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Category: Business Consulting
Mini Brand Profile: An Interview or Two with Jonathan Howard
Over the past couple of week’s, I have been asked by a couple online Facebook groups I am a member of to complete a Mini Brand Profile. These are really just some basic who am I, what do I do to let people know about my business and a bit about me. So here I am combining these two mini brand profiles to give you a bit of a deeper look at what I am about and what my business does. So here is the JRH Graphics Mini Brand Profile. I hope it gives you a deeper look into me and my crazy. If you have any questions of your own feel free to ask in comments. So, here we go…
A Mini Brand Profile: JRH Graphics
Who are you and what is your business / what do you do?
Well, let’s start from the top, my name is Jonathan Howard. I am a business consultant, social media manager, photographer, graphic designer and lead content creator at JRH Graphics. So as they say in business I am a Jack of all Trades and Master of None.
I started my company, JRH Graphics about a year ago and we provide business consulting services as well as social media management, graphic design, and photography to small businesses in Washington DC. Our goal is to help businesses get the most out of the efforts they put into social media by helping them build campaigns that will educate and entertain their followers (edutain as I say).
What We Do
We help create the content and make sure that your brand is set up to support the business that will be created with that content. Having close to 20 years of management experience. Plus 10 years of social media experience gives me the skill set necessary to build campaigns that highlight the strengths of a business while telling their unique and winning story. The power of social media is most visible when a brand can tell their story in a way that connects with its followers. Capture the hearts of followers and you will be able to build a loyal customer base. Stories connect and create relationships, and relationships sell and sell and sell.
How long have you done what you do?
I could answer this by saying one of two things, not very long or forever. I started my business over a year ago after leaving my 18-year retail management career with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers. BNC is a company that was founded on the idea of building relationships that transcend transactions.
Our goal was to create a campus community in and around our stores. It was a company that allowed managers to innovate and reinvent the role of the campus bookstore based on each school’s needs. As a store manager, I was allowed to do what was right for my store which provided me a lot of wiggle room to be a rebel with a cause. A role that I definitely enjoyed and still fill in my own business.
My community, students, and campus were my number one priority. We engaged our customers by listening to what they needed. Then we would find a solution. Our job was one of a storyteller, a facilitator and campus partner.
We Should All Tell Our Story
I am a storyteller now, that is my main job. I am a partner to my clients and I help them effectively tell their story. Social media is the platform I utilize to tell it but the idea is still the same. I help people tell a story in a way that engages followers. Stories have a way of transcending transactions and building long-term connections. Followers may not need your services now, but they will think of you when you do.
What got you into it?
Working at college bookstores my team became intimately familiar with social media from the moment it began impacting the way students would engage and shop. I was lucky enough to work for a company that adopted social media as a way to engage our customers early on. They provided us with key insight and allowed us to control our social media platforms ensuring that the content was “hyperlocal.” Some things we did were successful, other times we failed miserably but we got up brushed ourselves off and tried something new. We figured a lot out and we kept learning.
The impact of social media on traffic and engagement with our community was shocking to me. I wanted to know more so I began to take classes and read all I could find online about businesses using social media effectively. I also read a lot of stuff on millennials and how they engaged with businesses. The more I learned the more I knew I could make a difference helping businesses utilize social media correctly.
The Oh Sh!t Moment
My decision to leave my 18-year career happened about 2 years before I thought I would make that decision. It happened quick but the time was right. I was terrified.
Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.
Can you share with us a time where you struggled and persevered?
Perseverance is a mandatory quality for an entrepreneur. If it is not a quality you possess you will fail. I jokingly say, “the struggle is real,” but it is true when you own and operate your own business you struggle daily. But can also celebrate your wins daily. Wins that are real and directly impact you.
When I left my career, every day was uncertain. I left on a Tuesday and I had a couple options… stay in bed and mourn my loss for a week or so or get up and do something. Wednesday I was applying for my business license. By Friday I had my first meeting with a potential client. Every day since then I have been working to make something out of my business and my ideas. I believe I have a good idea here. I know I can offer value to businesses that choose to work with me. The businesses I have worked with have seen a greater reach, and have felt an impact on sales.
