Tag: business development

  • Pairing Clarity with Your Signature Style

    Pairing Clarity with Your Signature Style

    From Foggy to Focused: How Clarity and a Signature Content Style Can Transform Your Coaching Biz

    Ever feel like you’re shouting into the void on social media? You’re posting (sometimes), sharing tips (sporadically), and trying to be “you” online. But somehow, your content feels…meh. It’s not landing, it’s not clicking, and worst of all, it’s not bringing in clients. Let me tell you, girl, you’re not alone.

    But let’s be honest here: if you, yourself, lack clarity about what you offer and how you help people, your audience won’t stick around. And without a signature content style to back up that clarity? You’re just another drop in the ocean of Instagram posts and TikTok trends.

    So, are you ready to fix that sh!t? 


    Step 1: Understand Who You Are and What Makes You Unique

    You need to understand yourself before you can get clear on your message. What sets you apart? Why should someone hire you over anyone else? This isn’t about bragging; it’s about owning your brilliance. Show up as yourself, be yourself, and stick to it.

    • Your Story: What’s your journey? Did you leave a soul-sucking corporate job to follow your passion? Reinvent yourself after a big life change? Share those moments that shaped you—they’re what make you relatable and memorable.
    • Your Skills: What unique expertise or perspective do you bring? Maybe you’re the queen of simplifying complex strategies or a whiz at creating connections online. Whatever it is, highlight it.
    • Your Why: Why are you doing this work? What drives you? Whether it’s empowering other women to succeed or creating financial freedom for your family, your audience wants to feel that passion.

    When you’re clear on what makes you, that energy will naturally flow into your message and content.


    Step 2: Get Clear on Your Message

    Before we touch your visuals, tone, and personality, let’s start with the basics. If your message isn’t clear, your content won’t convert. For real, that is the problem many of you have.

    • Who Do You Help? Be specific. Are you working with second-act women coaches juggling business and life transitions? Call them out. The more tailored your message, the more your dream clients will feel seen.
    • What Do You Do? Think results, not processes. Instead of saying, “I help you with Instagram,” say, “I help you develop a cohesive style that gets you noticed so you can book dream clients.”
    • Why Does It Matter? Go beyond the surface. Your audience has a problem they need to solve; are you the person to solve it? Are you helping your clients feel confident? Seen? Empowered to grow their business? Highlight that.

    Okay, you have what makes you unique and how you will speak to your audience, so what is next?


    Step 3: Define Your Transformation and Make It Visual

    Your audience doesn’t care about the how—they care about the win. Show them the transformation you provide through your content.

    • Tell Stories: Use client wins, before-and-after scenarios, or your journey to illustrate the results you deliver. For example, this pat weekend I got an Instagram message from a client saying… you said to just post it and here is what happened when I posted it! 
    • Showcase Results: Carousels, reels, or testimonials are great for this. Bonus points if you pair these with the story and transformation that is behind the reviews.
    • Signature Style Inspo: Do you teach about your topic in a certaIn way or have a process that you follow with each client, this is a good thing to highlight and include as part of your Signature Style as you gain clarity around your offers. 

    Step 4: Strip Your Content Down

    Your signature content style starts with clarity but thrives on consistency. The easiest way to stay consistent? Creating and living by your content pillars. These are the themes that guide everything you post. To make this concept even clearer, I included the infographic you see here.

    Your pillars are a broad theme that ties back to your niche. Pillars are very specific to your Signature Style. You should only have a few pillars and repeat them.

    Your pillars help focus your audience on the things that you specialize in. Let’s say you’re helping second-act coaches grow their online presence. Your pillars might look like this:

    • How your life journey leads you to coach (includes the ups and downs of the journey, keeping it real).
    • The best way to simplify your social media strategies so you can focus on your coaching.
    • The biggest mistakes I made as a coach, that you should not make!


    Step 5: Nail Your Signature Content Style

    This is where clarity meets aesthetics. Your signature style is what makes people stop mid-scroll and say, “Oh, that’s her.” Here’s how to create yours:

    • Identify Your Visual Cue: A visual cue is precisely what it sounds like it is an item that shows up in a majority of your posts, is recognizable, and will subconsciously tell your audience member to stop mid-scroll 
    • Consistency Is Key: Whether it’s your captions, graphics, or tone, keep it consistent, but don’t allow your brand to get lost in the Canva template. Remember you want your content to make your audience feel the same across the board, but that DOES NOT mean it must be the SAME! 
    • Alignment: Make sure that your Signature Style aligns with the type of content you want to create, as well as with your brand; if something is misaligned, you may feel like something is off in the pit of your stomach or may begin to play out in other ways. 

