I get it, you’re a small business sharing your services with the masses and you’re doing everything you can to keep your head above water…right? Marketing is that elusive animal you watch from afar because you think the expense is too great. What if I told you that’s not true at all. I run my business on a budget and I create ALL the components for my blog campaigns, myself. By ALL, I mean I write the posts, create the graphics and verbiage, and schedule it all by myself. Until recently, I did the same for any ads or educational projects I was working on. The point is…. you can do it to and in this post, I’m going to give you a head start in figuring it all out.
These 3 tips should give you an “I Can Do It” attitude:
- CHANGE YOUR TAPE: The first thing you’re going to have to do is get rid of any negative attitudes about what you “think” you’re missing to create your own campaigns. You can do it! Though I AM a creative person, I am not an artist or graphic designer. I do however, know what I like and what I want to say to my audience. That said, even though I’m not an artist or graphic designer, I’m happy with the graphics I create and share. By getting to the basics of your message and how it relates to your reasons for starting your business in the first place, you become extremely clear about what you want to say and the images that will represent it.
- CHOOSE YOUR PICTURES WISELY: The public is finicky! A TON of reading is NOT what most want to spend their time doing when their on their favorite social media platforms. You want your images to capture the attention of your audience and cause them, at least in part, to take the next step in your sales funnel. In an article titled, “37 Visual Content Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2016“, you’ll find the proof in the proverbial picture pudding. There’s an increase in willingness to read, retain, and convert with the use of images. Now, here’s the deal…You have to have nice images. Whether it’s from your smart phone or a professional, you should be posting clear, relevant and interesting pictures. It’s also important to post them in the right places. While working with a major hotel company, the marketing manager shared with me her process for vetting me. She said one of the things she checked was my social media sites. She did this to make sure I didn’t mix my personal with my business (see what I mean by “right place”). I have a separate page for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. When I post pictures, I do so according to the audience. I think this is a good practice because it helps your consumer see you as a professional when it’s most important.
- WATCH YOUR WORDS: Over the years, I’ve worked with many small businesses who want to increase their social media presence but become frustrated because their engagement is non-existent. I certainly understand the struggle. Here’s the deal… people are different and need different things. What you say to them needs to hit a pressure point. It needs to have relevance to what they are going through and it needs to be a bit personal so they believe you can relate to their issues. Trust is important these days! Consumers don’t care that you have a product or service that solves their problem (a lot of people can do the same). They want to know the person behind the brand and if they can be trusted to do the right thing. We all want to convert our readers to SOMETHING. Calls to action are extremely important in business, regardless of the business. We all want people to buy, register, or subscribe…right? In “How to Improve Your Social Media Calls To Action“, you’ll find a ton of planning goes into creating the perfect campaign that converts. What you need to remember though is this… You control your narrative so WATCH YOUR WORDS!
There you have it folks… My 3 tips to pump up your promo campaigns. I know they only scratch the surface, but for some that’s all you need. The rest of you are in luck! July (inside The Haute Society) Summer Survival is the topic and social media marketing is included in the discussion. There’s also an eight week CHALLENGE to “Step Up Your Promo”. I’ve decided to open up the challenge to everyone so if you’d like to participate be sure to register below and you’ll receive more information about the challenge as well as ALL THE DEETS as we get closer to July.
Leave a Reply