Success On .Social

Category: Business Consulting

  • What? That’s Just Stupid of Course I Control My Brand!

    Welcome to A Rant on Brand:

    Your Brand Is One of the Most Important Things You Can’t Control!

    I could fill pages if I was asked. I have filled hours at the front of a class (hours no joke) talking about a brand. Things like misconceptions about it, why it is important, what differentiators really matter, what connects with your audience and the list goes on and on. But it always comes back to one important thing…

    How do you even define a brand?

    Dare to be distinctive

    What makes you different? Why would someone select you over another? But the differentiators are just the start. Yes, it is important to be able to speak to why are you different from X. What do you offer that Y doesn’t? What do you do better than Z? These all help consumers decide if they value what you offer more than they value what another has to offer. But differentiators are not the end all and be all.

    It is important to remember that a comany is not in control of it’s brand. All you really control is the identity- the colors- the language – the logo and the differentiators.

    BRAND IS…

    …WHAT HELPS PEOPLE DECIDE ON ONE OVER ANOTHER.

    …IS A RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS

    …IS MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES

    …CAN BE SIGHTS SMELLS SOUNDS

    …BRAND = EMOTION!

    A company can not directly control the emotion of others.

    So why is all of this important?

    Why should you dare to be different? Why should you remember that brand is more than just things you create that represent your brand identity?

    It is important because

    BRAND SHOULD INFORM AND DIRECT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITE, AND BRICK AND MORTAR REPRESENTATION OF YOURSELF.

    It should be front and center in everything you do. Not just because you want all your things to look pretty, but because every customer interaction, every social media post, every experience is creating those memories and moments that truly create BRAND.

    Every employee you hire can impact your brand, every social media post you like without fully understanding what the author represents impacts it. Every product you decide to carry, every product you decide to not carry. All of these decisions impact the emotional responses of your customers to your company and therefore impact brand.

    My Suggestion

    I have always made one suggestion to all my clients when it comes to brand. The first thing you need to do as a company is to define your brand clearly. What would your company say in difficult situations? What are your core values and what do you offer to your customers? But what is most important is simple… you need to believe in your brand and show that belief in all that you do, all that you say, and in every interaction with your customers/clients. The moment you waver is the moment you have a brand identity issue and in this social media age, an identity issue could mean major issues for your company.

  • It Started With An Orchid

    How an Orchid Began A Mutually Beneficial Collaborative Relationship!

    This story of collaboration starts with an idea and an orchid! The main cast of characters includes a retail manager taking on a new line of work, a newly established garden center focusing on orchids and succulents and a very kind, business-minded and inspiring “influencer” who does more than influence.

    This story highlights what can happen when businesses play well in the sandbox of life together, understand the benefits of partnership; and having a defined and well-respected brand.

    In the Beginning:

    It was a simple idea and one that I list below as a way to collaborate with other influencers and companies. We reached out to @blonde_inthedistrict (Dani Sauter) to see if she would like an Urban Jungle orchid leading up to Valentine’s Day, all we were asking for in return was a post on Instagram before the holiday. In actuality, what Urban Jungle got in return was a brand ambassador, a believer in the Urban Jungle brand and by extension a believer in JRH Graphics. And because she believes in JRH graphics she has supported other brands that I represent when the missions and beliefs are a good match, like most recently with Lea Berry Coaching!

    Lea and Dani Get Down to Business Tips

    Both strong business women the photo collaboration started early in the morning and was a lively exchange between Lea and Dani the entire time. They exchanged tips and trick, learned from one another and of course slayed more than a few photos that 21-year-old photographer Callum (ce_photogs) shot. Callum and I chatted about our photography experiences and the importance of social media and expanding reach. I know that I watched closely as he set up and framed shots and listened to how he directed his models. After all, it was an opportunity to show this old dog some new tricks!

    Combining Strengths and Learning New Tricks

    Learning and teaching is one of the values I share with the businesses and influencers I agree to work with. Exchanges of knowledge, ability to learn from one another’s successes and mistakes; as well as combining the strength and reach of collaborators is the most important reason to collaborate.

