10 Tips for Branding, Blogging and Social Media Marketing

There’s so much that goes into creating a successful small business marketing campaign. Branding, content marketing and social media all play important roles in this area. So you need to come up with the mix best for you.

But members of the online small business community can still offer valuable insights to help you shape your own unique plan. Here are some of their top tips for promoting your small business with content marketing, social media and branding.

Learn the Importance of Consistent Branding

If you want customers to remember your business, you need to create a brand identity that’s consistent across platforms and messages. Consistency is a main tenant of branding, but it’s still something some entrepreneurs overlook. Learn why it’s so important in a recent PMA Web Services post by Peggy Murrah.

Ramp Up Your B2C Social Media Content Distribution

When you’re marketing a consumer focused business on social media, content creation is only part of the process. You also need to be able to distribute this content effectively. Learn more about this part of the equation in this Prepare 1 post by Blair Evan Ball.

Keep Up with Changes in Social Media

Social media platforms are constantly changing and updating. So if you want your marketing strategy to be successful, you need to be able to adjust to those changes, as Rachel Strella explains in a recent Strella Social Media Post. BizSugar members also share thoughts on the post in their community.

Consider the Ideal Blog Post Length for Your Content

There are many schools of thought about how long blog posts should be in order to attract the most possible search traffic. There’s not a simple answer to the question. But there are many things you can consider to make a good decision, as Sam Hollingsworth discusses in a recent Search Engine Journal post.

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Update Old Posts When You’re Out of Blog Post Ideas

If you find yourself out of ideas for what to post on your business’s blog, you could simply go back and repurpose some previous content. Ivana Taylor of DIY Marketers offers some suggestions for updating those old posts.

Train Your Brain to Be Creative

Creating effective content for your business requires a lot of creative thinking. This creativity grows over time for a lot of business owners, but there are some things you can do to intentionally develop this characteristic, as Jodi Harris details in a recent Content Marketing Institute post.

Use These Simple Yet Effective Techniques to Grow Your Business

Growing a business doesn’t need to involve a lot of complicated techniques. There are plenty of simple things you can do, like the methods listed in a recent Pixel Productions post by Helen Cartwright. You can also see what the BizSugar community has to say about the post here.

Build a Facebook Messenger Bot Sequence

One of the main purposes of using social media is to start conversations with customers. And Facebook Messenger can be an effective platform for doing just this. You can even build bot sequences to automate parts of the process. Learn more in a recent Social Media Explorer post by Dana Tran.

Don’t Miss Out on These Free Online Advertising Opportunities

When you first start your website, you might actually find the opportunity to take advantage of some free advertising credits. A recent post by Susan Solovic goes over how to best utilize these opportunities so they make a big impact on your business.

Incorporate Video into Your Business

Video has so many different potential applications for businesses, from content marketing to training. So if you have yet to make use of this format, Ivan Widjaya of Biz Penguin explains why you should rethink this strategy.



Source: https://smallbiztrends.com
Image Credit: Shutterstock



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Simplicity Is Key to Effective Online Advertising

If you want to get the most out of your online ads, focus on simplicity, not cleverness, new research suggests.

In today's hectic and cluttered online environment, advertisers have milliseconds to get viewers to see and comprehend their ad. That's why basic and straightforward ads make a bigger impact than those that are clever and visually complex, according to a study recently accepted by the Journal of Marketing Research.

Complexity doesn't pay off online: Eye-tracking research shows that people actively try to avoid ads, said Michel Wedel, one of the study's authors and a professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

"A lot of advertising is being tested over fairly long exposures — several seconds, or even 10 to 20 seconds," Wedel said in a statement. "The problem is that ads that do well in that scenario may not do well in short exposures."

For the study, researchers tested reactions to ads over periods as short as 100 milliseconds, which is less than a full glance. The authors divided the ads into three categories: upfront ads, which present a product in a straightforward, expected and typical way; mystery ads, whose visual complexity requires work on the part of the viewer to decipher; and "false front" ads, which use a clear image of one thing to sell something else.

