Marketing

  • Business, Marketing, Online Marketing

    3 Marketing Efforts That Deserve a Permanent Spot on Your To-Do List

    • by

    Marketing is always changing. That’s a fact. With every new trend, new technology, and new world event that occurs, your marketing strategy needs to be flexible and adaptable.

    When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by these constant changes. Do you feel yourself falling into either of these categories?

    The Marketing Overhaul: You’re convinced that each time something new comes out, you need to completely revamp your marketing strategy. You’re always starting from scratch, which can be exhausting and actually set you back further than if you’d just stuck with one solid plan.

    The Marketing Underachiever: You hear about all these changes but you just can’t keep up. You’re too busy running your business to worry about Marketing 2.0 or the latest trending sound on Reels. As a result, your marketing strategy is outdated and you’re not reaching your full potential.

    Neither approaches are ideal, but there is a middle ground, and focusing your marketing efforts has a lot to do with it.

    Where to Focus your Marketing Efforts?

    You can’t be expected to do everything, but you also shouldn’t be completely ignorant of the changes in social media and digital marketing. We’ve put together a list of three areas that we think business owners and healthcare providers need to continue to focus their marketing efforts on for the rest of 2022 and likely beyond.

    Watch this video, to learn more, or continue reading to fully understand why I believe these marketing efforts should always be on your to-do list.

    1. Creating authentic relationships

    The most important thing you can do for your marketing is to create and nurture authentic relationships with your audience. In a world where consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, they’re more likely to pay attention to – and buy from – brands that feel like friends.

    2. Maintaining consistency

    With so many channels and platforms to choose from, it can be tempting to try to be everywhere at once. But when you’re spreading yourself too thin, you risk diluting your message and confusing your audience. It’s important to find the right mix of channels for your business and then focus on delivering a consistent message in the proper format.

    3. Reaching new prospects

    Even if you have a great product or service, you won’t get very far if you’re not reaching new prospects or patients. That’s why it’s important to invest in marketing efforts that will help you reach new people. From paid advertising to PR to content marketing, there are a number of ways to get your brand in front of new eyes.

    Get Started with Your Marketing

    Now that you know where to focus your marketing efforts, it’s time to get started. If you’re not sure where to begin, we can help! Here at Tidal Creative Group, we work with small businesses and healthcare providers to create tailored marketing plans that get results. Contact us today to learn more!

     

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  • Blog, Marketing, Online Marketing

    5 Ways to Market Your Local, Small Business on a Budget

    • by

    The idea of marketing is a daunting task to many. Something you may have little time for, and even less of a budget. But it doesn’t have to take endless hours, and you don’t need thousands of dollars to build the online presence for your local, small business. The suggestions below require a small time investment, but little to no monetary expense.

    1. Create a Website


    According to Inc. Magazine, 60% of small businesses with 1-5 employees don’t have an online presence. Don’t let that statistic include you! If you have a Facebook page for your yoga business, great. But that’s not enough.
Facebook goes down sometimes, and there are a number of adults who chose to veer clear of social media.

    Creating a website for your business will cost money, but it will also help new clients to discover you and is worth the investment. 

    2. Publish Blog Posts

    Consistently posting to a blog can assist in increasing your page rank on search engines and it humanizes your brand. Each time you publish a piece of content, Google comes back to index your website.

    Using your blog to communicate discounts with customers is one thing, telling your brand’s story is another. Publishing regular blog posts will encourage your audience to visit your site giving you another opportunity to connect with them and take one step closer to converting them into a client.

    As a private yoga teacher, you could break down the anatomy of asanas in a weekly column, post recipes related to Ayurvedic spices, or discuss the metaphysical benefits of energy healing. You should post about whatever it is that differentiates you from other yoga teachers. What else do you know that many yogis have an interest in?

    Take a similar approach to your industry by answering your buyers’ questions and sharing content that will interest them. 

    3. Host a Twitter Chat

    Conducting a Twitter chat can be a very productive way of marketing your business and reaching a new audience. Involving a partner or an influencer from your industry with a substantial Twitter following is even better. Here’s a 6-step plan to launching your first Twitter chat.