A Year In: Well, I Am Writing A Mini Brand Profile
Now a year into my journey, I still struggle. But I still learn every day as well. I think the ability to learn and adapt is the flip side of the perseverance coin. You are going to struggle and you need to persevere. In each of these struggles, you must find lessons and learn from them. If you fail to learn from them you will continuously face the same struggles. In my humble opinion; failure to learn daily is a failure in life.So tell us some things we wouldn’t know…
So yeah, I guess I did a decent job telling my business story but I didn’t focus on the real me. If I was one of my clients we would have had a point in our weekly conversation where I reminded them that a glimpse into what makes you tick is essential. It’s an aspect of your story that builds a connection with your followers. So here we go…
Things You May Not Know Part of the Mini Brand Profile
I’m 37ish-year-old social media geek who loves what he does. Definitely bit of a goober, bit of a smartass, and a lot of a rabble-rouser. I learn all the rules and I like to find innovative ways to break them. I’ve been known to speak my mind with nothing held back. But I do it to make you better. My public persona pretends to have no feelings but in reality, I have all of them!
I live in Washington DC with my two puggle pups, Max and Ryder. These two have so much personality and stubbornness it can be hard to manage. But they love their Dad more then I will ever understand.
My escape from my work has unexpectedly become another job for me but I still love to take my camera out and photograph the city. These images are the basis for my Instagram feed which highlights the photography manipulation side of what I do that I barely spoke about here.
I have an amazingly supportive extended family that lives in Upstate New York and a younger sister who is getting married this year.
More Random Info
I am a huge fan of P!nk and have watched her Truth About Love Tour a frightening number of times. I am also a big Billy Joel fan and on occasion, I can be heard blasting his greatest hits as loud as the speaker can go and singing along. Yes, I know all the words to We Didn’t Start the FIre
What is something that you think you may take too seriously?
That’s the easiest one so far, branding and brand identity. I am a stickler for posts being representative of the brand. Everything you do as a business should be guided by brand, even your unscripted content. Because your brand is defined by an emotional reaction from your followers. It is not defined by the brand identity guidelines you live by internally. Your unscripted content has the potential to create a brand identity crisis if you don’t really believe in your brand and use it to guide those interactions. Like I said, take it too seriously.What’s your best advice to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur?
If you have an idea. One that you truly believe in. Then it’s time to get out and do it. Period.
What’s your best advice to someone who just started as an entrepreneur?
Don’t look back with regret. Look back to see how far you have come and then forward to see where you want to be. It is going to be the greatest journey of your life and you are going to be terrified at times. Actually, you are gonna be terrified a lot.
Don’t forget that the struggles teach us lessons that are invaluable. Keep learning, keep doing, keep innovating and keep adapting. Your business doesn’t need to look the same as you planned it to look on paper. You may think there was one void that needed to be filled in the market but after a few months you notice that you are filling a different void. That is not failure that is a success. Maybe not the success you planned but who the hell cares a win is a win.
Keep racking up those wins.
If you don’t have (blank) you will never succeed as an entrepreneur?
If you don’t know how to interact and read people you won’t be successful. You need to be able to step back and watch people and there actions to see what they really need. Translating what people say into actionable items. Motivating and inspiring employees. That is all based on your ability to interact and read people and their behaviors. Learn to be an active listener. Let people complete sentences and ideas. Don’t talk over people. Practice ways to engage people and explore ideas and differences in a polite way that keeps the conversation opened. Be aware of your body language.
Can you share with us one of your favorite experiences on your journey to success?
It is not really one experience that I can look to as a favorite in this journey. It’s the people. When I left Barnes & Noble College I left a family that I deeply loved behind, A family that knew my weirdness and quirks and tolerated my cursing. A group of people that will never be replaced.
Within a month, however, I was working with people who would start to fill that void. I never imagined I would be so lucky. These were amazing people who showed a tremendous amount of support and believed in what I do. They tell me when I am wrong. Help pick me up when I am down. Push me to keep going.
I met so many of these people via social media, just saying hey I love your work. Or hey, would you like an orchid? Do me a favor and if you ever need help with social media hit me up. I have nurtured these relationships. They have nurtured these relationships. And they have brought so much to my life in this first year of business.
People like Cody Alexander (who is 100% responsible for me doing what I am doing right now). Believers like Zack Wade, Dani Sauter and My Ly. Risk takers like Lea Berry, Pamela Moyer and Rinny from Oak Vino are all a part of my JRH Graphics Family. They always will be and that is the amazing part of the journey.
