Tag: Facebook

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16 tips to market like a pro, sort of…

klynnh0110

marketing-board-strategyLet’s face it, if you’re like most business owners, you simply either don’t have time to market or you just plain hate marketing. Some people just don’t get it period and it’s a constantly ever-changing industry. It seems that new platforms are introduced daily and it’s hard to keep up with what works and what doesn’t. It’s important to always be marketing – no matter what.

Here are a few things we recommend to most businesses along with some tips to help you market your business effectively. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but what I feel are things that work well.

  1. Find out where your target market hangs out. Facebook, Twitter, the local coffee shop, a mechanics bay, the ice cream parlor, you get the picture.
  2. Determine where your money is best spent. Digital marketing works best because you can effectively target your specific market and measure ROI and analytics. You can’t do that with yellow pages, newspaper, or print advertising.pexels-photo-266176
  3. Join trade associations and use all of their networking opportunities.
  4. Write a column or articles for local newspapers, trade publications, etc.
  5. Host educational seminars, webinars and then video them and post on YouTube.
  6. Hold an annual Open House Event. Spring Fling, Harvest Days, Fiesta, Oktoberfest, etc.
  7. Have product or service giveaways monthly, people love swag, give away a free t-shirt, or coffee mug, or movie ticket, etc.
  8. Develop Press Releases for every NEW product or service you launch, when you hire new employees or key staff members when you have upcoming events, fundraisers, etc.
  9. Build an email list, get subscribers on your website, and produce a monthly newsletter loaded with helpful tips, suggestions, info, resources, and more. No sales techniques here! Just good ol’ awesome content.
  10. Have a booth at trade shows and events that your target market attends. Be sure it’s a nice professional booth. Convey your professionalism.
  11. Donate your products or services to local charity events and silent auctions.
  12. Create a loyalty program for your brand ambassadors and kick ass customers. People love being recognized for their dedication.
  13. Participate in local events in your community like parades, farmer’s markets, fundraisers, gala’s, etc.
  14. Offer monthly and holiday specials. You can package lower selling products with higher selling products to move inventory. Partner up with other businesses and offer package deals.
  15. Interview other professionals associated with your business, showcase them in your blog, video, social media, etc. You can also volunteer to be a gues speaker at events.
  16. Host a weekly meet and greet, chat session, or morning coffee with the boss, etc. Answer question and engage with your audience. People don’t want to see corporate structure, they want raw all natural people.

 

Tina Holtz is a serial entrepeneur who owns and operates a boutique virtual assisting and business advisory firm, Executive Business Services, LLC. She has more than 20 years experience in business development, business management, operations, sales, marketing, and procurement. Tina values building relationships and is passionate about helping business owners reach new heights. She provides a vast array of support services to business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and executives.

 970-989-8047 or email at tina@execbusinessservices.com

www.execbusinessservices.com

business growth, Business Savvy, growing your business, Marketing, Social Media/Online Marketing, Virtual Assisting

Outsourcing 101

klynnh0110

So what is outsourcing you ask?

Well some people actually think that it means that you are sending your work overseas to some foreign company for cheap labor and non English speaking representatives, and although that is a possibility with some firms, that’s definitely not the case with your typical virtual assistant or virtual assisting firm.

Traditional VA’s offer outsourcing as a business service for busy professionals who struggle with a variety of situations, like time management issues, possibly lacking the specific skills or confidence with certain business tasks, or just find themselves in a position where their not ready to bring a staff member aboard to perform these duties. That’s where a well trained VA comes in.

Teamwork
Photo Courtesy https://www.workquotes.net

Outsourcing is available for pretty much everything and anything business related. A majority of small businesses already hire a group of professionals outside their business for the usual services, like an attorney, accountant, business advisor, etc. and your VA should be part of this team.  VA’s have the ability to outsource an enormous amount of business tasks. Common ourtsourcing duties include social media services and management, data entry, basic administrative needs, public relations, data maintenance, research, scheduling, purchasing, business development, marketing, training, and much, much more.

