Ways To Use Email Marketing To Boost Your Business

There’s a common misconception that email is dead. Contrary to this belief, email is one of the best ways you can reach your ideal audience and grow your business. 

We are past the days of “you’ve got mail” and only receiving spam emails. Now, your email inbox probably has much more value in it than it did 10-15 years ago. Marketers are honing in on the craft of email marketing simply because well, it works. 

Oftentimes, a small business owner will assume that their optimal reach or top priority is or should be their social media presence. While social media presence is indeed crucial, it should not be your top priority. Your email marketing should actually be at the top of your list, after you have nailed down a stellar website of course, ahem--we’d love to help you with that, by the way. 

In this blog, we will cover five ways to use email marketing to boost your business, specifically for small businesses and contractors. 

  1. Lead magnet - lead with FREE

This may sound counterintuitive, but leading with free resources shows the client and prospective client that you are already invested in them whether or not money is involved. 

This builds trust and does it quickly! Do you have a free download or free consultation? Maybe you have a helpful checklist or an audit that would give people insight into your knowledge. 

A lead magnet will not only build rapport and trust, but it will help build your email list! 

If you are starting at the ground floor without anyone in your email list, a lead magnet is where you start. 

Like we mentioned in the beginning of this blog, social media is not the priority, your email is. But why?

When you are sending emails to your email list, you own that list. Typically, you are paying for an email service that allows you to host those emails, craft and email and distribute an email campaign. Think--Mailchimp, Hubspot, Flodesk...etc. You have authority and autonomy over those contacts in that list and can essentially connect with them when you choose. 

On social media, this is not the case. 

You may have hundreds or thousands of followers, but you don’t own those followers or the algorithm on that platform. This means that your Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter can all be manipulated. Your account could be shut down for any reason at any time without any notice. Crazy, huh?

In a moment’s notice, you could lose all of those followers and never be able to contact them again. 

Don’t worry though! Because, email marketing is here to save the day. You own those contacts. 

After you have done the hard work of creating a “freebie” or lead magnet, offer people so much value that it’s impossible for them to resist the offer...then BAM! You’ve achieved trust, and have gained that name and email. 

It’s yours. Now, you have the ethical responsibility to treat that email with respect and serve them with what they actually need. 

  1. Boost your social media engagement 

This is why email marketing is pretty cool. It can send your peeps to where you post content and provide additional value. 

In your email blast, you can remind your email list of some things you recently posted with a link to your social media platforms. 

Don’t repost the entire post in the email though. Don’t give away the farm. All you do is post the picture with a line or two from the description and then a “read more” button linked to the original post. 

This will not only help your engagement on those platforms, but if some of your email list is not already following you, there’s a high chance they will once on that platform! Increasing your following at the same time. Two birds, one stone. 

  1. Gain exposure and registrants for events and promotions

Do you have an upcoming event or promotion? Of course you should be marketing that event and promotion on other platforms with a solid strategy in mind, but you should definitely include it in an email to your email list. 

Whether they are customers or not, you want to let them know about that sale or promotion. 

This is providing value to that email list. People love saving money! Let them know!

Your event could be providing value to them with socializing with the right network, or a chance to win a cool prize. You won’t be “spamming” them if you are giving them something of value. 

To piggie-back off the social media algorithm comment above, if you were only relying on posting about your event or promotion on social media to “let the masses know,” you are doing your business a disservice because it will be missed by the majority of your followers. It won’t hit every single account that follows you. 

Verses, your email blast. You can have the peace of mind knowing that each of your email contacts received that email. We can’t ensure that they will open the email, but it landed in their hands! Just make sure you have a killer subject line so your contacts will feel compelled to open the email 😉 

  1. Increase your website SEO 

Have you posted a blog recently? Send your email list to it!

Link a graphic, a title and a description of what the blog entails and send them to your website to read the entire post. 

The more external links pointing people to your site, will help your SEO and let Google know that people are interested in what your website has to say. Trust us, you want Google on your side!

  1. Educate 

Give a tip of the month, or insight on why certain parts of your business are more intricate or important. 

Create an email series on How-To’s that will bring value to your audience.

Your email list is not there for you, you are there for them. Telling them something they don’t know already or solving a problem for them, this makes you valuable to them. 

You are just a click away from being unsubscribed to, so make sure that it’s worthwhile for your email list to keep you around! 

Serve your audience

What’s next? You’ve created your lead magnet, started growing your email list, have been sending out awesome emails...what do you do now? 

Keep doing it. Keep serving. 