The researchers tested the different ad types in experiments involving 1,360 test subjects and 50 advertisements. The experiments looked at the participants' reactions at 100 milliseconds, 500 milliseconds, 2 seconds, 5 seconds and 30 seconds after they viewed the ad. A final experiment let the participants look at ads as long as they wanted.

The study's authors found that upfront ads, such as a photo of a bottle of orange soda to sell orange soda, were understood and received positively by viewers in those 100 milliseconds. In addition, the participants continued to view these ads positively over 5, 10 and 30 seconds.

The mystery ads weren't viewed as positively as upfront ads in the initial glimpse, but they gained in approval over time. An example of a mystery ad used in the research was one for apple juice. The ad showed a ninja severing a rope holding a refrigerator, which was about to crush apples to make the juice.

The false-front ads, such as one that used a headshot of a blond woman to sell wheat beer or ads that take the form of news articles, were initially received positively because they appeared logical. However, the longer the participants looked at these ads, the less favorably they viewed them, because viewers had enough time to reorient themselves to the correct interpretation.

"We find very little justification for false-front ads," Wedel said. "People don't like to be duped."

The study also found that a viewer's familiarity with the brand being advertised didn't affect which type of ads they preferred.

The research isn't trying to tell advertisers to stop being creative. Wedel said there are certain times, such as the Super Bowl, when advertisers can be sure their ads will get full attention.

"But for online banner ads, for example, advertisers should realize that they'll have only a tenth of a second of a viewer's attention, if that," Wedel said. "And so they should stick to the basics: What's the product? And what's the brand?"

The study was co-authored by Millie Elsen and Rik Pieters of Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Source: www.businessnewsdaily.com 

ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is an organization consisting of professionals and entrepreneurs which focuses on the success of our Members. We help our Members establish lasting relationships and generate new business opportunities towards the growth of their business.
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What to Say in Any Email (A Simple 3-Step Persuasive Formula)

Ugh.

Is it that time already?

You know, that time you dread when you have to figure out what to say in your next email.

That time when you think up five other things you could be doing instead.

Sure, the act of writing your email can be the hardest part of email marketing. But it doesn’t have to be.

If you’ve been following along with our Virtual Workshop Series for Retailers: How to Increase Sales with Email Marketing, you already have a plan for the email(s) you’re going to send.

You know what you need to write about. And now you’ll see how to actually do it.

In the next session, How to Write an Email in 15 Minutes or Less, we’ll walk you through the seven essential elements of an email so you can overcome procrastination, write your email in minutes, and get it out to your contacts on time, every time.

Here’s a look at the simple persuasive formula you’ll learn as part of the workshop.

If you have kids, you’ve probably already used this formula without even knowing it.

Here’s a typical conversation with my twin girls…

Me: Girls, I was thinking we could watch a movie tonight.

Girls: What movie?

Me: That new one you wanted to see with Jack Black is on iTunes.

Girls: Yay!

Me: I’ll just need you to clean up your stuff in the living room. Then we can watch it.

Girls: Okay.

Essentially, in this conversation I’ve said, “Here’s an idea I have, this is why you’ll like it, and this is what I need you to do to get it.”

Let’s take a look at how this formula applies to email.

When it comes to what to say in your email, especially when you’re sending a time-based promotion, this same idea allows you to create a quick and persuasive email in minutes.

Just answer the following questions to create your email content:

1. What are you offering? — Headline

2. How will it help the reader? — Message body

3. What should they do next? — Call to action

Take a look at this email example:

Pretty simple, right?

source:www.constantcontact.com

ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is an organization consisting of professionals and entrepreneurs which focuses on the success of our Members. We help our Members establish lasting relationships and generate new business opportunities towards the growth of their business.
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What's branding? Why do I need it? How do I do it?

Today I will be covering a very important topic that is way too often overlooked or misunderstood by local and small businesses, social entrepreneurs and creatives. That is the idea of BRANDING. It's a confusing world out there, and so many people are going out on their own to build a life worth living, which means they are jumping on the entrepreneurial bandwagon... and then, they hear buzz words like branding, marketing, social media marketing, etc. and get overwhelmed. Well, I'm here to help you sort some things out. Firstly...