    Other Benefits of Collaborating Include

    • inspiration
    • Re-enforce the idea that you are a leading expert in your field
    • Expanded Reach
    • Expanded exposure and increased following
    • Future collaborations and partnerships
    • Increased sales
    • New Audiences
    • A different POV
    • New friends, mentors, and people who support your mission
    • A partner in crime to help you come up with those amazingly great ideas.
    • Not a bad goody bag huh?!?

    All photos by @ce_photogs on Instagram!

    So Here is Some Useful Collaboration Information

    So I blabbered on and on about my experience with a portion of a collaboration but here is the useful stuff. Some info on influencers, questions to ask yourself pre-collab, what to look for from a collaboration and types of collaborations

    Collaborations:

    An agreement between brands to work together on a project with the intention of creating something. In many cases on social the brands are working together to create content that will engage both of their followers.

    Influencer:

    An influencer is an individual who has an impact on a specific niche of social media. Influencers are normal people, who are often connected to key consumer groups, industry associations or community tribes. The importance of influencers is best understood when you look at who millennials look to for advice, influencers are peers of the groups they influence so as a brand if you want to gain the inside connection to a certain group look to see who the influencers are in that group.

    Do Collabs have to be with an influencer?

    Absolutely not, collaborations can be with other brands, people that make complementing items and other media members. Anyone! Businesses and influencers and bloggers and plain ole normal folks can all work together like one big happy supportive family!

    What to Look for Pre-Collaboration:

    Be smart and strategic in the way that you approach collaborations, know your audience and what they would like to see from your collaborations

    Will you be developing content that is edutaining for your followers?

    Do collaborators share a vision and a brand identity with you?

    Are the lines of communication and brainstorming open and easy? Do you feel comfortable sharing ideas with one another?

    Will the benefits be equal for all brands?

    How will you promote the collaboration and what do you hope to get out of it?

    Do you feel like you will be able to learn from the collaborator?

    Types of Collaborations:

    Be creative in your collaborations look at what your strengths are and the strengths of the other brands involved and how you can use them. Here are some ways to collaborate:

    Giveaways: Woohoo free stuff!

    Giveaway an item you wish to promote to influencers and other businesses and ask if they will post about it on social or via a blog if they like it!  I am a strong believer that in these situations when you believe in your product you should not even have to ask them to share- your product will do the work for you. I also believe in follow-up. If you do not hear anything back then follow-up with them, they may be busy and not had time or they may have useful feedback!

    Photoshoots

    Photoshoots are a great way to collaborate because lets face it, we all need 9 zillion pictures a year to have the amount of content needed to keep our Instagram feeds alive an fresh, so these collaborations are great ways to get to know people and plan future collaborations, get some new photographers some exposure, and keep you feed fresh with new content!

    Guest Posts and Story Takeovers

    Guest posts on your blog or story takeovers are great ways to expand your audiences and expose your followers to new and edutaining content that is created by the partner. Keeps things fresh and exposes followers to a different POV!

    Photo Contests

    Photo Contests or Competitions: It engages followers and encourages them to contribute to your page. Each follower has their own circle of friends and can be viewed as mini-influencers each able to expand the reach of your brand with this type of collaboration. The other bonus of this type of collaboration is the creation of user-generated content which is awesome. When you share user-generated content you are engaging your followers with content that they are more likely to share, thus increasing your reach .

    Get Influencers to Compete

    Influencer competitions: Similar to above just engaging influencers within a certain market to highlight your brand and gain exposure.

  • If you are not on social, you are not in the game!

    Some Stats to Think About

    Only 74% of small businesses use Social Media

    26% still do not use social media,

    28% just started using social media in 2016.

    90% of small businesses surveyed are only on Facebook

    41% actively engage followers and share content daily!

    Source: https://clutch.co/agencies/social-media-marketing/resources/small-business-2017-survey#important

    Now compare that with the statistic that 44% of American’s believe that it’s important for institutions they engage with to have a strong social media presence.

    Small Businesses on Social Media

    It is time for small businesses to step up and decide to be a part of the social marketplace. Failure to commit resources to social media is negatively impacting your business right now. You may not be seeing the effects of it but your market reach is shrinking. More people begin to adopt social media across all demographics. In order to be a brand people decide they want, you need to be a part of the conversation. This conversation is happening on social media! Here are just some stats to support the importance of being on the right social media platforms:

    Of those who have been using social media for at least 1 year, 63% found it useful for building a loyal fan base.