Come up with a strategy to continue to serve with value. Who is your audience? What behaviors do they have when they read your emails? What links are they clicking? 

Go over the analytics in your email marketing tool and figure out what you should do more of, and less of!

The more you continue to serve your email list, the more they will be interested in what you actually sell and you will see your business grow naturally. 

5 Ways Facebook Improves Patient Care

Facebook can often get a bad reputation for how its users interact on it, but have you thought about how it can be used to help your medical practice? 

Maybe you have thought about it but you just didn’t know what to post or why it’s important for you to be active on it. 

Well, that’s what we’re here for, friend. 

It’s our job to show you how your presence on Facebook can raise brand awareness, increase your connection to your patients and increase patient retention. 

In this blog, we’ll tell you 5 ways Facebook can improve patient care and what relevant content you can begin relaying to your patients now in order to grow your specialty medical practice.

Feeling motivated? Grab your Medical Marketing eBook for a more comprehensive guide on how to improve your marketing today!

  1. Build rapport with patients

Your medical practice is centered on the actions of the patients you serve. They can either leave your office feeling appreciated and loyal to you and your staff or they can feel disconnected and unsure. Easily keep clients engaged with a few simple strategies!

Building rapport means showing them why they can and should trust you. Showing up on platforms like Facebook, where your patients are already scrolling through daily shows them that you are relevant and want to stay in touch with them. 

A great way to leverage Facebook in order to build rapport is utilizing patient testimonials.

With so much focus on advertising and other technical marketing jargon, it’s easy to put word-of-mouth marketing by the wayside. But not so fast!

In 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews when looking for local businesses, which was up from 81% in 2019 (BrightLocal). BrightLocal also found that the most common industries in which consumers rely on reviews are: 1) Restaurants, 2) Hotels, 3) Medical, 4) Automotive, 5) Clothing Stores. 

Build your rapport with search engine optimization (SEO) by sharing clients on Facebook. This helps patients find your website on search engines like Google and Bing. 

Have positive Google reviews? Share them! Post them on Facebook to highlight a patient’s happy experience. You don’t need to share personal information that would put your office or a patient at risk, just sharing how they enjoyed their visit and why. 

Videos from happy clients are easy to ask for because they shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes! You can post these to your website, but be sure to add subtitles to your video since viewers are usually watching videos without sound.

You can add these videos to your social media and a link to your website. This builds rapport with your social media followers, as well as pointing patients back to your website where they can make appointments easily. 

  1. Be Personable 

There are many ways that you can make patients feel more at ease when entering your office and one of them is helping your patients feel as though they know the people in your office. 

Sure, they might know their name or how long they’ve worked there, but they may not feel a connection to them. 

This connection doesn’t have to be as deep as you may think. 

Adding personal fun facts about your staff could help patients relate to your staff before ever stepping foot in your office.

Little pieces of information about their hobbies, favorite movies or food, or favorite places to visit, could be great topics of conversation that could put a nervous patient at ease. 

Making a light-hearted post about how your Office Manager, Ashley, visited the Pacific coast this past summer and her favorite part was seeing Hearst Castle, would make for some great content if your employees are comfortable with it.

  1. Provide educational health information 

You want the best for your patients and love seeing them thrive in their health, so give them a chance to help you by maintaining and improving their health.

Try to incorporate short videos of helpful tips for the flu or COVID-19. Wyzowl says 66% of consumers prefer watching a video compared to reading about a product, and Hubspot says 54% of consumers want to see more video content this year.  

An example of an educational post is letting your patients know the best ways to stay healthy throughout the year. This can look like sharing specific tips and health strategies in specific seasons.

With educational content, you will not only be their doctor for when they’re sick, but you’ll be the helpful source on social media on how to recover from illnesses or remain healthy!

Do statistics apply to medical offices since they are patients and not customers? Just the opposite. Your patients are your customers. They are buying your knowledge and expertise and are trusting you. 

Remind them of why they trust you by popping into their Facebook feed and dropping some knowledge bombs on them and ways that they can improve their life! 

  1. How to get your patients to help YOU

Remind your patients what is helpful for you to know as their doctor, and what they need to keep track of before they come see you next. Changes in their health? Life events that could have caused emotional or physical stress? The last time x, y or z happened? Shot schedule reminders based upon age?

Life gets busy and your patients won’t remember everything. So a simple reminder is always helpful! This won’t just be helpful for them, but it will be helpful for you to be fully informed and better able to diagnose/advise them when they do come in for a visit. 

And don’t forget, if they are following you it’s because they want to hear from you. You’re not bothering them or disrupting their day, you are delivering value to them. 

