathy, use real-life illustration or examples – touch hearts and minds by what you write.
Use call-to-actions
You don’t need to do this in every post but the way to create engagement is to tell your readers what you want them to do after reading your post. Do you want them to comment, to share, to click through to a website? Ask them to! In most cases you need to ask someone to go to the next step in order for them to do it. It’s not cheeky and don’t feel guilty about asking people to do things – use your social media in the best way possible to get people to know, like and trust you – if that’s by giving them something further to follow or read, that’s fine!
With everything you create online, be sure to keep it branded, relevant and inspirational. You want your content to stand out and you need people to engage, as that’s what social media is all about! The key to growing your business, seeing an increase in sales, building a following and creating a sustainable business is in the engagement. When you’ve established how to get people to interact and engage, you’re on the right path to seeing the rest fall into place.
If you’d like help with creating a strategy or social media marketing plan that will keep your audience coming back for more, we’d love to talk. We’re online marketing specialist who love to get social, love to get to know your business and want to help you create a successful, engaging brand online. Get in touch today!
In the meantime, why not download our social media checklist – don’t forget the basics to get you started. It’s FREE! đ
by Karen Petrauskas | Jun 11, 2020
With social media being the most popular way for people to communicate with a business, it is a given that businesses need to be responsive and interact on social media to keep their customers and audience engaged. A place where consumers can discover more about a brand, learn more about a product or service and get to know and trust a business before making a purchase.
The growing popularity of social media makes it an essential place for businesses to be and to reach their audience right where they are. It provides a faster and more personal touch to any conversation and allows the follower to feel cared for and part of a community. However, there are some rules and things that you can adhere to, to ensure that youâre covering the right basis and interacting in a positive way.
Post valuable content
Whatever social media content you produce needs to (and should always) produce value. Personal profiles are the place where other non-business things can be shared and talked about, but when it comes to your business profile, your customers want to see that they can rely on you giving value and being supportive when they need it. Whether youâre giving an inspirational quote or sharing a tip or advice, make sure that your followers can benefit from it.
It doesnât always have to be something that you have written, this is called curated content. If another business or industry expert has written a relevant and valuable blog post, why not share this to your audience? Tip: You can use other people’s content to grow your own brand awareness!
Show some personality with your voice
You are your brand, yes, but the voice that you portray across social media content should reflect the right tone for your business. People will see through split personalities and conflicts of interests â be true to your brand, the core values that you believe in and the way you want your business to be seen and heard.
Create a voice across social media where you can be yourself and give a good impression of every aspect of your business. Your unique voice is your authenticity and is essential in speaking to the right people, engaging with the right people and reaching the people that are going to want to grow with you and the brand.
Creating your unique voice will make you stand out in a crowded digital space, make you stand apart from the other businesses and competition, and increase your chances of being heard and appreciated, trusted and loved. Become known in a digital world that is fighting for attention by being authentic.
Keep your social media simple
Thereâs nothing worse than trying to jump on every social channel, keep up with the large organisations and compete with everyone out there â itâs not going to work! Keep your social media marketing simple, make it as easy as possible with the best possible results. Learning to be effective and efficient in your online marketing will make life a lot easier and will help control stress levels which can increase when someone tries to everything all at once.
If you establish that you need to be doing more and keeping up with bigger competition, or even that youâre not the right person to be doing the marketing (everyone has their strengths and weaknesses) then why not think about outsourcing your social media to a VA (virtual assistant) or a digital agency that has the resources and expertise to be productive and reach your business objectives.
When it comes to simply, start with sticking to the point in everything that you post â captions, images, text & copy â keep it simple and easy to manage. Once you start making it complicated and adding in extras, your audience will expect that every time and it is obviously harder to keep up with. Start small and increase as you have the time and skills to do so.
Monitor your social channels
Thereâs one thing to create a great social media plan and schedule every post for a month in advance, but itâs something else to monitor the reactions and engagements that come from those posts. Be reactive and responsive on the content; when someone comments, respond. When someone shares, thank them. When someone recommends, engage. At all times monitor your social media profiles along with other peopleâs content that mentions you â this is called social listening and is a very valuable tool.
Make the most of User Generated Content
Your followers and consumers are the people who drive your business forward, who are an influence to others seeking out your business and are the people that will help you build trust and confidence with new customers.
UGC not something that is essential in your social media strategy but always an action that will help.
When someone shouts out about your business â engage with them and share their posts on your social channels. Their reviews, experiences, journey with your business can be shown to other people looking in â utilise User Generated Content wherever possible. Not only will it help with finding a variation in your content, but it will provide insight and reassurance to others.
Above all when it comes to your online marketing efforts, be consistent and on the ball with everything. Diffuse controversy, especially when itâs something that effects your business or nature. When you say youâre going to post, post. When you get into a routine, be sure to keep it up â people expect what they are used to and can get despondent or bored if they feel let down. Be true to your brand and let your personality shine through in your content. Organise, plan and prepare everything â thereâs always room to add in extras, but ensure you have your basis covered first.