What's branding?!

In it's simplest form, branding is to a business as identity (i.e. core values, purpose, philosophy, history, beliefs, goals, and image) is to an individual. A brand is basically anything you convey about your business that helps your business or persona stand out from the sea of other providers offering the same service or product. Branding goes deeper than just graphic design and visuals. Brand is about the core messaging and the WHY behind the WHAT. It also becomes what for and how your company is known.

The True Power of a Strong Brand: Being Known

To get an understanding of "branding" it helps to look at some of the bigger companies that are doing it right. By "doing it right" I mean, companies that have clear messaging about the reason for what they do, the type of people they want and the image that comes to mind when thinking about them. A great example of this concept is Apple. With all the different campaigns Apple has done throughout it's life, not only does everyone know that it exists, BUT they also know that Apple believes in simplicity, functional and beautiful design, creativity, and thinking differently. We know that Apple is for the creative type.It's not even about the specific products they sell - it's about the emotional connection. When someone even mentions Apple or an Apple product, certain images and ideas come to mind about the context and the person. THAT is the power of branding. People knowing who and why, before what. And look how it's served them in the technology market! They are at the top in multiple product areas - computers, tablets, and mobile phones!

I'm not Apple and I don't have millions of dollars to spend on that.

I get it. And that's totally cool. You don't have to spend zillions to have a strong brand message. But, having a strong brand message will set you apart. So, let's come back down to the local market for a bit. Every company should have a unique brand. Why? Because it will set you apart from all the other businesses in the area that offer similar services. For example, a local cafe in Beacon, NY just underwent some major branding shifts that have helped immensely. The Pandorica, formerly the Cup and Saucer Tea Room, went from an everyday, simple, old-fashioned looking British lunch and tea spot, to a themed cafe based on the show Doctor Who. It completely transformed the business, taking it from mostly empty to lines out the door! That's the power of having something unique. Before, it was just another cafe on Main Street, now it's a niche, trendy spot.

How to Figure Out Your Own Brand

I'm not British. I don't have a cool accent and I don't watch television. How can I find my brand identity? No problem!! You don't have to jump on a trend train to create a brand message. ...But, you do have to get real close and comfy with yourself and your company. First, just start by doing some reflection on why you got into the business you're doing in the first place. Next, consider your own background and interests. Then, consider the type of people you want to help and how your services/products solve a core problem for them. Finally, put this all together and determine your unique message(s) and philosophy. For example, if you are a mom and you are trying to build a business selling Arbonne products, start by asking yourself why. The answer might be that you want to build a side business so you can eventually quit your job as a teacher and spend more time with your family. Great, then think about core elements of your identity and beliefs. And think about how that fits into your desire to sell Arbonne products and build a team of sales people. Perhaps the Arbonne products reduced the stretch marks from having your babies and you are passionate about helping other mom's with the same issue. You believe in the power of organic and botanical products, etc. and want to connect with other moms that feel the same way. Figuring out your core beliefs and philosophies helps determine the type of people you want to work with, which helps you get more specific and ultimately makes it easier to accomplish your mission of building a business because it makes it easier to understand where to find these people and how to connect with them.

Now that I've figured out what I want to say, how do I get the message out there?

Once you've done the deep work and figured out what you want to say, it's time to get the message out there. There are many ways to convey the ideas you want to share, and this is where the marketing part comes in. This is where websites, advertising, social media, and other types of promotion start to be a part of the equation - only after you have an idea what to say. When you have your brand ideals figured out, then you can begin to create marketing materials that convey these ideas through writing, photography, graphic design, colors, illustrations and all other tools of communication. This is where and when you start to develop your visual brand and identity.

To Learn More

To learn more about this topic or find out how I can help you, visit my website: http://www.ccphotoandmedia.com  

Free Email Marketing Guide! Creating, Managing & Growing Your Email List.