    1. Find a partner/influencer in your industry.
    2. Decide on a topic that you can conduct your Twitter chat around and create an event-specific hashtag. Be creative and try to make it on the brief so it doesn’t take up many characters when people respond.
    3. Promote your Twitter Chat! Start early on this and include any involved parties requesting that they join in sharing the event.
      {This handy infographic on using Canva to create images will come in handy here.}
    4. Generate five questions you can ask attendees.
    5. Provide the questions to the involved parties before the Twitter chat so they can prepare their responses in advance. Doing so will allow them to interact with other attendees more because they won’t have to spend time crunching their responses down to 140 characters.
    6. Launch your Twitter chat at the scheduled time and be sure to engage with attendees.

    4. Guest Post

    Writing for other businesses’ sites will allow you to reach a new audience. Search out companies that attract similar clients, but are not competitive with your business. When pitching an idea on your proposed post consider the problems that your products or services address.

    An insurance company could look for local organizations to partner with on a guest post. Do your research and approach non-competitive, industry-related businesses. You can even offer a trade, where they guest post to your site too.

    5. Video



    Live video is an inexpensive way to get your face in front of customers. It doesn’t require much to air a video. Decide on the platform you’d like to use (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), come up with a topic and maybe a general outline of what you’ll say, and go live! People don’t expect videos that were published in real time to be edited.

    Here are five ideas of videos you can create at your business:

    1. Offer a behind the scenes look at the production.
    2. Show the product in use.
    3. Answer FAQ’s.
    4. Interview a customer on their experience.
    5. Interview an employee about their job.

    Sharing videos is a great way to get yourself and your brand in front of customers, invite shares, and create an awareness of your brand.

    There are a number of other budget-friendly marketing strategies you can employ as a small business. I hope that the ideas listed above provide some guidance and initiate the next step in your social selling efforts.

     

    Are you ready to start marketing your small business but aren’t sure where to start? Contact me and let’s build a strategy to generate more sales for your company!

     

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  • Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Tips

    Recommended Social Media Management Tools from a Seasoned Social Media Manager

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    Nearly half of small businesses are spending about six hours a week on social media. That’s almost a whole day of business! Social media management tools can help to make you more productive and effective during the time spent on social media.

    Below is a comprehensive list of the tools I have worked with or am currently using to schedule content for myself and my clients. Many are accessible on mobile, and some are accessible on both mobile and desktop. Take it from a pro – it’s always nice to have your social media management tools right on your phone for easy access on the go!

    Top Social Media Management Tools to Make Your Content Creation Tasks Easier

    Social Media Management Platforms

    Deciding on a social media management platform is like picking what type of ice cream you want at the local creamery. They’re all generally the same (frozen milk and sugar), but with slightly different ingredients based on your preferences.

    [bctt tweet=”Deciding on a #socialmedia management platform is like picking what type of ice cream ? you want at the local creamery. It’s hard!” username=”meaghanmae”]

    Hootsuite – With the free option of Hootsuite you can connect three social media accounts and schedule up to 30 messages. If you’re scheduling posts once a week or more frequently the free one may be enough, otherwise they have a paid plan that can handle more.

    HubSpot – HubSpot is excellent for larger companies looking for a full-blown CRM (customer relationship management) system. You can do social listening, schedule content, and analyze your efforts based on campaigns within the platform.

    Planoly– I recently started to use this, and I’m so glad I did! The drag and drop feature and grid view make it incredibly simple to plan your Instagram content. It even lets you know how many hashtags you have space left for with the Instagram mandated maximum of 30.

    Buffer – If you’re a fan of drag and drop, this is the social media manager for you. At the time of this blog post, it’s one of the few platforms that offer drag and drop to reschedule content.

    CoSchedule – Businesses with an active blog will like CoSchedule. It integrates with WordPress, and you can see social messages and blog posts in a single calendar for easier planning. Scheduling additional social messages for each blog is convenient too with your related images readily available.

    Image Creators/Editors

    Whether you’re creating the perfect Instagram post, the featured image for your next blog post, or thumbnail for your upcoming viral video, you’ll likely want a tool – especially if you’re going to add any text.

    Canva – I wrote in-depth about Canva and how to use it in 2016. It’s one of my top two tools I recommend to clients if they want to DIY their social media and blog/website images.
    steps-to-creating-canva

    izkiz Cam – This is my favorite Instagram image editor. Created by a popular Instagrammer with nearly 3 million followers, this app is $1.99. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to make your photos brighter and more vibrant.

    Analysis/Maintenance Tools

    A big part of your social media marketing strategy should include analyzing your content to identify what works and what doesn’t. Accurately measuring your results from social will help you to generate top-performing posts as you move forward. Don’t guesstimate like this guy.