  1. Streamline the appointment process 

Every medical office will feel different, much like any business will feel and look different. 

Conveying the tone and organization of your medical office is imperative for clear communication between you and the client on what they should expect when they come for their visit. 

Do you have first-time patient forms that should be filled out?

Maybe you require existing patients to fill out an update chart at every visit.

Or possibly a fun activity for your younger patients to help them feel more calm and peaceful during their appointment? 

Define how you want your patients to feel throughout the entire appointment visit, from start to finish, and figure out what needs to be communicated in order for that experience to be achieved. 

Summary

Facebook doesn’t need to be complicated or overwhelming. All you need is a plan of action.

As a medical office, your priority will always be the patient which is why having a presence on social media is ever increasing. Wherever your patients are, you should be also! 

We love watching medical practices flourish and we firmly believe you need to connect with your people in order to do that!

If you need help creating a game plan for your marketing, download the free Medical Marketing eBook, below. 

BIG Business Failures in History & How You Can Learn From Them

Have you heard the name Henry Ford before? And J.K. Rowling? What about Walt Disney?

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These iconic figures all have something in common, they have failed. Big time.

Today, Henry Ford is known as the man who revolutionized the transportation industry. His most successful car was the Model T, and the Ford Motor Company was run by an assembly line system that Ford came up with to make his car-making more efficient. This led to Henry Ford being one of the most influential people of all time.

Unfortunately, because Henry spent so much time perfecting the Model T, and because it was so successful for a time, he could not move on from it. He was stuck in that success that was quite speedily finding itself in the rearview mirror because of this constantly-evolving world. Progress waits for no one. General Motors, one of Ford’s rival car-makers, had already decided to build their cars based on the people’s taste and hobbies, and their awareness of the evolving times brought his business to success. The times were changing, and the demographic the automobile was serving had been broadened. General Motors catered to the modern demographic and their business was successful because of that. The people were more and more hungry for something new and different.

It wasn’t until Henry Ford humbled himself and listened, that he understood the importance of continual learning. Your business must stay relevant if it’s going to be successful.

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“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” --- Henry Ford


J.K. Rowling knew difficulty. In her life, she experienced unemployment, being a single mother, and grieving her mother’s death. She worked hard despite the hardships and rejection she faced. When she sent her Harry Potter manuscript to dozens of publishers, every one of them rejected it. Even Rowling started to believe that her manuscript was not going to make it. The one publisher who decided to publish it, discouraged her in saying that she would never make money becoming a children’s book writer. 

Today, J.K. Rowling is known for her infamous book series, Harry Potter. This series has earned over $400 million dollars in sales, and the last Harry Potter movie earned $476 million dollars in ticket sales on its opening weekend alone. She is one of the most famous authors in the world, being the first female billionaire author. Most often ‘failing’ has a negative connotation to it, because it’s most often associated with the bad parts of ourselves. However, failing is oftentimes necessary on the road to success. How can you reach higher places in your business, if you haven’t yet experienced the low points?

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.” --- J.K. Rowling 

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Walt Disney is a name the world recognizes and associates with Mickey Mouse and Disney Land, “the happiest place on earth”. He is known as one of the greatest animators, filmmakers, and theme park developers of all time. He has changed the entertainment industry since the 20th century and beyond.

Walt Disney didn’t always start out that way.

When Disney came back from being an ambulance driver in World War I, he became an apprentice at a Kansas City commercial art studio. He and his older brother started their own cartoon business and named it Laugh-O-Gram Studios. Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt a couple years later in 1920. Disney then decided to move to Los Angeles with no money, to become an actor. Sadly, he wasn’t gifted in acting either.

However, he noticed that California didn’t have any animation studios, and decided to start one again with his brother. They had great success with the creation of a cartoon called ‘Oswald the Lucky Rabbit’! But his producer took his team of animators away and the legal rights to his cartoon.

Disney never backed down from a challenge, and continued to pursue his big dreams. He created Mickey Mouse on a train ride back to California, and even after hundreds of bankers rejected this idea when he presented it, he never gave up. Time and time again, Disney experienced challenges - debt from the war, his workers going on strike, a nervous breakdown, a failed opening day at Disneyland - but he believed in this: "All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." --- Walt Disney

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Setbacks and challenges are hard on anybody. What matters most is how you respond to those difficulties. You can use them to help you fuel your drive to make your business a more successful one, or turn the other way. The person determining that is you! 