Email marketing is the most valuable asset to your business. It allows you to reach your targeted audience, measure your performance and build relationships with your customer contacts.

Download this free guide to learn how to implement these strategies for boosting the number of subscribers on your email list.

 

ABOUT WNFP Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is an organization consisting of professionals and entrepreneurs which focuses on the success of our Members. We help our Members establish lasting relationships and generate new business opportunities towards the growth of their business.

Exploring the Forms of Marketing Media

Media comes in many forms.  Entrepreneurs use several types of media to grow their business exposure and market their business to a targeted audience.
 
Attracting new customers in a consistent process for any business.  As technology changes, new forms of media to market your business change along with it.

Here are 5 types of media entrepreneurs use on a daily basis to market their business:

Narrative media: explain, demonstrate, describe
Types: Online articles and papers, slide shows, podcasts, online videos, software demos

Interactive media: facilitate reflection, check understanding, encourage exploration, provide feedback
Types: Scenarios, quizzes, games, e-tutorials

Communicative media: allow exchanges between learners and between learners and tutors
Types: Forums, virtual classrooms, email

Adaptive media: facilitate experimentation and practice
Types: Simulations, intelligent tutorials

Productive media: allow learners to articulate, express, demonstrate understanding
Types: Wikis, blogs, text and media editors

You're Invited!

On Wednesday, August 6, 2014 Westchester Networking for Professionals will be hosting their AM Networking Breakfast focusing on "Working with the Media to Promote Your Business" which will include panel experts of the media industry ready to answer all questions our Members and guest have regarding the best ways to market their business through the media.

For registration information visit www.wnfp.org




Credit: http://clive-shepherd.blogspot.com



ABOUT WNFP Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is an organization consisting of professionals and entrepreneurs which focuses on the success of our Members. We help our Members establish lasting relationships and generate new business opportunities towards the growth of their business.

Using Online Coupons to Attract Customers

What types of marketing strategies to you use to attract new customers?  Did you know coupons and discounts are a great way to attract customers who may not be aware of your products or services?  

From my experience with offering coupons and discounts to prospective customers as with any other marketing strategy, you never know when the new customer will take action and redeem your offer.  Therefore, it is a continuous marketing strategy.

Using coupons and discounts to you marketing strategy can benefit your business in a number of ways.  Coupons have proven themselves to be highly effective marketing tool for every size and type of business. 

Here are 4 reasons you’d want to include coupons and discount to your marketing strategy to help grow your business:

1. Gives exposure to your business.
2. Drives traffic to your website or store.
3. Builds loyalty with customers.
4. Expanding your targeted area.

As a small business owner or entrepreneur we’re always seeking ways to attract new customer, if you haven’t added coupon and discount attraction to you list, you are missing out on new leads.

Click here to Create a Discount or Coupon Offer for FREE!

Are you using coupons or discount to attract new customer? Comment below, we’d love to hear about your experience!

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Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is a sophisticated social networking organization made up of a community of business professionals. Providing networking experiences, ways to make connections and build lasting business relationships, and visibility opportunities through our events and programs our members seek to be successful in their profession.

Start Using Emails to Marketing Your Business and Let People to Get to Know You

Statistics shows that:

• Email has nearly 3 times as many user accounts as Facebook and Twitter combined! Apparently that’s a massive 2.9 billion.

• 49% of email is now opened on a mobile device – and we can’t keep away with 49% of us reading emails immediately when we wake up

• 77.5% of us prefer to be contacted for business by email

So if you are not using email marketing campaigns as a marketing strategy, you need to start now.
 
Sign up with Constant Contact for free today!

Are You Looking to Attract New Customers? New Program Announcement

Are you looking to attract new customers?

We are proud to announce a new program Member Rewards Program, developed to help our Members reach their targeted audiences, make new connections and build their businesses through our community of professionals.

WNFP is dedicated to making every effort to help our Members attract new customers and reach their small business goals. 

You don't want to miss out a great opportunity to attract new business.

To learn more about our Members Rewards Program, click the link to request your packet and get started taking advantage of the opportunities WNFP has to offer.

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