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As we enter a new year

1/11/2021

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As we edge into a new year filled with continued COVID fears and ever-changing protocols, it's hard for small businesses to feel optimistic about the coming months. Some have shuttered their doors forever. That's the very reason why we MUST create our own destiny and figure out how we can solve a problem for our customers and clients during this extended pandemic.  Employees learned how to work remotely, fighting through new technology platforms. Students and teachers learned how to adapt to online learning. 

Innovation.
​While COVID has hurt many small businesses, it has also helped many discover how resilient and creative they can be. Small businesses took leaps of faith to retain their loyal customers by tracking ever-changing state and local protocols, embracing technology and thinking outside the box to serve their customers.   Website overhauls now included e-commerce options as online shopping became necessary. Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Shopify, Ebay stores and other auction sites replaced brick and mortar shopping. In-person workshops and events moved online using FaceTime, Zoom and other platforms.  

Some history.
I came across a social media timeline that brought back memories of joining LinkedIn shortly after it launched in 2003, then Facebook in 2005, Twitter in 2007, and Pinterest (still my favorite) in 2010. I joined Google+, but never liked it. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who lost interest in the platform as it was shut down for good in 2019.  New platforms emerged - Snapchat, Periscope, Vine, and now TikTok. Two of these have already been shut down.  An alternative platform to Facebook called Parler launched in 2019 and was forced offline by Amazon and Google.

So, what can small business learn from this ever-changing and fickle marketplace? 


I spent many years facilitating educational workshops on social media and email marketing. At the beginning of most classes I showed a slide that featured a wheel.  The hub of the wheel represented what we, as small business owners, controlled -- our website and our mailing list. The end of the spokes included all the various social media platforms. These are areas we cannot control and don't own. Now, more than ever, it's important to rely less on what we cannot control and bolster our relationships with our customers using our mailing lists which continually point back to our hubs - our websites.

I wish you much success in 2021.

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A Time To Reflect

12/14/2019

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December has always been a whirlwind kind of month. Long before I chose the path of self-employment in marketing, most of my employment was commission-based. Performance mattered. I was evaluated every quarter on the amount of business I produced, but no quarter mattered as much as quarter four.  As many of my friends and family were enjoying holiday traditions, taking vacation time, or doing some shopping, my eyes were "focused on the prize" - meeting my annual sales goals, earning incentive bonuses, and helping my teams reach their goals for the benefit of the company.  There was no time to stop and reflect and certainly no time for "self care".

I was at a WBOA meeting this week where we shared our experiences with holiday traditions, as well as special promotions we may offer through our businesses at this time of year.  In all my years working as a public speaker and small business workshop facilitator on behalf of Constant Contact, I probably held over 40 "Rock Your Holidays With A Great Promotion" workshop heading into the last quarter of each year.  Most small businesses make the majority of their income in the last quarter of the year, so learning how to reach new customers and value returning customers was important, and I knew that effective use of email marketing combined with social media would help them succeed. I still help many of my clients plan, schedule and execute their holiday digital promotions.  I also shared that I seldom offer a holiday promotion for my own business.  

This week I was saddened to learn that a non-profit organization that I have supported for many years was closing its doors.  One of the reasons they felt they could no longer continue their mission upset and angered me.  Right before Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and the all-import Giving Tuesday for non-profits, their Facebook page was taken down with no explanation. This meant that all their digital advertising asks for donations that were scheduled to go during that time were held in the abyss of "Facebook jail". I have my thoughts on how and why this happened, but there is no way to change the outcome as Facebook makes its on decisions. They announced their decision to close to their newsletter subscribers this week.

We have become so immersed in social media that we forget about the power these companies can have over our lives, and our businesses. Between figuring out algorithms, paid vs. generic reach, and getting found in an overwhelmingly crowded space, maybe we are reaching the tipping point.  Maybe we need to re-evaluate our dependence on social media.