How do you manage your interaction and engagement on social media? Are you finding that youâre not effective or productive? Do you love social media and have some success stories to share with your audience? Are you looking to outsource your online marketing so you can focus on other parts of your business? Do you need a marketing strategy to work towards? Whatever your situation, weâd love to listen or help you engage and interact with your online audience, feel free to get in touch and letâs talk!
In the meantime, our Social Media Checklist can help, youâre welcome to download our FREE resource to give you the first step up. Click the link below.
by Karen Petrauskas | Apr 24, 2020
There was a time when online marketing was seen as an extra and something to do if your business had the resource, however now, more than ever, your online presence is an important and essential part of your business strategy.
Even before the global lock down, businesses large and small were recognising the need for communicating online. The move between traditional and digital advertising is forever increasing and with the amount of people accessing the internet on a daily basis growing as well, itâs a sure sign that this is where your business should be showing up.
However what areas of digital and online marketing should you focus on in order to gain the best results and see the best possible outcomes of your efforts? You donât need to be completely tech savvy but there are some things that will helps you along the way.
First off, what is online marketing?
Online marketing is a subset of the bigger picture of digital marketing and refers to any type of marketing that takes place online. This could relate to social media, blogs, email newsletters, websites etc. Itâs main purpose or focus is to attract customers and to help build an online presence.
Why use online marketing?
Your customers and prospects are looking for you online! The people you are trying to reach are spending much of their time online, theyâre already searching for your services / products or what you have to offer â and hereâs your chance to be there for them.
The benefits of marketing online?
As a small business or start up company, the main focus is going to be getting the first set of customers through the door. In the past, people would send leaflets through letterboxes or leave business cards in shop windows but now there is a much easier and more effective way to achieve results. The benefits of using online marketing include:
- Being able to interact and engage with your audience in real-time, 24 hours a day, being there at their time of need and providing a flow of communication when they want to hear from you.
- The ability to reach a wider audience, a global market-place, targeting specific groups or demographics where necessary.
- The ability to get to know and understand your audience, understanding their pain points and what they are looking for the most and building a relationship and trust between you.
- A cheaper and more cost-effective way of advertising.
Your competition is online
If your competition is online and youâre not, youâll be missing out on opportunities that could have come your way. Learn from your competitors and see what they are doing â and what is working â and formulate your own version of this into your strategy. How are your competitors communicating with your audience, what platforms and content are they using?
Give your customers a choice on who they go to, if youâre not online, they donât know youâre there!
Improve your credibility
We know that customers buy through someone they trust, and that bond and credibility is just as important when thinking about businesses online. So, using online marketing to build up that trust and to show your knowledge and expertise is the perfect place to get your message across. You can use network groups to provide indepth advise and expertise.
You can write articles and blogs to provide solutions to your audience which can be shared across your channels. You can begin to build an engaged audience through your email list and provide regular meaningful and insightful information.
The more visible you can make yourself and be available for people when they need you, the better.
Drive more traffic to your website or services
One of the main hurdles small businesses find is the ability to find quality leads and getting people to discover them in order to make sales. Thatâs the beauty of online marketing and using it correctly to drive traffic to your website, where people can find you and learn more about what you have to offer. Through the different types of content you produce, you have the ability to drive traffic to your site, whether that be through a Facebook post, an email newsletter or a guest blog post, when you write or create a piece of work, itâs the ideal chance to highlight your business .
Be inspirational
One point to remember is not to oversell your services as people will get bored or annoyed with being directed to the same point from every piece of content you produce. However, that doesnât mean you canât produce content â just mix up what you create and one of the best things you can do is provide inspirational content for your audience.
Measure analytics real-time
Another great reason to use online marketing is that you can measure and visit your analytics at any time, ready to be see whatâs working and what not be. It is so much easier to be able to make adaptations and amendments at the click of a button in order to see better results. You donât need to wait for results to roll in or for a third party to produce analytics for you â they are ready there for you. Make the use of every piece of information you can and analyse the data in order to build your business, engaging with every person that comes into contact with your business.
Marketing trends to implement
- Influencer marketing
- Content marketing
- Social media marketing
- Video marketing
- Email marketing
If youâd like to know more about any of these, weâre happy to talk through each option â just give us a bell and letâs talk.
In the meantime, why not download our FREE social media checklist â donât forget the basics, itâs our gift to you.
by Karen Petrauskas | Apr 3, 2020
Itâs no surprise that many businesses are facing hard times during the Coronavirus pandemic which the world is currently going through, and this is made worse by not being able to physically see people face to face and to promote a business in the normal way. However, we want you to know that there is a light to all of this when it comes to keeping your business alive, and ensuring that your brand is still in the forefront of peopleâs mind when they are looking for your services or products.
The key to this light is communication. Each business that is facing hardship at this time needs to dig deeper into their communication channels and to find a way to still be there for their audience and to provide as much value as they can.