The Social Brand uses clear, user-friendly websites and powerful messaging on social media, to create performance-driven, online strategies that make a real difference for you and your business. Our goal is to empower businesses to grow in a digital world. This fuels our marketing and branding services, as well as our free classes and speaking engagements.

Contact us today to give you the proper fuel your business needs.

Keep Your Medical Social Media, um, Social!

Your days are full of patients, busy to-do lists, managing staff members and more. The last thing you want to be thinking about is social media. What if I told you that social media isn’t as scary and overwhelming as it feels like it is?  What if I told you that social media could be a powerful tool to connect with your patients, educate them and even promote your medical practice?  In this blog, I’ll provide seven ways you can use social media for your medical practice.  Medical marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
 

CONNECT WITH YOUR SENIOR PATIENTS

Did you know that research shows 90% of older users reported using social media like Facebook and Twitter to find and share health information?1 That’s right, older folks are using social media!  And they’re talking about their health.  

An infographic or a video from your office staff, providing a friendly moment of advice, can help you connect with these patients in a deeper way and encourage them to keep checking back for more fresh content.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO)

We get it, SEO can be daunting - but a few easy practices can make all the difference.  SEO is all about helping patients find your practice on search engines more easily - pretty important, right?  

SEO can be enriched by directing your patients to not only your own website but other credible sources of information as well. With a hashtag or actual web link, you can easily connect your patients with reliable sources of information. This helps build trust, authority and SEO all in one easy link!

WELLNESS EDUCATION

You know the value of wellness education better than anyone.  But finding ways to connect with patients on this topic in a manner that they’ll listen and apply the information can be a challenge! Simple awareness of healthy practices and practical no-cost tips can go a long way in building your brand. Some examples are accessible meal plans, strength training with household equipment such as a chair, or canned food acting as a weight. You can even provide tips for family outings to keep people moving in spite of inclement weather or COVID.

SUBTLE MENTAL HEALTH POSITIVES

Another easy social media practice is to post often with local images especially as the seasons change. Snowfall, blooming daffodils, bales of hay on rolling farmland, brilliant shades of fall leaves – all become subtle messages that as a health provider you are keeping your content fresh. Even fun images with your staff around the office as you’ve decorated for the season.  These positive messages have an immeasurable impact on mental health as well.

HOMESPUN HELPS

Another simple but impactful post idea is adding potential wisdom for home remedies that have been passed down through the ages for health and wellness. Sprinkling an occasional quotation can help your patients see you as a caring provider, not only when issuing an invoice. Some suggestions are  the Farmer’s Almanac or the Amish community

BECOME THE EXPERT VOICE

Setting up discussion boards or chat forums can be tricky when it comes to bad medical advice. Because of this, many medical providers run for the hills when it comes to sharing advice online.  But, we encourage you to be a voice for truth by combatting the misinformation. You may find that the time invested in a regular Question and Answer “column” or video may actually drive traffic to your site and pay off in the long run. 

SHOWCASE THE HUMAN SIDE OF YOUR STAFF

As medical providers, connecting with your patients in a personal way can sometimes be a challenge. Showcasing your staff, their interests, their personalities and their expertise gives you an excellent opportunity to connect in a human way with your patients.  This is a great way to highlight your team’s expertise while still being personable and, well, social!  When your patients know, like and trust you - you have loyalty for life. 

So there you have it! Seven ways to take advantage of social media for your medical practice. With 79% of Americans on social media, it’s a surefire way to connect with your patients. Take advantage of their valuable attention with simple and engaging content that makes them want to keep coming back for more while also establishing your authority as their provider. As your patients are rewarded for their time with quality content, your business will rise to the top of the priority list as they scroll every day. Still wanting to learn more about social media for your practice?

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG, 10 WAYS TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUR BUSINESS HERE

1Retrieved 12/6/2020 from https://www.jmir.org/2015/3/e70/

10 Ways To Market Your Business This Holiday Season

Here at The Social Brand we are getting ready for the holidays. We figured you are too, because they are coming, COVID or not! We knew you could use some easy, last minute ideas to keep your brand bright and fresh in spite of all the competition, so here goes.