    Almost 90% of marketers say their social marketing efforts have increased exposure for their business, and 75% say they’ve increased traffic

    More than 50% of marketers who have been implementing social media marketing tactics for two years have reported improved sales

    Things I Want

    Now as a small business owner myself, I want to have increased exposure, a loyal customer base, increased traffic and of course improved sales. These all help improve the bottom line, which is one of the most important things for maintaining a business. Not mentioned here for those not as concerned about profit. Being active on social also increases your reach allowing you to have a greater positive impact on more people.

    So Now that we all agree that you need to get into the game in order to be successful, how do you actually get in the game!

     How Do I Get in the Game

    1. Pay attention to your ideal demographic.

    Where do they live their social media lives? Are you after the 18-30-year-old female, Facebook, and Pinterest or Facebook and Instagram may be your wheelhouse. If they live their social lives on these platforms then you are more likely to engage them by posting and creating content within their social sphere that is informative and educational, as I always like to say you are aiming to edutain. I challenge you to pick and maintain two platforms regularly engaging customers.

    2. Define your brand and stay consistent

    Be Consistent with your brand on all your social media platforms on your website and in your physical location. Your brand is more than just your colors and your logo although they do help identify you online. Your brand identity includes what you stand for, how you do business, taglines, verbiage, and images that you use. All of this should a support your brand definition.

    3.But Why Your Brand?

    Once you have defined your brand, you then need to show customers why your brand is different. Why should they choose you over the other options? This is where you can really win on social media. A good starting point for any brand is identifying what the features of the products you offer. Then decide and highlight benefits customers can gain from those features and how they are different from your competitors. This is a much more in-depth topic that I will explain more deeply in a future blog post.

    4. Create a Schedule and Stick to It

    Post regularly and consistently for a long period of time. On top of posting of content, engage your customers, respond to every comment and thank them for being loyal customers with special promotions. Make them feel special and like they matter to you and your business because they should.

    5. Blog

    Here is an advanced tactic you should move to as soon as possible and that is to BLOG REGULARLY AND WITH EXPERTISE! I personally blog because I have opinions and I want people to listen to me! but any business should have a blog on their website where they are actively blogging and then sharing this created content with followers via social media.

    But any business should have a blog on their website where they are actively blogging and then sharing this created content with followers via social media. This helps define you as an expert in your field it helps you differentiate your business and it helps build customers for life. Customers value your knowledge and build a relationship with you when you provide valuable information to them that they can use.

    Yes, blogging can be difficult but think of your blog as the Thanksgiving turkey, then think of your social media posts as the turkey sandwiches. You can get a solid 10 social media posts from one well-written blog post that is chock full of information!

    6. Think About Standing Out

    Finally, take the time to think about how you and your brand can stand out on social media! What can you do that will capture the attention of others and set you apart in a positive way. How can you stand out? Better pictures? Cooler presentation? Eye-catching layouts? Bright colors? Hilarious captions? Being an educator? Being a great collaborator? Whatever it is that makes you stand out, whatever you believe is the biggest differentiator is your gold! Make sure you have content behind it but if you stand out and support that with real-life tangible things your followers will benefit from then you WIN because you captured them (standing out) and kept them (by engaging with great content)!

    So the challenge is to research what platforms you should be on for the most bang for your buck, then define your brand, and begin posting consistently for a long period of time. Provide useful and entertaining information to customers, not just a sales pitch, and finally begin to blog.

    If this is too much then look for some help around your town many small business offices offer classes on social media, I personally offer tools and calendars along with posting materials, many at low cost. There are also many tools on the Internet and Social Media Managers like myself that can help you tap into the social media economy.

    If you need help please reach out and we will get a plan together for you! Or get a free 30-minute Social Media Consultation Call!

  • Sales & Engagement Up Due To Social Media Marketing

    Social Media Marketing is Increasing Sales and Engagement

    A recent report released by Social Media Examiner indicated that 74% of businesses using Social Media as a marketing tool saw an increase in sales. 91% saw an increase in engagement. But do these numbers tell the whole story?