The Buzz Around the Social Media Algorithms
Algorithm 2018 and Your Social Media Strategy
There has been a lot of chat about the 2018 Algorithm on all social media and what they mean to businesses. A lot of people have been whining about how Facebook is hurting their advertisers that pay the bills. More even thinking that Instagram is being unfair in how they are handling what is seen. And before everyone jumps on the bandwagon lets all take a step back and think. Are these changes really hurting you, or are they pushing you forward. Making you take that next terrifying step? Which in my opinion isn’t that terrifying and shouldn’t really change the core of your strategy anyway.
The Specifics of the Algorithm Don’t Matter
Yes, I said it, when you boil it down the specifics of the algorithm absolutely DO NOT MATTER! It really doesn’t, yeah you will need to change maybe how you deliver an idea, switch to a heavier video strategy, utilize more live streaming, use stories, or use fewer hashtags and put them in your caption so they really matter. Make those minor changes, watch what happens and then continue to evolve and respond to your testing. Those things are not the core of your strategy and if they are, I hate to break it to you, you are doin’ it wrong!
Why I am So Harsh
Yeah I know I am being harsh. But the thing is those are all minor things. The big deal, the major focus is creating great content that people engage with and then engaging with them. Guess what, CONTENT IS STILL KING!!!! Content will always be king, content is thinking about changing the spelling of his name to KONTENT… he knows he is that big of a deal.
KONTENT IS KING
So we have accepted KONTENT as the king! Now, take a deep breath cause stability is here … If you create content that is “edutaining” as in it educates and entertains your followers you win! If it is something that they actually engage with and you are a smart business person and you engage back, you are golden. All that is really changing is the best method of delivery. It really all boils down to having a great content strategy. Plan it in advance, build it around goals and promotions, and then fill in the specifics as you go and test what works best now within the algorithms.
Your Content Strategy
So, yes build out a content strategy in advance. Have a plan for what you are posting and make sure that it is brand appropriate and fulfills the needs of your audience in some way. You should review your plan before you put throw it out there. You should regularly review the results of your plan and adapt as you go. Tweak it to make sure it is still reaching the people that you want to reach. Review and make sure it is appropriate to your brand.
You Shouldn’t
The one thing that has made me crazy this week is the idea that these changes require you to throw your entire plan out the window. Rethink everything and throw lots of buzz words and shit at the wall and see what sticks. THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU SHOULD RESORT TO.
Facebook simply and quite well stated that they wanted to make the time people spend on social media more meaningful… why is that a threat to your business? That should be your goal as well, create content that will make people’s time on social media more meaningful. Instagram’s algorithm change may test your content and see how well it does by releasing it to 10% of people and then if it does well it gets released to the rest. If you create content that the first 10% engage with then it will be released to the rest.
Wait a minute, they are building the test in for you, don’t get angry, thank Instagram because now all you need to do is see what things engaged really poorly from the start and make less of that content, the stuff that does well you know that you should create more of that content.
Your overall strategy does not need to change if you are creating great content and engaging with your followers. If you are putting crap content out, or using other people’s content and not actively engaging with followers then you need to worry your content won’t be seen. And honestly, it shouldn’t be seen, put in an effort.
What changes do matter
So what does matter with all of these changes? I highly recommend you start a group that is attached to your business page on Facebook as I believe that a lot of the engagement will happen in this community and then get put out by your followers. Dive into video head first. You should not be afraid to go live (I still am). I recommend reviewing your hashtag strategy on Instagram and make sure that you are responding to all your followers quickly. Be okay with having fewer interactions and be okay with having more engaged followers. Ask followers what kind of content they want to see. Get them involved in your content strategy. Keep your feeds clean and brand appropriate but don’t be afraid to show some personality and quirkiness in your stories.
And finally I have always recommended this, plan ahead but don’t over plan your calendar. Only schedule 70-75 percent of your posts in advance and leave room in your plan for some trendy posts and user-generated content.
Now, relax, stop whining, and create great content! Guess what I bet this plan works for 2019 too!
Business Inspiration Needed! What Inspires You to Hustle?
What Inspires You To Hustle?