  1. Gifts: What simple memento can you attach to your business contact information for distribution in the next 6 weeks? A candle, a candy stick, a tea bag, a disposable mask; all these items are inexpensive and easily packaged. 
  2. Social Media Platforms: Perk up your Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest account with a refreshed logo and cover page that ties in with your brand but looks seasonal.
  1. Gift Cards: Create an online certificate that is generated with a simple button on your landing page. 
  2. Greeting Cards: A personalized card with a sincere greeting keeps your name in front of your customers.
  3. Charity Presence: What charity can your client(s) join with you to support during this season?
  4. Contests: A well-publicized photo contest might be just the attention-grabber to bring engagement to your social media presence.  
  5. Giveaways: Similar to a contest, you can offer a prize for a valuable item. Even a gift card for one hour of your service could be of value.
  1. Calendars: For fresh and useful content, try a calendar widget on your blog or website. It’s a gift that keeps on giving every day of the year.
  2. Recipes: Tap into the human side of your business with a call for family recipes at this time of the year. To go over the top, ask for a photo of the completed dish, the original handwritten recipe and a typed rendition for ease of access. Your contributors may even be more motivated with a prize for the best presentation.
  3. Decorations: What decorations could you provide this year that might be an easy distribution for your company’s contact information? An ornament, a live wreath, a decorated Christmas cookie – all could easily be branded or personalized to your service industry in a meaningful way.

Remember the power of the picture. Your organic, clear, and well-lit photos will be your greatest eye-catcher for pulling interest into your social media content. Play with artistic filters occasionally but stick to simple photos for greatest impact.

You’ve heard it before: “Less is more”. During this busy time, focus more on smart hashtags and clever captions than on long and expanded verbiage. Are you sure anyone is taking the time to read your blog posting anyway?

There are so many variations to be aware of during the holidays: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the derivatives of other heritages. Be aware of the culture in your community and honor those culture differences accordingly. You will be humbled and educated by what you learn.

Remember the unique advantages provided by this insular time of COVID. Being cut off from in-person gatherings makes some people more receptive to online interaction. Honestly embracing the reality shows empathy and your company’s willingness to be present during this time.

Be sure to share the love and tag us in your creations! We all know the value of rich content marketing.

Have you downloaded our FREE Holiday Guide yet? What are you waiting for! Start promoting your business right away with 52 ways to promote your business during the Holidays www.thesocialbrandtn.com/holiday

Some ideas retrieved November 18, 2020, from 

https://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/100-content-ideas-holiday-social-media-marketing

7 Ways to Use Small Business Saturday to Promote Your Small Business

Here at The Social Brand, Small Business Saturday is one of our all-time favoriiite holidays... cause we kiiiinda love small businesses. With there being just two business weeks until our favorite holiday, we wanted to give you some great ideas to utilize this amazing holiday to promote your amazing small business!

1. American Express Resources for Social Media

Did you know that American Express actually founded this holiday in 2010? It was founded to encourage folks to encourage small during the holiday shopping season. If you're interested in learning more, here's more about that. Since founding the holiday, American Express has created some really amazing resources for small businesses to use on their social media, email marketing and in-store signage to promote your business on this holiday.

2. Special Promotions

Many consumers make a point of shopping local on Small Business Saturday. Having a special promotion will help you stand out in an overcrowded space for your consumers. A few ideas include:

3. Social Media Posts and Cover Photo

Promote Small Business Saturday and your subsequent specials using posts on your social media profiles. Take your promotion a step further by giving your profiles a makeover with fresh cover photos for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even YouTube.

You can use the American Express resources for these updates or even better, utilize Canva to create graphics that are on-brand with your company.

4. Google My Business & Online Directories

Gain the attention of consumers by updating your Google My Business to show that you are open, promote your specials, make a post, and even confirm your hours for the day. A properly optimized Google My Business directory listing is shown to significantly increase website and foot traffic significantly.

Additionally, take advantage of American Express's small business directory to help new customers discover your amazing small business! Learn more about American Express' small business directory here.

5. Cross-Promote with Other Small Businesses

Cross-promote with other small businesses with similar target audiences to broaden your reach. Cross-promotion allows businesses to share the cost of promotion, gain more attention, and share audiences.

Don't have time to organize a cross-promotion? Strengthen partnerships by promoting other small businesses on your platforms without asking for anything in return. After all, a rising tide raises on the ships.

6. Update Your Website

Although this may seem like common sense, ensure that your website is up-to-date to back up all the promoting you're doing. Enlist the help of a Small Business Saturday-specific landing page to showcase your specials, cross-promotions, and even special hours for the day.

7. Email Marketing

Utilize your email list to notify your subscribers of what your business is up to for Small Business Saturday and bring attention to your specials for the day. Need help drafting the email? Luckily, American Express has you covered with email marketing templates specific for Small Business Saturday.

Never sent out an email before? We recommend using Mailchimp for a free option (as long as your list is less than 1000 email addresses).

We hope these 7 tips help you have a stellar #SmallBusinessSaturday in 2020 despite all the setbacks we've had as business owners.