    Most social media management platforms and social networks include analysis features within them, but if you’re looking for something more check out this list.

    Google Analytics – Get an overall look at which social media platforms are performing best in bringing visitors back to your website with Google Analytics. You’ll also be able to see which formats are resonating the most with each social networks’ users.

    InsTrack – Many Instagram users’ “strategy” to get followers is to follow and then unfollow as soon as the other account reciprocates. How this is still happening is beyond me! It’s incredibly disingenuine and a waste of time. To whittle these people out of your account, you can download InsTrack or a similar app to your smartphone that identifies who has unfollowed you.

    ManageFlitter – The same follow and unfollow tactic from Instagram happens on Twitter too. Clean up who you’re following with ManageFlitter.

    Hashtagify – Track hashtag popularity and find new ones using hashtagify.me.

    Google Sheets – Google Sheets can’t do any analysis for you (unless you’re kind of an Excel wizard), but it’s a convenient way to track your social media engagement and to plan future content.

    Employee Advocacy Platforms

    Enterprise companies looking to grow their brand’s reach online can mobilize their employees to share content. As Forbes reported, “brand messages shared by employees on social media earn 561 percent more reach than the same messages shared by the brand’s social media channels.”

    Executing an effective employee advocacy program necessitates a software that is simple to use for employees. The process of sharing your content needs to be as easy as possible. These are two of the tools I’ve used in the past – both as a user and in managing the platform.

    GaggleAMP – In addition to engaging your employees in sharing, GaggleAMP makes it easy to include your other brand advocates (possibly your customers) in sharing useful content.
    Everyone Social – The user has the option to create their own streams of content in Everyone Social. Similar to the feeds your business creates on company news, or other industry related content that your buyers will find helpful, they can add publications or hashtags that populate relevant content.

    [bctt tweet=”Not sure which tools you should be using to help with #socialmedia #marketing? Check out this list! ” username=”meaghanmae”]

    Where to Find OPC

    Your social media plan should include a mix of (OPC) other peoples content and your own. Many social media managers, myself included, recommend an 80 to 20 ratio. 80 percent being OPC and 20 percent being content from your website or other online channels. Here’s a list of the places you can look to find relevant content to share with your audience:

    1. BuzzSumo
    2. Google Advanced Search
    3. Anders Pink
    4. Feedly
    5. Relevant, Non-competing Industry Magazines and Blogs

    Understand that these are just the tools that I use. There may be better options out there; new apps are coming out all the time. Agorapulse and Edgar, for example, are two commonly recommended paid tools I hear from my peers.

    So what’s your flavor? Are there any tools I missed that you recommend to others? Are you going to try any of these out?  Let me know in the comments below.

     

    Reach out to me for a free 20-minute exploration call if you’re still struggling to get a grasp on managing your social media. I offer management services and training to help you grow brand visibility using social media.

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  • Blog, Blogging, Marketing, Personal Branding

    How to Write Engaging Content that Makes Your Brand Unforgettable

    • by

    Whenever you sit down to start writing a blog post, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? Hopefully, it’s not, ugh, I have to write another blog post (but if it is, get in touch with me – my writing services may be just what you need). In the sea of content that’s available on the web today, a top objective should be to write engaging content that is unforgettable.

    How to Write Engaging Content

    Today’s readers are inundated by online content. Brands must be creating memorable material that helps the brand to not only stand out but also to connect with your reader and make them want to return to your website.

    [bctt tweet=”Publishing unforgettable #content leads to a memorable brand.” username=”@meaghanmae”]

    Here are five aspects of a memorable blog post to help your brand connect with prospects, i.e., your readers. Include a mix of these in your content.

    1. Tell a story.
    2. Teach the reader something new.
    3. Present a thought-provoking idea.
    4. Agree with the reader.
    5. Make them laugh.

    [bctt tweet=”What should you include in your #content to make it memorable? Find out in this blog post by @meaghanmae. #branding” via=”no”]

    Tell a Story

    As Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If you can make the reader feel an emotion, you’re golden. They may not remember each of the five statistics you included, but they’ll remember the story and the emotions they felt.

    “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

    Incorporating storytelling into your content will have the most impact.