Thank you for subscribing to my mailing list. I am grateful the many conversations I've had with subscribers who've attended my workshops and events, my clients who have worked with me through the countless changes in the world of digital marketing and the many small business owners I've had the privilege to get to know over the years.  

Here's wishing you a very happy holiday season, however you celebrate.  Take care.
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5 Ways to make the most of Facebook in 2019

2/28/2019

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The digital world doesn't stand still and finding ways for our businesses to be found online can be challenging. Google announced in December that Google+ is shutting down on March 7th following a data breach and low consumer usage. Each social media channel has a different appeal and demographic but among the top platforms based on usage are YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Of all the channels, Facebook still has the broadest usage and widest demographic. However, small businesses are often frustrated with Facebook's algorithm which continually makes it harder to be seen in a crowded marketplace. The push to a "pay to play" model has made it difficult to use the platform without paying for Facebook advertising.  Still, having a presence on Facebook makes sense for most small businesses in order to create brand awareness and relationships with potential users of our products and services. The good news is that Facebook is a quality not quantity network.  Posting 2 or 3 times a week can be sufficient as long as the content is relevant to your audience.

Here are 5 ways to harness the power of Facebook for your business:
  1. Facebook Live:  Let potential customers get to know your brand by pulling back the curtain. Bring them into the salon, storefront or your home office and show them how you work using video.
  2. Reviews/Recommendations: Before making a purchase, many people check out reviews and ask for recommendations from their social network.  This is known as "social proofing".  Reply to positive reviews by thanking your customer.  Respond to negative reviews by acknowledging their concern and offering to make things right.  Pay attention to your business mentions when people who know your business reply to requests for recommendations for tree pruning, car repair, a great day spa or dog grooming spot.
  3. Events:  Hosting a special event gets your business noticed.  Consider partnering with another business or non-profit to maximize potential attendance.  Invite your friends, ask for others to share your event, post in your event to get people excited.
  4. Integration:  In 2012 Facebook purchased Instagram for a whopping $1-billion dollars. If you haven't included this popular mobile social media channel in your marketing you can still have a presence on the platform by integrating your Facebook account with a business Instagram account. You will be able to share images, and manage both accounts from Facebook.  You can also integrate Facebook with your Email Marketing. Invite your mailing list subscribers to leave you a Facebook review, invite them to your Facebook Event, and allow new subscribers to join your mailing list from your Facebook page.
  5. Facebook Groups:  Let this sink in. Roughly 2% of what you post on your business Facebook page ever appears on your follower's newsfeed due to its algorithm. One way to improve your visibility (and create meaningful engagement with your audience) is to create a Facebook Group.  A dog trainer might have a private group for dog owners.  A yarn shop might have a group for knitters. Unlike your business page, groups do not fall victim to Facebook's dreaded algorithm and members are more likely to see your content. I created Western Mass Business Buddies, a Facebook group just for local businesses to connect, share events, and promote each other. Feel free to request membership.
If you have any questions about using Facebook or other social media to enhance your digital footprint, I'm always happy to chat.  
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Has Summer Side Tracked Your Marketing?

7/30/2018

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It's easy to let the lure of summer let us kick back a little, slow down, unplug, maybe take a well deserved vacation. This is a good thing, assuming we've let our marketing continue on auto-pilot, as I wrote about in my last post. 

September is right around the corner, which means that the last quarter of the year also looms on the horizon. What you do NOW to create and maintain your marketing strategy and campaign execution can make a profound difference in your end of year numbers.  

So, what can you do in the middle of August to prepare to hit the ground running when it's "back to business" in September?​

The first thing to do is create a visual roadmap for September - December.  This calendar will allow you to map out everything that may affect your business and marketing campaigns throughout the holiday season.
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Tip:  Although you can use a digital calendar for planning, I suggest using a printed calendar for this process. You can print out blank calendars in Outlook, or look for one online.   You can transfer your tasks to a digital editorial calendar later.