9 Reasons Why We Avoid Stock Photos

Using stock photos is common practice in web building today. At The Social Brand, we've gone against the flow a bit and we actually don't use stock pictures for any project.  Stock photos tend to be cheaper in web projects, they're easier (because you don't have to get in front of a camera) and that's why so many people use them.

So, we are going to start this blog out with a disclaimer or preface.  We don't judge people for utilizing stock images and we certainly don't question their usefulness. In fact, on occasion, we do have to pull a stock picture and tuck it away in a project if we don't have a good picture for that particular instance. So, please approach this blog post with that understanding.

With all that being said though, we have made the decision to eliminate stock pictures from as many of our projects as possible. But, why?  It takes more effort, requires more time of our clients and it's more expensive. Below are a few reasons:

  1. It's more authentic. The most important job of your branding and marketing is to help your website visitors or new contact feel like they know, like and trust you.  If your whole website is full of fakey stock pictures that aren't your team members, your customers or even in your location - how are we building trust? When we are authentic about something as simple as putting our face forward, the entire image changes.
  2. It feels more professional. Oftentimes, it won't be a conscious thought that the website visitors have of "oh that's a stock image."  But, when you replace the stock pictures with a real picture of you and your team, there's a noticeable difference in their perception of you. They feel like you're more professional, more polished, they feel like you really have it together.  We've heard this feedback from our clients time and time again that their end customers are noticing the added layer of professionalism.
  3. It builds authority. When your customers have seen you and your team performing the services you offer or your products before you ask them to spend money with you, it legitimizes you. It makes it easier for your potential customers to trust you.
  4. Stock photos are repetitive. There is a shortage of stock photos (and especially free stock photos). So one mistake we see businesses make is pulling from the same stock websites that their competitors are pulling from and before too long - everyone looks the same! It's hard to stand out when all the images on your site are identical (or at least similar) to those on your competitors site.
  5. Your customers pick up on stock pictures.  It's a new digital age and now more than ever, our potential customers are aware of things that don't feel right. Consumers notice things like corporate stock images and it ultimately ties back into a feeling of inauthenticity.
  6. Lack of control over your brand's image. You've worked hard to build your business, it's reputation and to accomplish the level of quality you provide.  However, you lose quite a bit of control by allowing someone to represent your company with a stock image. The images often don't convey all of this hard work.
  7. It's generic.  Marketing is about standing out in a crowded world.  Often times these stock images are taken in a way that is intentionally generic and your chance to showcase your brand's personality or unique features is lost.
  8. Everything about business is social. Hopefully, if you're reading this blog post - this isn't the first time you've heard this from us... because it's kinda the backbone of every single thing we do here. We believe that everything about business is about people. So showcasing your people, yourself, your customers... this is the biggest tool you have! People connect with other people - they connect with nice photos of corporate desks or random examples of your industry off the internet.
  9. Puts your customer at ease. Allowing your customers to see your services, see your team, see the product before they are asked to take any action will put them at ease. Can you imagine ordering a product off of Amazon that didn't have a photo? What if you ordered something off of Amazon and the product you received looked totally different from the product you received in the mail? Probably wouldn't go over well. Especially in service-based businesses, allowing your customers to see the team member who will be performing their service goes a long way! For example, a handyman business where an older woman is having a stranger come to her home. Making sure she's seen the face of her service provider before he's at her door knocking really improves her experience.

There are even more reasons on why not to use stock photos for social media. To hear my thoughts on that one, click here.

At the end of the day, it's a compromise on finding something that works for your business and budget versus creating something that makes sense.  Having a website that has stock photos is always better than not having a website at all. However, having a website that properly and authentically represents you and your brand is a step up from this.  Our goal as an agency is to provide top-notch, top-performing branding assets for our clients and that's why using stock photos is something we avoid whenever possible.

The Cycle of Promoting Your Business

At The Social Brand, we know that there are two parts of promoting your business - branding and marketing. We guide all businesses to start with their branding efforts and once they have a strong branding foundation, then it's time to move into marketing.  It's very important that you understand what these things are so that you can prioritize projects for your business.

We teach all businesses that the promotion cycle looks like this graph. Having a relevant image always comes back to your branding.  Your brand assets (which we'll talk more about in a moment) are like the seeds of your business. But, just creating a brand isn't enough anymore.  If you don't nurture your brand, it will never grow. When it comes to business, marketing efforts foster your business' growth. Marketing efforts are like watering those seeds you planted with your branding.

Your branding supports every facet of your marketing strategy and your marketing supports the brand and maintains a current image. Let me explain.