    In the book The Storytelling Edge, the content strategy masterminds behind Contently.com point out, “When we hear a story, the neural activity increases fivefold.” It’s easier to remember data points when they’re tied to a narrative, so try to weave a personal experience or fictional tale into your content.

    Teach

    Educate your reader. If your business has employees, involve them in creating content. If they’re not interested in writing or recording a video, you can always interview them and share their expertise that way.

    Position your brand as a knowledgeable resource by sharing helpful, expert level advice around your target customers’ pain points. You might even earn your website a few bookmarks from readers.

    Shock

    A quick way to be memorable is to do something crazy! Think about all of the viral videos you see. You remember and maybe even share them because they’re out of the norm. Apply this same principle to your content and present a new way of thinking for your reader to consider.

    Agree

    Share something that gets the reader nodding in agreement. Everything that you share doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. Agreeing with your reader allows them to relate to you and your personal brand. It builds a sense of connection. You want them to think, “This is my kind of person!”

    Make Them Laugh

    Comedian Mike Albanese says, “Funny content is more likely to be recalled than content that has no humor, and that is the point of most marketing and content!” 

    Write engaging content by infusing humor into your writing – if you’re funny! Comedy is not something that you can force, and readers will be able to tell if you’re faking it.

    If your content is usually pretty dry, try self-deprecating humor. It allows people to relate to you and see a human side that they may not recognize in clear-cut content.

    Amplifying Your Engaging Content

    Creating your unforgettable content isn’t the end of the line. It needs to be shareable too. Your amplification strategy should include paid advertising, especially if you’re not a well-known company that people are searching out for information.

    What do you include in your content to help build your brand and add a sense of community? Let me know in the comments below.

    free-def-guide-facebook-pages (1)

    If you’re sharing your content on a Facebook Page, are you getting the number of views that you want? If not, download my free eBook to ensure you’re doing everything you can to get more organic engagement.

     

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  • Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Video Marketing

    Video and the Future of Content Marketing

    • by

    What can you expect for the future of content marketing? It has certainly evolved in format since it first started with John Deere’s magazine The Furrow in 1895, but the purpose is still the same – build trust with your consumers.

    In addition to one-page leaflets, we now have branded magazines, blogs, podcasts, social media posts, and videos too.

    People watch 85 percent of Facebook videos without sound. They’re still interested in reading (and value their silent time), but visuals are a nice addition. The two complement each other quite well.

    Imagine watching an hour-long video on how to create a successful content strategy – no thanks! Wouldn’t you rather have a 10,000-word blog or eBook you can quickly come back to and reference? I would take notes the entire time if I watched a video or listened to a podcast that long. Give me the blog, please!

    Video Will Bolster The Future of Content Marketing

    As a proponent for the written word, I truly believe that video will not eliminate written communications. According to new research from Clutch, “33 percent of B2B audiences read blogs or articles about business-related topics.” People are sharing blogs with others because they think it will be useful and it’s helping to generate leads.

    [bctt tweet=”#Video won’t eliminate written #content, but there is value in using video to reach more people.” username=”meaghanmae”]

    B2B marketers using blogs get 67percent more leads than those that don’t. Social Media Examiner even reported that more than half of marketers believe that “original written content” is the most important type over images, videos, and infographics. However, I know the value of using video to reach people. Look at the facts, and you’ll agree.

    Types of Video to Use in Your Content Marketing Strategy

    Now that you understand why you need to create videos for your brand, let’s take a look at how to get started. The first question you likely have is what you should create videos about? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

    1. Create explanatory videos about your product or service.
    2. Answer FAQs. Almost half of businesses surveyed by HubSpot claim that video helps them lower the number of support queries they receive.
    3. Short teaser clips within your article of a few of the main points can encourage the viewer to read more. 80 percent of marketers say video increases the amount of time a viewer stays on their website.
      [bctt tweet=”#Video increases the amount of time a viewer stays on your website. #marketing” username=”meaghanmae”]
    4. Repurpose your current content. Identify content (blogs, eBooks, white papers) that have performed well in the past and add more mileage to the idea you’ve already developed with a video. It will also help with SEO (search engine optimization) of that topic on your website.
    5. Share “behind the scenes.” Give your prospects and customers a taste of what life is like in your business. Share clips from around the office that show the company culture, host interviews with employees or customers, explain how to make the product, or crowdsource questions to answer on a video.