Business inspiration can be a challenge for many small businesses or solopreneurs (businesses made up of one entrepreneur)! As a small business owner, solopreneur and a business consultant, among other things I sometimes struggle to find inspiration and direction to keep me moving forward. It is natural for question to pop up, like the following…
Am I making a difference?
Are the services I am providing right for my target audience?
Will the hustle now pay off later?
Can I make something out of this?
Is the work I have done so far moving me in the right direction?
And it’s healthy and smart to answer all of these questions honestly as you reflect on the things you have done, your goals for your business, and where you want to be down the road.
The Most Important Question
There is however, one question that matters most of all and that is…
Do you love what you are doing?
Honestly, do you actually love what you are doing? Do you stay up late or jump out of bed ready to go to work? If the answer is yes then keep on hustling. This should be all the business inspiration you need, right? You are a business owner.
You are smart.
You are already making a difference.
You can modify your services as needed.
And you know that your hustle will pay off down the road.
You are certain that you will continue to innovate and adapt.
Your head knows this, your heart knows this but somehow the connection is not there.It is not easy. We all feel down at times! Our drive can fade in and out. It is when we are down and out, about to quit, that we need a good dose of inspiration. A reminder of why we do what we do.
The January Blues
So, I was missing that ever so important drive this January. I needed some business inspiration because this month has been uncomfortable for me. With clients facing transitions of their own my ability to afford to live in DC was in question. Some leads that I thought I could make into something fizzled out. Numerous emails had been sent but remained unanswered. I had a really bad case of the January Blues which were magnified by the heinously cold weather! I have felt overwhelmed with tasks but lost on direction. Unaccomplished and unable to commit. I was ready to let go of this hustle. It didn’t matter that I loved what I did if I couldn’t live off what I did, something had to give.
Inspiration Strikes
Cut to an unexpected surprise while I was attending an event with a local client. Here I am chomping on an apple behind the table. A familiar face strolls up, I recognize the face but with a mouth full of apple, at a loss for words and somewhat shocked I take a moment as she comes in to give me a hug! The familiar face was a woman from my past life, an author by the name of M/R Johnson.
The Back Story
I still remember the day she came into my store with a copy of her self-published book, Memoirs of an Addict: Fact or Fiction to see if we would carry it and what we would be willing to do to help promote the title. Normally, I would have taken the book and told her my assistant would get back to her, but she struck me as someone special. Her ability to capture an audience with a story was evident. Her passion was unmistakable.
We booked her for an event, her first ever book event on October 8, 2015. I remember listening to her as she delivered a captivating story that was full of hope and inspiration, and I smiled because I sensed that her story touched a few hearts and minds of the attendees and it had the potential to make a difference. In 2016 we asked if she would be one of the featured authors at the first ever Healthy Book Festival we did in conjunction with NBC. Once again her story was captivating, and I watched and was so very proud of her.
She was gaining experience and more confident and she was openly telling her powerful story. This time I was certain that she had made the difference in the life of at least one of the people in that audience.
Powerful Stories
I have always believed that stories have power. Stories inspire. A well-delivered story can make you suddenly realize something about yourself, or motivate people to stand up and fight for something they believe in. I may have only been a bookstore manager but I felt good that day. I had given M/R a platform to tell her story. A story that was going to help somebody.
Making a Difference
When I decided to go into the social media business it was because of people like M/R Johnson Those people in the world that realize the power of words, woven together so beautifully they create a tale that is capable of moving mountains. Each story has value and should be told. We should all listen and try to learn something new about ourselves or others.
She was now standing in front of me, a successful author, storyteller, mental health activist, and she has published another book. She is still telling her story and making a difference in the lives of those she touches. And after that hug and reintroduction, I glanced down at the card she had handed me and read to myself, “Words Can be Powerful, carefully put together, they are priceless.” It was exactly at that moment she said to my client…
“He gave me my big break, he believed in me.”
My Realization
All this time I was hoping that she made a difference in the lives of those who heard her speak and I missed the fact that I had made a difference in her life. I believed in her story and the power of stories to bring change. It was simple, but it was PRICELESS!