 

Branding

Let's start by first defining what branding is. Branding seems to be one of those words that has a million definitions, yet is still ambiguous. Why? Because everyone has a different perception of it. Meaning that branding can be everything and nothing all at once.

Entrepreneur.com defines branding as "your promise to your customers. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors." We love this definition. With this in mind, your brand assets help you communicate these promises and present these differentiating offerings.

One of our very favorite quotes is by a wise guy, Bob Camp, a business coach and mentor of ours. He once said,

Make your brand bigger than your company.

What does that mean? That means that the brand you have online (or in-person) should be one that enables you to connect with your customers, to grow your business and to be an authority in your industry (even if you don't feel like you are yet).

Branding, or brand assets, include things such as:

These brand assets enable you to grow your online presence and present a cohesive experience to potential leads, customers and community members about who your business is, what you stand for, the value you add to the world and can even help define workplace culture within your organization. For example, a solid mission statement would fall into this messaging piece and can certainly make a big difference. (Check out our recent blog post on writing a mission statement that doesn't suck by clicking here!)

Ultimately, what we want you to take away from this is that branding acts as the foundation of your company's promotion. The overall essence of who your company is should be communicated in your branding effectively. Once this foundation has been laid, marketing your company becomes easier and more effective.

Marketing

Once you have a solid branding foundation, we can begin the conversation about ongoing marketing efforts.  But, first, let's define what the heck marketing is. One of our favorite quotes about marketing is by Seth Godin, when he defines marketing as "the stories you tell." We believe this wholeheartedly. Once you have a brand, you'll begin telling different stories. There are a lot of different platforms you can use - but ultimately it's about telling a story and getting it in front of the right people in the right way.

You tell a story on social media about how you can help potential customers, you may tell a story in a podcast as you discuss what's happening in your industry and you may tell a story in a Google ad as you attempt to attract new visitors to your website.

Marketing efforts are comprised of things such as:

Now as your marketing efforts evolve, the customers your company works with change, and as time passes - the cycle begins again. This is because eventually your branding will need to be revisited... and this is why we call it a cycle. For more information about getting started with improving your brand or marketing efforts, click here. 

Writing a Mission Statement (that Doesn't Suck)

At The Social Brand, when we begin working with a new client one of the first things we ask for is their mission statement. Most of the time I get one of the following responses:

Very rarely do business owners have a mission statement that they know like the back of their hand and are proud of. To us, this is a missed opportunity for something that could define culture, quality and what you do in your business. It's an easy way to communicate what it is you, why you do it and who you do it for. Most importantly, it can be a reminder for you, your team and your customers of what's important. It should be something you believe in so deeply that you want to display it, you want to quote it... because it's the focus of everything you do.

A lot of people use "mission statement" and "vision statement" almost interchangeably. So, let's start by defining what these statements are.  Because a lot of time, they get confused. One great definition I read by Hubspot was,

"A mission statement is intended to clarify the what, who, and why of a company. On the other hand, a vision statement describes where the company wants a community, or the world, to be as a result of the company's services. A mission statement is the roadmap for the company's vision statement."

With that in mind, a vision statement is typically going to address the big picture of your business. Ideally, this statement is going to be timeless and won't require a lot of updating even as time progresses.  On the other hand, your mission statement is more practical and as time progresses it will need to be updated.  Your mission statement will talk about goals that you look to accomplish as a company in the next 3 to 5 years. Now, typically your tagline or motto will simplify your vision even more to a phrase or one-sentence statement.

My one frustration in the resources that are out there on these topics has always been that they reference big companies, huge companies that are out of the reach of a business our size or perhaps your size if you're reading this. So I wanted to come up with a list of examples that were reachable and relatable.  Then I started doing some research and quickly realized that these resources don't exist but most small businesses just don't have this stuff. It got me thinking - do small businesses really need a mission and vision statement? Do they need them both?

So, here's what we've decided. Yes and no. Yes, I genuinely think that every business should take the time to complete this exercise. Knowing what your business' vision for the future is should be a priority (vision statement) and knowing how you're going to get there is also equally important (mission statement). But, if you don't have these two things - having one defining statement of who you are, what your value is... what your focus is, regardless of what you call it is an inarguable need for every business. Big, small or in between.

So, I pulled together some really great examples I think y'all should check out:

Allevia Technology is a Maryville-based IT company providing managed services and technology support to small businesses in East Tennessee.

They went the extra mile and had both statements clearly displayed on their website along with their Core Values (another topic for another blog.. but so important!)