Begin by adding special dates (Thanksgiving,  Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday (if you sell online), Giving Tuesday (non-profit giving), etc.  Look for special recognition days, weeks or months that are important to your industry and could be used in social media.

Will you be planning any special events, ie. customer appreciation day, a sales event, workshop, pop-up shopping day?  If so, look at your calendar to strategize a date that is far enough in advance to be able to market sufficiently. 
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Tip:  You may be in competition with many ongoing or special events during the holiday season.  Choose your date early by researching local events and allow for holidays and extended weekends. If you're co-hosting an event, be sure you agree on an event name, image, and short description in order  to send a "save the date" to your mailing list early.

Once you know what event you will hold, break out the tasks that need to be done. You can do this on paper now and add it to a digital task list later, or an excel or Google sheet which can be shared with others. What is the task, who is responsible, when is it due? If you're depending on others to create print material, update your website or create a campaign online, be aware that they may be busier as well. Don't wait until the last minute to place the work order.

Your social media, email, and traditional marketing campaigns need to support your seasonal "offer".  Timing is everything. Don't overlook the time needed to produce, print and ship marketing collateral. What can you pre-schedule and what must you do manually?  Inboxes are inundated with offers at this time of year. Do you have a strategy for resending an email to your subscribers who did not open your offer?

It may feel a bit overwhelming now to think about fall and holiday marketing, but with a little planning now, you can reap the benefit of a fatter bottom line on December 31st. You can do this!!!
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5 Vacation Tips For Small Business Owners

6/29/2018

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If you are a solo-preneur, finding time to do everything you need to do on a daily basis to market your business can feel daunting. When it's time to take a few days off, have you thought of how you will keep your business "running" while you're away? Ask yourself these questions.

How "unplugged" will you be?
  • Will you monitor and respond to email?  
  • Will you answer client calls?
  • Will you post on social media?
​If the answer to these questions is "no", here are 5 ways to make your business work when you aren't working.

1. Create a vacation auto-reply for your email.

You can use a basic out of office message, but why not toss in a little marketing when you have the opportunity. An out of office message that includes marketing goes something like this:

Hello and thanks for your email. I’m currently away until mm/dd with limited / no access to email. If your request is urgent, please contact [NAME] at [EMAIL or PHONE]. In the meantime, did you know I have a monthly e-newsletter? Yep, you heard that right! A monthly dose of all your favorite [COMPANY] content sent right to your inbox. To ensure you don’t miss out on all the good stuff, sign up for my newsletter here. [insert email sign up link]  I’ll be sure to get back to you when I return on mm/dd.  Thanks,

2. Create a voicemail greeting for your work phone.

If you use the same phone for work and pleasure, being away from the office can be a bit tricky.  The best advice is to NOT pick up the phone and encourage callers to leave a voice mail. 

3. Send an email to your mailing list subscribers.

The timing of this email may depend on your type of business. If you let people know you're on vacation in 5 days, you may get last minute requests for service just when you're trying to lighten your work load. I prefer to send this shortly before I will be unavailable for a period of time. The content for this message can be similar to a voice mail out of office greeting,  Consider including support service contacts.

4.  Pre-schedule social media content.

Just because you're away, doesn't mean that you can't be marketing.  There are apps available to help. Here's a pretty comprehensive list of free and paid apps you might want to consider: sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-scheduling-tools/
If you are only posting to Facebook, did you know that you can schedule posts directly from Facebook? Just create a post, but instead of clicking on Publish, click the down arrow beside it and choose Schedule. You can choose the date and time you want the post to appear. All your scheduled posts will show up in Activity.

5. Pack the essentials.

There are times when you may want flexibility to do a little work. Be sure to pack your wall charger, solar charger, laptop or tablet. If you need wi-fi, know where hotspots are available, or better yet, avoid the public wi-fi network altogether and add tethering to your mobile phone plan. 
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Happy travels!

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Facebook's Algorithm Change - Where'd Everybody Go?