Business Inspiration: Returned. Hustle Mode: Resumed
And in a flash, my blues had lifted. At that moment when I needed it most the Universe provided me my business inspiration in the form of M/R Johnson. I discreetly wiped a few rogue tears that had snuck out of my eyes away and grabbed my notebook to begin making a plan. I am determined to continue down this path and see where it leads. I love what I am doing and know that I can help individuals and businesses tell their story. Harness the power of social media. Change perception. Help others. And do so many more things.
I had learned something priceless last week. I learned that believing in those around you may be enough to make a difference in their lives!
That, right there, is why I love what I do! That is my business inspiration and the reason I hustle! Thank you, M/R for reminding me of that and getting me back on track!Do you need someone to believe in your story and help you tell it on social media? Have ideas but not sure how to execute them? Need to brand yourself or your business? JRH Graphics can help!
Building A Community Around Your Brand
Community and Social
Community and social media have been tied together since the dawn of the social media era. However, the more I look at the social and social media landscape the more I believe that building a community around your brand is going to be an essential part of all businesses strategies in the upcoming year. According to Hootsuite in their Social Trends 2018 Webinar real customer communities, micro-influencers, and ‘people like me’ take center stage as consumer trust continues to decline. So now is the time to put the ball into play and make sure you are nurturing a customer community that will advocate for your brand in 2018 and beyond.
The Decline of Consumer Trust in the System
The decline in consumer trust is a major indicator pointing to the increased importance of building a community around your brand. The lack of trust in authority figures is shockingly low according to Edelman’s 2017 Trust Barometer. Only 37% of the public trust CEOs. 29% trust government officials, and 85% of the public lack faith in the entire system. So, with this incredibly low level of trust in the system who are people looking to for advice and guidance? They are looking toward peers. A peer is considered by 60% of people asked to be very or extremely credible (the same as experts). “People like me” are the experts, the people they trust. They have the same likes, experience the same problems, and use the same products. This change alone has thrown marketers for a loop.
The Uber Mega Influencer Lacks Authenticity
Influencer marketing is a key part of community building. An influencer is a “person like you” they are just the coolest friend of the group. But the key to influencer marketing is having someone who does actually use the brand they are representing. 2017 marked the end of the celebrity influencer era, 2018 will mark the rise of the mini and micro-influencers. Consumers are looking for a more authentic spokesperson. For today’s consumer a peer to peer review, and employee testimonial or a customer’s story can carry more weight than the celebrity endorsement. The rise of the mini-influencer is another reason it is important to build your community. Tapping into the feedback from your community will lead to the discovery of these key assets and personas. It will also provide invaluable insight into a customers journey and what customers are looking for from your brand.
True Belonging
The third reason I believe that building a community around your brand will be an essential step is based on Brene Brown’s research on shame, vulnerability, and true belonging. Brown states in her book Braving the Wilderness, “Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” To get a fuller understanding of the concepts she studies check out TED Talks for two phenomenal thought-provoking talks. But for my purposes here, the concept is simple, humans want to belong to a community. An idea larger than ourselves. If a brand is able to provide that, you have a win on your hands.
So we all agree, community building around our brand is essential, right? Okay, good! Now, how exactly do we build a community, where will we build this community, and what does it really look like. The answer is simple yet complex, it is different for everyone! But I believe the following are must have parts of the formula…
Defined Brand + Engaging Story + Inspiring Leadership + Focus on Consumer + Goes Above and Beyond Daily
Define Your Brand, What it Is and What it is Not!
Want a little guidance on brand identity v. brand check out this post…
You can not build a community around a brand that is not defined so your first step of community building is defining what your brand is and is not. Is your brand representative of something? What does it sound like, taste like, feel like, and how does it look on paper (logos etc)? How do you want your followers to feel when they use your brand or product? Is it exclusive? What do you include and what do you make sure to leave out? What would your brand post about on social media?
After you define your brand you explore your differentiators. Are you different from your competition? What is different about your product? Why will people choose you over another brand? Taking a deep look at what makes you different from all the other brands. This will help you define what makes your brand special. And it will help you be able to define and communicate key differentiators to your followers.
Tell Your Story
If you are not telling your story, you are not doing your job. Your story sells. Stories win over customers. A story is the difference between success and failure, Your story is your golden ticket. Make sure that you feature your real, authentic brand story. Whatever your story is it is essential to your business and your brand. It is how you got to where you are. It is the basis for what you do. And your story will continue to develop as you continue to learn and grow. Your story is human, unscripted and real and it what allows you and your brand to connect with the community at large.