Vision Statement: Our vision is to be a crucial component of our clients’ success, to build more relationships, and to engage within our community.

Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide peace of mind through technology so that our clients are confident and inspired in fulfilling their purpose.

 

SSM Industries is a protective fabric manufacturer based in Spring City, TN.  They went the other route, by just having one simple and succinct statement that sums up what they do and their value for their customers... and we love it!

"Every product SSM makes protects someone or something."

This tells us what they do in a clear and understandable way.  This statement can also serve as a focusing agent for their team, for their customers and anybody else wondering what it is that they do.

 

Lirio is another amazing Knoxville-based company.  They are a AI platform that helps change behaviors to improve their health. They provided a "purpose statement" that clearly summarizes their purpose.

"Our purpose is to combine the power of behavioral science with artificial intelligence to drive positive behavior change for the betterment of all people."

We love it because it clearly tells us what their niche is, but it's a crazy big dream. All people. They haven't limited themselves - but they've defined themselves.

 

KSV Group is an industrial safety company focused on keeping businesses compliant. Their mission statement brings clarity to what they do.  We like it because it isn't a list of their services- but rather focuses on the function of their services.  Customers understand when they have a need for a certain product or service that functions a certain way - sometimes they won't even know the name of the service they need though, especially when you're in a very technical field. KSV Group understands that and designed their mission statement to address that.

Mission statement:  Safeguarding industry assets, its workers, community, plant, property, and equipment is core to our mission.

 

Two Men and a Truck is a moving company. They actually have locations all around the country but they've had a location here in Knoxville for twenty years. They have several statements on their website - but we loved how their mission statement and core purpose statement feed into one another.

Mission Statement: The mission of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is to continuously strive to exceed our customers' expectations in value and high standard of satisfaction.

Core purpose: To move people forward.

Yes! The mission statement once again talks about the function that they serve, not their services and then the core purpose simplifies it in such an inspiring and succinct way. Perfection.

 

So, we challenge you to write something down. Different approaches will connect with different businesses. Here are some questions that you may want to answer:

From there, we challenge you to write a defining statement for your business. This may be your purpose, your mission, your vision... but regardless of what it is - it should bring clarity. It should be a statement you can look to when you're considering adding a new product or service. Does this fit product or service fit in? It should be a statement you can look at to define your workplace culture. Does this policy foster the culture we want here? It should be a statement that helps you as you define the next steps for your company today, in a year or in ten years.

Do you have another local company that you think should be on this list? Email us and let us know! We'd love to grow our list of inspiration.

 

 

 

The Email Thing

It seems old fashioned.

In a Slack, Facebook, Dropbox world, using decades-old technology like email may make you feel like you’re the old person at the farm-to-table, community seating restaurant. The last thing you want right now is to seem out of touch with the customers you’re hoping to win over.

But take heart old friends! There’s a reason why this decades-old technology is still a cornerstone for how business gets done around the world.

When it comes to marketing your business, there’s simply no better way to connect directly with your customers than leaving them a message in their inbox. (Unless you’re sliding into their DMs, then that’s a whole other discussion.)

At the Social Brand, we believe this powerful marketing tool can be the difference-maker to increase sales and build brand awareness across a wide customer base. Here are three reasons why.

 

  1. Email Marketing is more effective than Social Media: 

This may seem ridiculous considering the space social media consumes in modern life. 

But according to a study from eMarketer in March 2016, 81 percent of 254 retail professionals around the country at companies with annual revenues under $100 million said email marketing drives customer acquisition and retention. 

“Email’s usefulness was followed by that of other digital tactics like organic search at 62% for acquisition and social media at 44% for retention—both rated effective by far fewer respondents than chose email.”

 

  1. Cost-Effective:

Email marketing may be the most cost-effective thing you do with your business. 

Your initial overhead cost is minimal outside your own time. According to research by VentureBeat and Direct Marketing Association (DMA), for every $1 spent, email marketing generates $40 in ROI. 

 

  1. Personal and Specific:

While a social media post is intended to speak to a wide range of people, email marketing can speak to individual recipients. It can even be customizable to address the recipient by name. 

 

Allowing access to an inbox is a very personal act, and even more so if the recipient's name appears in the subject line. According to research from Campaign Monitor, emails with subject lines that include the recipient’s name are 26% more likely to be opened.

So fear not fellow entrepreneurs! Email marketing is far from heading to the retirement home to play shuffleboard with the Yellow Pages. This consistently successful tool for communicating directly with customers is as useful as ever, and The Social Brand has some of the best strategies to get the most from your next campaign.