Everyone is looking for solutions, everyone is searching for answers and needs to feel that they can find what they are looking for somewhere out there, probably online. And thatâs where your business can thrive. Thatâs where you can be the best of what you are capable of and showcase a range of solutions to reach your audience. All you need to do is understand your audience, stand in their shoes and get to grips with what they are feeling, their pain points and what they are seeking â and provide solutions for them.
Itâs not a chance to âget rich quickâ or to make otherâs out of pocket, it is a chance to provide value and stability in a time of uncertainty.
How can you communicate efficiently and effectively in times of panic?
Utilise your social media channels
As more and more people are communicating through their social media channels, connecting with friends and family, searching for online solutions and generally spending more time online, here is your opportunity to reach them right where they are.
Where is your audience hanging out? Is it Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn? People settle into a place thatâs comfortable and calming for them. Personal social media is down to the individual to find a platform that works for them and therefore it may not be where you are used to being, but if you want to speak directly to your audience, itâs where you need to be.
We say this so many times, but the more value you give, the better a) you will feel, and b) the more your audience will trust, respect and like you. Itâs about building relationships and getting to know your audience. People buy from trusted sources; from people they can see and understand. People engage with people they like to hear from, where they can relate and resonate with.
Emotion plays a big part in social media, being able to reach someoneâs emotions will go a long way in gaining engagement and interaction on the content that you share. Thinking about how your audience will react to your content, can you make them laugh, smile, feel inspired or motivated? Social media is about getting social and communicating at a level your audience appreciates and reacts to â every audience is different but how can you best touch their emotions and what types of content can you create that will fit the box?
Create a Facebook or LinkedIn Group
Do you have a specific group of people that you could provide even more value to in a more personal or interactive way â thatâs not necessarily given to your wider audience? This is where a private group can come in. Facebook and LinkedIn groups are the perfect safe place for people to ask more direct questions, to gain clarity and insight and to have a deeper relationship with a brand or business. This is where your personality and skills can shine through. Many people are part of social networking groups, so why not set up one for your business where you can provide the same level of substance as others?
Setting up a Facebook group is easy, and once youâre set up and ready to go, itâs time to invite some people to join! You can use your social channels to ask your audience to come and check out whatâs new, you can personally invite friends (if it is relevant) to join and from there itâs about creating content that will speak directly into their lives, whether that be personal or business related, depending on what your business is about. Ensure that what you produce is relevant to your brand and what they signed up for, thereâs no point in creating content for the sake of it, put thought and effort into everything, and show that you care about what they are going through and who they are.
Here at KJP Creative, we have a Facebook group aimed at helping women business owners build their brand online. Itâs a group for encouragement, inspiration and motivation along with advice and tips on how to use online marketing to grow a business. For us, itâs on topic and in line with our brand and core values, itâs helping a specific group of people and providing value where they need it the most. Try to think about how you too can offer something thatâs of worth for your audience, what would they want to see or hear and how can you reach them in a much deeper and direct way?
Email marketing
Youâve probably heard it said âthe money is in the list!â, well, weâre not focusing on the money aspect in this post, but there is much to be said for keeping the communication going through email, especially with many people using email rather than face to face meetings during the pandemic.
Email marketing, when performed correctly, can be an extra arm to your business, giving you yet another stream to be able to provide content and value to your audience. Not everyone will read your emails, but itâs a good place to start if you want to provide more than just the standard social media posts. An email can give you opportunity to utilise a number of different avenues, including asking people what they want to hear from you, what would help them and providing a private place for special offers, tips and advice.
Email marketing is a way to keep your customers informed â what a great place to add a personal video or image about whatâs going on or happening behind the scenes!
Itâs also a place where you can push your online sales and guide people through your sales funnel. With face to face interaction not happening and shops and services on hold, this is your chance to showcase your services to the people that are already interested in your brand. A ready-made audience.
If youâve not yet set up a mailing list, itâs not a hard thing to accomplish (we can help if you need it!). But jump over to Mailchimp or one of the other free email marketing platforms and set start an account today. Just as a Facebook group, you can promote your email list to your current audience, you can create posts to let people know how and where they can join and then once you have people signed up, ensure that you send out regular content to them. It doesnât how regular you send your emails, as long as you stick to the schedule you set yourself. If you say youâre emailing weekly, do it! If weekly is too much, go for a monthly newsletter â and stick to it. Once people get used to seeing your content, they will look forward to receiving your emails and knowing whatâs going on.
At the end of the day, your online marketing is the face of your company at this time. In a world where people are turning to online communication and solutions, your business needs to be where the people are. Use your social media and online marketing channels to reach your audience in the best and most effective way possible. Be there for them when they need you, even if they donât know they need you and be a shining light in a confused and momentous time.
If youâd like a guiding hand in your social media or marketing strategy, feel free to give us a bell and letâs talk.
In the meantime, to ensure youâre not missing the basics with your social media marketing, why not check out our âSocial Media Checklist â Donât Forget the Basicsâ â itâs FREE to download and our gift to youâŠ