    Tips and Best Practices for Video Marketing

    Recording and sharing video doesn’t have to be difficult. All you need is your smartphone and an idea. Remember these tips and best practices as you develop your video strategy.

    1. Short, two-minute-long videos get the most engagement (This does NOT apply to live video, see number two).
    2. Go live. At Social Media Day Jacksonville 2018, live video expert Luria Petrucci said to aim for a minimum of 20 minutes when using live video to get the most engagement.
      [bctt tweet=”To get the most engagement from your #livevideo, @luriapetrucci says to aim for a minimum of 20 minutes. #contentmarketing #videotip” username=”meaghanmae”]
    3. Create a series. In her book, Vlog Like a Boss: How to Kill It Online with Video Blogging, Amy Landino suggests creating a video series. It gives you an idea for the next video to make and builds a sense of anticipation among your audience.
    4. Share on Instagram or Facebook Stories.
    5. Upload videos directly to Facebook, don’t share YouTube links. Native videos get a ten times higher reach.
    6. Engage with viewers. 

    Are you among the 81 percent of businesses that use video in your marketing? If not, it’s time to get started. Grab your smartphone, develop a strategy or outline for your first branded video, and hit record!

    free-def-guide-facebook-pages (1)

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  • Blog, Marketing

    Top 3 Marketing Tips for Yoga Teachers

    • by

    Are you struggling to fill your classes to capacity? One of the biggest marketing mistakes yoga instructors make is not sharing their classes, events, and workshops enough. If your students don’t know you’re teaching, then you can’t expect them to show up.

    “You cannot serve people if they don’t know you exist.”
    ~ Lenka Stefanakova

    It can feel weird promoting yourself, but someone has to do it. If you get queasy at the thought of self-promotion consider what Sage Rountree said in this blog post for Yoga Journal, “understand that you are not promoting yourself, you are promoting your work, and your work is bringing yoga’s benefits to your students.”

    Being a yoga teacher is a job, and you should be thinking of it as a business. Companies advertise their products and services, and you should be doing the same. Here are my top three marketing tips for independent yoga teachers to put into action this year.

    Use More Visuals

    Visual content including images, videos, infographics, etc. are a few of the best mediums to communicate with your students. Images and infographics can be easily created using Canva. Here’s an example of one I created.

    meaghan_alvarado_yoga_teacher

    If you’re a little leery of creating videos, it’s time to take a deep breath and hit that Live button. Animoto reported that “four times as many consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.” Local St. Augustine yoga teacher Rachel Layne posted this video to Instagram last week promoting her Vinyasa Flow class.

    After sharing your visual content via social media or your blog don’t forget to include it in an email. Simply including the word “video” in the subject line of an email can increase your open rates by 19%! That’s huge when the average open rate in the fitness industry is only about 22% according to MailChimp.

    And don’t forget about flyers. As much as we all love our digital toys, people are still walking around in the real world. A few places you can post your flyers at include the grocery store, local restaurants, the post office, or health food stores. Don’t forget an eye-catching yoga image that reflects your classes.

    Guest Writing

    Consider pitching an idea to a local newspaper. If your yoga classes are more on the gentle side and geared towards seniors, you’ll have a better chance of reaching them through a print article than something posted online. Another perk is that the newspaper likely has an online version too.

    Local businesses that have a blog could also be open to guest postings. Bonus points if you can find someone in the same industry that attracts your type of client, but isn’t a competitor. For yoga teachers, this could be a health food store or metaphysical shop. Contributing an article will build your credibility as an expert in the field and introduce you to a new audience.

    Build Relationships

    Connect with other teachers and attend their classes. Share a photo on social media of you and the teacher after class; you can even include a quick blurb on how you enjoyed the practice. They’ll appreciate the shout out and likely reciprocate the action in the future. Same goes for sharing other teachers’ events.

    Being out there on the mat in the student role can help you build a connection with the community of students too. Practicing beside them allows them to feel your energy and gives you the opportunity to build a relationship. The conversation will likely lead to you revealing that you’re a teacher (if they didn’t already know) and when your class is held.

    Post your schedule to your website, share it on social media regularly – not just once a month, and talk about it whenever you have a chance. Remember to remind your students at the beginning or end of class about your upcoming workshops or classes. If you teach more than one class a week at that studio, make sure to mention your other class(es).

    Do you have any other marketing advice you’d like to share with our community of yoga teachers? If so, post it in the comments section.

    free-def-guide-facebook-pages

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