7/7/2016

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Recently, Facebook announced that its algorithm is changing -- again.  What does this mean for small businesses who devote hours every week to their business pages?

Bad news.

It's no secret that organic reach for business pages has been steadily declining over the last three years. Prior to the latest algorithm change, only about 5% of what you post is ever seen by people who have liked your page. Let's put that in perspective.  If you have 100 people who have liked your page, you are posting for an audience of five.

It gets worse.

On June 29th Facebook announced the newest change to their algorithm and it's not good news for small businesses. Facebook will now begin to prioritize posts from user's friends and family in their newsfeeds (hey, it's what users want, right?). At the same time, content produced by businesses will decrease.  Your 5% reach may now be 2%.  Is that acceptable?

What's the answer?

It may be time to take a step back from your Facebook strategy, certainly re-prioritizing time spent on content creation and frequency of posting.  In order to increase reach, Facebook is making it clear that you will need to advertise. The entry fee is likely to increase due to this new demand, so be prepared to pay more for that option.

What else can we do?

You might want to rethink your "list", you know, the list of email addresses you have been gathering from people who have asked to stay in touch.  Devote your time to really learning how to engage with your customers, fans and supporters. The average open rate for email is 21% and if you use Constant Contact as your email marketing provider, you will enjoy a deliverability rate above 99%.  

One last thought . . . . remember, you have no control over social media platforms. It's rented space.  Go with what you own -- your website and your mailing list. That's where you can focus your marketing efforts for better results. 
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5 Ways To Get Your Content Seen On Facebook

5/15/2014

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I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook, especially Facebook for business. As a marketer, Facebook is a moving target, always changing to "better the user's experience", or so they say. Every change affects my clients and their ability to stay current in a marketplace that often feels uncomfortable. 

One of the changes that has been most troubling is the downward spiral in organic reach (who sees your content) that business pages have experienced in the last couple of years.  It may surprise you to learn that less than 6% of your content is being seen by your fans (people who've liked your page).
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I know what you want to say right now . . . . "Forget it!  Why waste my valuable time posting when no one's going to see it anyway?"  

Before you throw in the towel and abandon your business page, let's look at what you CAN do in order to get more of your content seen. It all comes down to increasing engagement. Will your fans like, comment and share your post with others?  Facebook rewards high quality content by letting it squeeze past their filters and right onto your fan's news feed.  So what can you do to increase engagement?
  1. Follow the 80/20 rule.  Are you posting relevant, useful, entertaining content or focused on selling, selling, selling.  Make it about them 80% of the time and keep the self promotion to a minimum, under 20%.
  2. Be consistent.  Post at least two to three times per week. Use a marketing and editorial calendar to help.  Try Facebook's auto-scheduler to stay on track.
  3. Timing is important.  Just like with email marketing, when your message reaches your audience makes a big difference in its being read.  Learning as much about your audience as possible can help determine the best times to post. Check your Facebook insights to see when your fans are most frequently online.  Figure out as much as you can about their lifestyle.  Are they night owls, busy parents, twenty-somethings who are tied to their smart phone the second they wake up, or do they work where there's little access to the internet during the day. Time your posts to reach them when they are most receptive. Test, test, test.
  4. Keep it short.  Posts that are between 100-250 characters get about 60% more likes, comments and shares. (Source: Facebook).  We're all busy.  We read a lot of this on a mobile phone.  We can only consume so much.  If you have a lot to say, say it on your blog or website and link to the full story.  Check your Google Analytics to see if they cared.
  5. Use images.  Adding an image to your post can increase engagement significantly. Keep it real, authentic, whatever you want to call it -- use humor, and ask for engagement.  Show two or three images that are contrasting styles and ask which one your fan likes best. Depending on your business, here are some ideas: pet store: cat vs. dog;  marketing: laptop vs. desktop vs. tablet; hair salon: bangs vs. no bangs; You get the idea.
  6. Pay for it.  Finally, the truth comes out.  Facebook is moving to a pay-to-play model. "But it used to be free.  Why can't we just keep using everything without paying?" Stop whining.  It won't change anything. Build Facebook promotions into your annual advertising budget. (You do have a budget, right?) 
The bottom line in all this?  You don't own Facebook, Twitter, or any social media channel. What you DO own, however, is powerful.  You OWN your website.  You OWN your blog. . . and you OWN your mailing list.  