Give Members A Reason to Join
What will members get for being a part of your community? Inside information, special discounts, cool swag? Not ready to take a hit on the bottom line to encourage community membership and engagement? Then encourage the development of an inside language, inside jokes, memes, or other member exclusive items that set them apart from non-members, just make sure that you have a plan in place to get new members up to speed.
Make Sure Your Focus is the Customer or Follower
Real engagement and meaningful interaction should be the focus of your brand community. What questions do your followers have? Why did they join your community in the first place? What information can you provide them that can help them in their everyday life. Your goal is to have real relationships with these followers not just see how many followers you can quickly add so that you can boast about the numbers reached.
Don’t be Afraid to Engage and Inspire
You have a great brand, people like you, some may want to be like you. It is likely that some of your followers look up to you, and that is okay. Engage in the conversation when it’s appropriate and lead the conversation if you see a chance to inspire someone. Your followers want to be inspired and they want to feel like they are part of something (your brand) important!
Speaking of Being A Part of Something Important
Ask your community questions and listen listen listen listen to all of the feedback that you get. Your followers and community members want you to be successful and they have ideas! Listen to the ideas that they have, listen to the feedback they provide, listen to the chatter amongst group members. Then after you have listened to what they have to say make sure that you take some action based on the feedback you are provided. Every single person counts and listening to all the ideas, taking the time to really understand the feedback and then acting on it shows that you value your community members and that alone can be the win for your company.
Let Your Brand Ambassadors Be Ambassadors
Let your brand ambassadors be ambassadors and let them speak to your story, your product and your brand in their own words. If you think this is crazy then you are fucking insane! Brand ambassadors are employees, influencers and regular customers that like and support your brand. They believe in you and support your company. These people have actually spent time activating people. Encouraging them to try your offerings. Brought you new followers. They do this because they are passionate about something that you do. Let them share that passion in their own words. Allow their passion to show. How they choose to speak and what they choose to say should be up to them. Don’t fill their mouths with your uninspiring quotes, and perfectly word-crafted statements. Those statements are bullshit and your followers see thru them.
Go Above and Beyond All Day Every Day
It does not matter if you are dealing with your best customer or the browser that never buys anything. Your goal should always be to surprise and delight your customers and followers. All Day! Every Day! It is never a good idea to discount your customers or followers, you never know what that breakthrough moment for one customer could be your breakthrough moment, period! Read Discounting Your Customers
Over the course of my 18-year retail career, my proudest and most impactful campaign was not a campaign at all it was a crazy bet. I challenged my team to ask everyone if they wanted their gifts wrapped, and to wrap each and every item they wanted wrapped at the counter as part of the checkout process. And that year we wrapped every present bought with us, some presents bought at other stores and that year we destroyed our sales budget for Christmas and had delighted hundreds of neighborhood customers and followers. People came throughout the year and asked us if we would be doing that again, or if we could wrap a birthday present for them, of course we could it was a little niche we had won simply because we were the only ones doing it.
What is Your Little Niche?
Whether it is on social media, or something that you can do at your storefront, what is your niche and how can you do a little something that will surprise and delight your customers? Can you figure out how you and your team can go above and beyond to exceed customer expectations everyday?
In my opinion this is the make it or break it moment for your business and for building a brand community. Nail this and you win!
Planning Your Social Media Content Calendar for 2018
Tips for Planning Your 2018 Social Media Content Calendar
It’s not too late to make a plan
Have you started planning out your social media content calendar for 2018 yet? Don’t worry it is not too late, despite what everyone may be saying to you. It is not too late! Yes, it would be great if you had started 6 months ago, but I am a realist. I run my own small business, I know that doing things 6 months in advance is a pie in the sky dream that we almost never can reach. And I am the first to say, that is okay! To help out I am letting you in on some great ways to plan your content calendar that will actually alleviate stress, streamline projects, and fit into an overall business plan. The best part is these tips are useful for planning a week of content, or a year of content.
Where to start?
In order to get the most out of your social media, your content calendar should be closely tied to your overall business goals for the year. So the first thing you should do is define your goals for 2018 (or whatever time period you are planning content for). Then define the who, what, when, where, why, how and how much for each of your goals. After that, decide how your social media can help you reach those goals and that will be the basis of your content calendar.