    Step 6: Test, Refine, Repeat

    Here’s a secret: no one gets their message and style perfect on the first try. The key is to test what resonates with your audience and refine as you go.

    • Pay Attention to Engagement: Which posts get saved, shared, or spark DMs? Those are your winners.
    • Ask for Feedback: Don’t be afraid to ask your audience what they want more of. They’ll tell you.
    • Evolve With Intention: Your signature style should grow with you. If something feels off, tweak it until it feels right.

    The Magic of Clarity and Style

    When you combine a clear message with a signature content style, magic happens. Your audience will know what you do and feel connected to you and your brand. And that’s when the inquiries, bookings, and dream clients start rolling in.

    It’s not just about looking good online (though let’s be real, we all love a cohesive feed). It’s about showing up with confidence, clarity, and a style that makes your dream clients think, “She gets me.”

    So, ready to stop shouting into the void and start building a presence that works? 

  • 9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut

    9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut

    Revised June 2024

    Stuck in a Social Media Rut?

    You might be in a social media rut if any of these sound familiar:

    • Your content feels uninspired.
    • Your posts lack engagement and feel flat.
    • Every post feels like a chore.
    • You feel disconnected from what you’re posting.

    Don’t worry; we’re here to help! Revitalize your spirit and social media presence with these 9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut. These tips will help you reframe, refocus, and re-energize your posts without wasting time and effort.

    Save yourself the hassle and try these 9 Ways first!

    9 Ways to Get Out of Your Social Media Rut: 3 Inspirational Strategies

     

    Plan a Day of Inspiration

    The top recommendation for getting out of your social media rut is to plan a day of inspiration for yourself. Forget about social media and the stress it’s causing. Don’t post anything! Dedicate this day to activities that make you happy. Engage in things you love, whether related to your business or not.

    The idea is to spend a day genuinely focused on what you enjoy without considering social media. This break will help you re-center your energy and efforts on what truly matters. Content creation should come from the heart and reflect your passion for your business. Focusing on what you love will reignite your creativity, and meaningful content will naturally surface.

    A Day of Inspiration for Jonathan at Success on .Social

    A day of inspiration for Jonathan at Success on .Social can take many forms. I plan a day behind my camera when I’m stuck in a content creation rut. On this day, my focus is solely on what my camera sees, not on what I want it to capture. The key difference between a content creation day (where I control what the camera sees) and an inspiration day (where the camera leads) is this shift in perspective.

    I don’t plan where I’ll go; I simply walk and see where I end up. With no schedule or specific purpose, I let the camera guide me. This spontaneous walking clears my head. I’m not thinking about creating social media posts or how I will use a photo to tell my story—I’m just taking pictures.

    Get Unstuck by Looking at Leaders and Brands That Inspire You

    Do you follow leaders, influencers, or brands because their content inspires you? Have you ever followed a brand hoping to create content as strong as theirs? Looking at the content of others that inspire you is a great way to reignite your creativity. Sometimes, all it takes is one great post to pull you out of your rut.

    When using others’ content as inspiration, ask yourself:

    • How would this post work with my brand?
    • What creative elements would I use to make this my own?
    • How could I adapt this focus for my brand?

    By asking these questions, you can analyze the content’s objectives that inspire you and create something uniquely your own.

    Get Out of Your Social Media Rut by Getting Inspired by Your Competition

    What is your competition posting? Do they have a new product, concept, or campaign? Sometimes, a little friendly rivalry can spark inspiration. There’s no harm in observing what your competitors are doing and using it as a source of inspiration. However, it’s crucial not to compare yourself directly to your competition or copy their content. Instead, view their efforts as a springboard for your creativity. Your goal is to be inspired to create unique and engaging content for your brand.

    Get Out of Your Social Media Rut: 4 Content-Based Strategies

    Did the 3 inspirational strategies not catapult you out of your social media rut? Sometimes, it’s not just inspiration that’s missing; sometimes, you need to mix up your content and engagement strategies. If you think this might be the case, try these four strategies to help get you back on track.

    Invest in the Relationships You Have

    You have a relationship with every follower. Invest in those relationships by engaging directly. Respond to all comments, acknowledge likes, and answer your followers’ questions. Basic engagement strategies encourage your followers to keep interacting with your posts.