Figure out how to get your social fans onto your mailing list and you won't ever have to worry about Facebook's next move again.  If you need some help, let's talk.
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6 Questions To Ask Yourself About Using Social Media 

4/1/2014

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The pressure to jump on the social media bandwagon is strong for small businesses. While small business owners are rarely afraid of taking on a challenge, learning how to create a sustainable social media strategy can be daunting.  

Ask yourself these 6 questions to see if your social media plan is on the right track. 

  1. Who am I trying to reach? Every social media platform is different and understanding your market and how each platform works is key to finding the right mix.  Go where your audience is first.
  2. Is my conversation relevant?  Choosing the right content for your audience is important. Social media is, well . . . social.  No one wants to be hit with a "salesy" pitch, one way conversations or too much self promotion. Use a bit of humor, ask questions, draw your audience in by sharing your expertise in meaningful ways. Try not to stray far from your message.
  3. Am I trying to do too much, too quickly?  The myth of social media is that you need to be everywhere.  Start small on appropriate platforms for your audience and measure your success. Make sure you have the resources to manage your social media. Abandoning a platform gives the impression that you're out of business!
  4. Have I utilized tools to make my work easier?  From scheduling Facebook posts and linking accounts, to using tools like Hootsuite, Google Alerts and Nutshell Mail, there are many ways to reduce the time it takes to maintain a balanced social media presence. 
  5. Am I paying attention to my progress? If you're not monitoring your reports, you have no way of knowing whether your strategy is working.  Every social media platform offers these tools.  
  6. Have I integrated social media well?  Find ways to get followers back to your "hub". Remember, you OWN your website and you OWN your mailing list.  Everything else is rented space and can change without your consent.  For example, Facebook's algorithm recent change determined only 6% of your content is worthy of appearing on your fan's newsfeed. Of course, if you pay to promote it, you might have improved results. Learning how to integrate social media is key to success.  
As more and more social media platforms move toward "pay to play" (advertising based) models, "free" may go away.  Choose wisely, maintain balance and you might want to get your checkbook ready.
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Women's Night of Comedy - a benefit for Girl's Inc.

3/1/2014

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The Women Business Owners Alliance, an organization of which I am a member, is holding its 21st Annual Women's Night of Comedy on March 13, 2014. In order get the word out about this fabulous event, we chose Thunderclap to help extend our social media reach.  When you and your friends join a Thunderclap, a message (our invitation to come to the event) will be sent at the same time, causing a wave of motion to occur on feeds, spreading an idea through Facebook and Twitter that cannot be ignored.

We need 100 supporters by March 7th to make this happen.  Even if you can't come to the event, by lending your support here, you can help us reach our goal.

So, what do you say?  Will you take a minute to help?  Please JOIN our Thunderclap!
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Email Marketing vs. Social Media - What's Best for YOUR Small Business?

2/22/2014

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If you've attended one of my workshops, you have heard me talk a lot about today's relationship building marketing tools.  I'm often asked.,"Which is better....email marketing or social media?"  The tendency to view social media as being FREE can make it pretty alluring, especially for budget-conscious businesses. 

So, what's my answer? 

Creating a compelling email marketing plan integrated with the right social media platform(s) keeps you connected with your customers/clients and potential users of your products and services. Although it's not a contest, if you still are struggling with where to spend your time and marketing dollars, check out this infographic.  It does a pretty good job of comparing both email and social media.


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    Liz Provo, Mass Marketing Resources.

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