    The Gap in the Numbers

    It takes time to develop meaningful relationships that lead to sales. Your followers may not be ready to make a purchase quite yet. They may have no intention of buying something. But they can still be loyal followers. Even if they aren’t buying from you right now keep the long term in mind. Treat them with respect. Provide them useful information. Entertain (or edutain as I like to say). That formula allows you to potentially have a loyal customer for life.

    The amount of time someone has been doing social media marketing also plays a role in the time utilized and success.

    A large percentage of marketers now know that you do not see immediate results with social media marketing. For example, more than half of marketers who’ve been using social media for more than 2 years report it helped them improve sales. More than half who spend 6 or more hours per week find the same results. 74% of those who spend 40+ hours per week earn new business through their efforts.

    Businesses Not Seeing An Increase

    What if you are on the opposite end of the spectrum? 48% of all marketers taking this survey report that social media has not helped them improve sales. Do these marketers have the tools needed to directly track sales? Many companies have gaps in their customer journey. This leads to being unable to truly track the actual impact of social media marketing on sales.

    Visibility and Exposure for Your Business

    What about increased exposure (getting more people in front of your profile and brand). The vast majority of marketers (91%+) indicated their social media efforts increased exposure for their businesses. Nearly all marketers (88%+) who’ve been employing social media marketing for 1 year or longer report it generates exposure for their business. So the challenge then becomes converting those followers to shoppers.

    Social Media is Not A Get Rich Quick Scheme

    Combine the right plan of attack with someone with experience managing your social platforms. Add in some great content and you can see success. Just remember building an audience and establishing yourself as an authority takes time. Stay in it for the long haul.

  • A Social Media Blog for Small Businesses

    Welcome to the JRH Graphics Blog a Social Media Blog for Businesses

    Welcome to the JRH Graphics Blog, this blog is a social media blog for businesses written by the owner of JRH Graphics, Jonathan Howard. Jonathan is a business consultant, social media manager, photographer and graphic designer. To provide you with a warning in advance, here are a few ways that people close to Jonathan would describe him.

    1) passionate

    2) Wildly insane

    3) stubborn

    4) Opinionated

    5) Blunt

    6) Deeply believes in the power of social media

    7) Speaks his Mind

    8) Goes above and beyond to serve his clients

    9) Curses Like a Trucker

    10) Does not apologize for who he is or who he might offend being that person

    11) Believes in transparency and that a businesses story is just as important as what they sell

    If any of these characteristics scare you or you think you may be offended by the way he operates his business (which isn’t really offensive) or by things he may say in this blog, even if they are true… you may want to close out this page now.

    If you have kept this page opened and have made it past that warning

    If you made it past that warning above then here are a few reasons to continue reading some of the articles on this blog or to choose JRH Graphics as your newest partner as you develop your business. 

    JRH and his team are:

    1) Passionate

    2) Wildly insane

    3) Love what they do

    4) Make it A Goal to Learn Something and Teach Something EVERY SINGLE DAY

    5) Opinionated but have the info to back it up

    6) Know business is hard work but want you to have fun as well

    7) JRH is Self Taught but has learned a lot of tips and tricks along the way

    8) Take time to take classes and read articles to stay up to date on all things social

    9) Love to help Local Businesses Navigate the Social Media World

    10) Believes in the power of the story and has helped businesses harness this power and expand reach on social media

    11) JRH alone has 18 years of business management experience at a retailer renowned for delivering a positive customer experience year after year

    12) Always put the needs of our customers first

    What Will You find on the JRH Graphics Blog if you stick around?

    Tips and Tricks that will help you succeed in social media 

    Stories and Brand Features 

    Some Useless Ramblings

    Advice on What to Post on Social Media 

    Highlights of the Cool Things I am Doing with Clients

    Why I think Those Cool Things Matter

    Random Tutorials 

    Funny Insights into My World

    Oh and You Will Occasionally See My Puggles, They are the Office Managers and Paper Shredders

    If you decide to stay welcome if you decided to go well then best of luck you are gonna miss a fun and weird ride that will be full of useful tips and ways for your business to get the most out of social media!