Outsourcing provides business owners with a very unique tool. Imagine that you want to get involved in the social media gold rush but you’re intimidated by the internet and all that technology stuff, and you’re probably working hard on keeping your customers happy and fulfilling their needs. Lets face it, when in the world are you supposed to have the time to start a facebook page and keep up with the content updates? More than likely, you know it’s something you should do, but it’s the least of your worries at this point.

However, in this situation it would be in your best interest to meet with a VA and review how having a social media outlet presence could help your business gain revenue and what specific methods should be used to get you there to accomplish your goals. A VA can set your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and website pages up for you, review them with you, and then once you develop a strategy, the VA can manage them on your behalf as often as you need. Your VA can also incorporate a nice professional weekly, monthly or quarterly newsletter that will keep you in constant contact with your clients. The key to keeping your clients is to remain in contact and to be seen as an informative source, rather than a pesky business who just wants to make a quick buck. Set the stage, be the leader in your market by being the go to source for what your clients need.

teamwork
Photo Courtesy http://www.carrie-persichini.blogspot.com

 

Something that is always in the back of my mind when I go to the vet clinic with one of my animals is that I think how nice it would be if my vet actually could notify me when my animals are coming due for their booster shots or their annual checkup.  I have 4 dogs and 3 cats, and trying to keep track of when they are all due for shots is a nightmare, but what an awesome service that would be for the vet to provide and I can guarantee you that there would be in increase in revenue for the vet if they had a VA who could incorporate this into their business. The same can go for any business, a dentist, doctor, chiropractor, eye doctor, service station, etc.

Start getting creative and think of ways to increase your bottom line and contact a VA to start implementing these services for you. Trust me, the investment is worth every penny and then some.

 

All the Best,

Miss Executive- Tina

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The Importance of Social Media

klynnh0110

Social media is the blazing the way for business and the importance of using social media in your marketing strategy should not be overlooked. Frankly you can’t afford not to do it.

I hear from many clients who state they don’t have the time, energy, or knowledge to get involved in social media, and that they don’t understand or see how it can be beneficial to them. Some feel that it doesn’t apply to their industry or their product, however social media is beneficial to anyone who implements a strategy with goals, and devotes the time to make it successful.

The important thing to remember with any strategy is that you need to know what you hope to gain from it. What is your desired outcome or objective? Are you seeking engagement, leads, networking, conversion, etc.? These are equally important for some businesses and yet others just want a form of engagement with clients and prospects. Whatever your objective, be sure to have a plan.

You’ll need to know your demographics and audience when implementing a social media strategy. For some businesses this is hard, but there are so many social media platforms out there that you have to ensure that you’re spending your time on the correct platforms. What does that mean? It means you need to be where your audience is. Each social media platform has a variety of demographics and can often times inform you as to who is using them. For instance you’re friend might own a clothing boutique and might be social on Facebook and Pinterest, and that might work with their strategy, but that doesn’t neceessarily mean it’s right for your business. You may determine that you need to be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Youtube. Maybe you’ll determine you need to be involved in others as well.

Everywhere you look on the internet, people will say that “Content is King”, and yes it is. It doesn’t do any good to implement an amazing strategy if your content is boring. I look at social media similar to that of starting a business. Some fail and others don’t. The reasons can be many, but when it comes to social media it comes down to content and consistency. You have to ensure that you provide intriguing information that people what to read. One very important tip is to remember that social media engagement isn’t all about you and your business. The object is not to push your products and services but to provide helpful information that your readers want or need. If they have a problem, provide a solution. Provide tips and tricks on information that’s related to their needs.

Consistency is also top on the list of importance. Clients sometimes will tell me that social media has never worked for them and that it has bee a waste of time. When I ask what they’ve done with it or how they’ve used it, many times the answer I get is, well we made a Facebook page and no one has liked us. We signed up on Twitter and no one has followed us. Unfortunately social media is about engagement. You can’t just login and signup and do nothing. You have to engage. Be sure to always respond to those that engage with you and build a following.

If you’re going to use social media platforms then you need to set some time aside each day to manage it. Schedule a half an hour each day or every other day and engage. The rewards will not be immediate, but they will come and they will be worth it.

 

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