Next up, decide what tool you will be using to keep your calendar, as a social media manager I utilize Hey Orca to manage the calendars of multiple clients and gain approvals, but you can use a spreadsheet, a handwritten calendar, or tools like Hootsuite or SproutSocial its all up to you.
Once you decide on the tool you can begin mapping out your content step by step. Make sure you are keeping your business goals in mind throughout the process. Here are steps I take with clients when planning content calendars.
1) Holidays
Don’t miss a holiday in 2018 and have your social media posts ready to go by marking all the key holidays down on your calendar right from the start. If you are using HeyOrca or Hootsuite you can even schedule last year’s posts as placeholders or update them with the appropriate year and info if they were successful. Want some help with planning for the Holidays? Check out this infographic from “Social Media Today”
2) Review Last Year
Review 2017 and look for the successful promotions, themes, and sales. What did well and will “anniversary” in 2018? What will not anniversary but you have sales numbers that you will need to compensate for? Mark all of these instances on the calendar. For those that will not anniversary what opportunities do you have to build on successful promotions or create a new one based on the parameters that lead to success last year.
3) Monthly Themes
Now that you have the Holidays and successes from last year penciled in, its time to look at what content you will be adding to the calendar. A great way to do this is by creating themes for the months. In my past life as a Bookstore manager, our general book department would live by the monthly themes, we would have an overarching theme each month i.e. African American History Month or Banned Book Month or Valentines Day. Followed by sub-themes like for Valentine’s Day sub-themes like Romance Novels, Books About Love, Teen Angst etc. This is a great way to divide your content calendar as well, as it gives you direction and focus. Themes can be a great guide if a post doesn’t fit into the theme that doesn’t mean you don’t use it at all. Themes can also help you plan your blog content, write one blog a month based on the theme you have for your content. 12 blog posts a year should seem do-able, right?
What’s Next?
So you have your themes laid out, now what do you do next? It is time to start laying down your campaigns. Take a look at all you have compiled and begin to lay in the campaigns that you are going to run this year. Your campaigns should be tied to your themes but they do not necessarily need to just be the theme.
An example of this is with the garden center I work closely with our theme for January is New Year, New Items. The theme for February is Valentine’s Day. However, the campaign that we will be focusing on the three weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day is our “Say I Love You Longer” campaign! So, on the calendar for the garden center, I penciled in this campaign. I also added a campaign leading up to St. Patrick’s Day “Plants Behaving Badly”
Pro Tip:
Add links to the best and worst posts of these campaigns from the previous year. These provide some guidance on what worked and what can be eliminated.
After The Campaign Lay Down!
After the campaign lay down it is time to start filling in the specific posts. Here are a few things to keep in mind when filling in the specific posts, even if you are focusing on a single campaign.
- Consistency is key to social media plan to post at least once a day on all platforms
- Make sure all posts are reflective of your current brand standards. Update posts that were used in the past to reflect current brand standards.
- Only schedule approximately 75-80% of your monthly content in advance leaving about 20% of your posts unscheduled. This allows for flex, reposting user-generated content, and posts that are timely or ultra-local in nature. This 20% allows you to be current and timely while still having a majority of your content ready to go!
- Remember the 80/20 rule still applies to all your content posted.
- Vary your content. Make sure it is edutaining in nature! Need suggestions on what to post? Check out the 9 Suggested Posts for every Business
- Evergreen Content is your friend, don’t be afraid to build a library of it. If you want some direction on this check out the HubSpot article I linked to above!
- Schedule your 12 blog posts now and begin writing them when you have the time.
- Don’t forget about video content and social selling opportunities.
- Are you collaborating with other businesses? Make sure to leave space in the schedule for cross-promotional and collaborative posts. Hop on over to the shop to get your hands on the collaboration toolkit to start planning your partnerships now.
- Take into account the social media trends we are expecting in 2018. Review this awesome article from Entrepreneur Magazine about the 10 Things to Plan for in 2018. Chances are this will be the subject of my next post!
And then…
So now you have the tips and a few extra minutes! Go start the process of planning your social media calendar for next year now! If you have questions or concerns please feel free to ask and check out the Social Media Tools in the Shop as well!
Ah yes, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