    Every time an audience member asks a question, it’s an opportunity. How can you resolve their problem in a post or a series of posts? The more questions you can answer, the more content you can create. More importantly, you become a valuable resource for them. Investing in relationships is not just a strategy to get you out of your social media rut; it’s also a great way to build a loyal following.

    Reframe Your Role

    This strategy is closely related to investing in the relationships you have with your customers. Position yourself as a resource and an expert in your niche. Reframing your role on social media can dramatically impact what you can post. Let’s compare the content from Jonathan Howard, Everyday Guy with 2 Puggles, and Jonathan Howard, Owner of Success on .Social.

    Jonathan Howard, Everyday Dog Owner

    • Posts about my dogs
    • Content about my house
    • Talking about my photos
    • Discussing what I ate
    • Day-to-day activities
    • Talking about my family
    • Where I am going

    Jonathan Howard, Owner of Success on .Social

    • All the things the dog owner can post about
    • Content creation
    • Social media strategies
    • Storytelling and Building Your Story Bank
    • Developing Your Signature Style
    • Basic business strategies
    • Small business success tips

    By reframing your role, you can expand your content possibilities and establish yourself as a trusted expert in your field.

     

    Get Unstuck by Reposting or Repurposing Existing Content

    This type of content creation became popular with the rise of short-form videos. Experts often suggest finding your top-performing piece and recreating it as a reel. Previously, many of us relied on photo + caption style posts. Over the years, we’ve touched on many topics but often don’t revisit them because we think, “I’ve already done that!” However, this mindset can hold you back. If the content is still relevant, you can repost it or change the format and repurpose it.

    One key to being recognized as a leader in your niche is consistently repeating your message.

    Transforming photo posts into video posts forces you to rethink how to deliver the content effectively in a new format. By doing this, you create a new and relevant post. Each format—whether a live video, a recorded video, a short-form video, or a YouTube tutorial—requires a different approach. This strategy can lead to a wealth of content simply by reframing what you’ve already created.

    Have Your Blog Help You Out of the Rut

    I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Your blog is a powerful social media tool! It’s one of my favorite strategies to expand your reach on social media because it maximizes each piece of content. Your blog is also a great source of material to post on social media. Pair your words, a quote, or an action item with a relevant picture, and voilà—you have a piece of content to post.

    What’s even better is that you can include a call-to-action (CTA) that links back to your blog. A CTA that directs readers to your blog adds authority to your post and drives traffic to your platform.

    Get Out of Your Rut with These Two “Lone Wolf” Strategies

    Let Users Create Content for You

    Social proof is a powerful social media strategy that enlists your product or service users to tell your story without brand bias. User-generated content (UGC) is a form of social proof created by your followers. While encouraging UGC by reposting it in your feed or stories is beneficial, it’s not the most effective content creation strategy alone, as it relies on your audience to create content.

    UGC helps you understand how your followers use your product or service daily. Once you know this, you can build content encouraging others to share similarly. It also allows you to create content that serves the needs of those using your products.

    Challenge Yourself with a Challenge

    Social media challenges are plentiful, but finding the right one can push you out of your comfort zone and revitalize your content creation. Join a challenge that is within reach but still challenging enough to keep you engaged. Avoid too easy or difficult challenges, as you’re more likely to quit. Look for challenges that require daily content creation and have a structure with built-in accountability.

    Unexpected Benefits

    Every challenge I’ve participated in has led to unexpected discoveries and a renewed focus on content creation. Challenges are designed to teach you something new, prompting you to review your current practices and see how the new lessons fit into your business.

    Eve Voyevoda — Business & Brand Creator — Visibility Gym

    “I wasn’t in a rut, but I wanted to stretch myself. I knew I needed to explore different ways to include video in my content strategy. I’ve always been afraid of video, and when the opportunity to participate in this challenge arose, I was looking for every reason not to do it. So, I signed up before I could talk myself out of it and couldn’t have been happier. Not only did I improve my video presentations, but I also ended the experience with a ton of fresh content ideas. While this was one of the best challenges I’ve ever participated in, the lessons and content inspiration are benefits that come with every challenge if you make the most of the opportunity.”

     

    Free Yourself from the Rut & Create Engaging Content with Ease!

    Utilize these 9 strategies to get out of your social media rut, whether you use them together or pinpoint your problem and use just one. Each strategy helps you get out of your head, stop comparing yourself to others, and create content that feels authentic to you and your brand. Remember, you are doing your best at any moment, but there is always room for growth and learning.

    Even if you aren’t currently in a social media rut, these strategies can be used proactively to keep challenging yourself. Create better content that engages your customers and fosters deeper, more meaningful relationships with your followers.

  • Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos & Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos & Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Updated June 2024

    Social Media Strategy: 9 Photos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Creating fresh and current content for your social media posts can seem daunting. Or is it? In this blog, we’ll provide you with ideas for 9 photos and 9 videos that you can easily capture each week to keep your content vibrant. These will streamline your content creation process and ensure all your social media profiles remain engaging and on point.

    Yes, 9 photos and videos a week, and the best part is they feature you going about your daily life. While these won’t replace the need for professional shoots, they will complement them with high-quality content, helping you build your own custom stock photo and video library. For more details on maximizing a photoshoot, check out this blog post! As you know, I am a huge advocate for using your own photos on social media; it’s the best way to differentiate yourself from the get-go.

    It’s Almost Time to Reveal the 9 Photos, But First…

    First, take a moment to consider the type of content you typically post on social media.

    What kind of content generally resonates with your audience?
    Are you regularly posting on specific topics or categories?
    What do you have planned for the next three to five weeks?

    Keep these questions in mind as you review the nine photos you can take daily. You can tweak, stretch, or expand on one or all of them to fit your specific needs. Remember, I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. I’m giving you these nine images and videos as guidelines based on my social media expertise and what has the potential to engage. Feel free to adapt them to your needs!

    9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Drumroll Please

    1. Daily Routine
    2. Morning Coffee
    3. Full Body Shot/Big Movement Video
    4. Detail Shot
    5. At the Office
    6. With a client or customer
    7. Work close up
    8. Behind the scenes
    9. Life Outside of Work Shot

    The Daily Routine

    I made this the first of the 9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh because it’s the easiest to capture. Simply take a photo or video of something you do every day.

    Why this?

    Because it’s something you do daily, there’s a high chance you’ll talk about it on social media or it will impact your content in some way. Having a relevant visual ready to use when discussing this routine saves you from scrambling for a post idea. Plus, you won’t need to rely on overused stock photos to showcase a unique aspect of yourself or your business.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Think about what you enjoy posting and what your audience engages with. Is it your fitness routine? Haircare? Outfits? Are they asking you specific questions? Use this insight to guide which daily routines you should document. Need a starting point? Pizza, pets, and babies always perform well on social media.

    The Morning Coffee Shot

    I know what you’re thinking: “Really, coffee? You want me to take a photo of my coffee first thing in the morning?” And maybe even worse, “You expect me to take a video of it?” Yes, even if it’s before you’ve had your first sip! Capture that perfect coffee cup shot or a video of your coffee-making ritual.

    Why This?

    Food, babies, and dogs are universal favorites; everyone eats, dogs are man’s best friend, and babies are cute! Similarly, coffee is a nearly universal connector on social media—something almost everyone can relate to.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Not a coffee drinker? No problem! What’s your drink of choice in the morning? What jumpstarts your day? Whether it’s tea, a donut, a protein smoothie, or even a pair of stylish shoes, whatever gets you moving and motivated in the morning works. The key idea behind the coffee posts is to share what energizes you, so feel free to substitute with your own morning motivator.

    The Full Body Shot & The Big Motion Video

    Next on your list of daily photos to keep your content fresh is the full body shot. This means capturing a photo of yourself from head to toe, doing something—anything. As long as your attire is brand-appropriate, you can’t go wrong. For the video, aim for a big movement, such as walking.

    Why This?

    A full body shot is versatile and can be used in both your stories and feed on social media. People do business with other people, not faceless companies. To get people to do business with you, you need to build trust and let them feel like they know you. These photos and videos help create that connection and build trust more effectively.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Don’t worry about looking like a model. You don’t have to be a model—just be yourself. Avoid overthinking, over-staging, or over-editing. This photo isn’t about creating a perfect, imaginary life. It’s about featuring your authentic self, the real face of your brand.

    The Detail Shot

    The detail shot or video is essential for defining your signature style. For example, my Converse sneakers have been a staple in my brand. This was intentional, as I often feature content of my shoes in stories and on my feed. My footwear subtly communicates that my brand is fun, bright, disruptive, and not your typical business. Similarly, my sequin hat reflects the fun and sparkly nature of my brand.

    Why This?

    Detail shots and videos can be used for various purposes on social media. I used my shoes to convey an abstract aspect of my signature style. For a simpler, more straightforward example, a watch could be used in a post about deadlines, setting SMART goals, or your dislike of waiting.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Be creative with this one. It can be details of what you’re wearing, elements of your office, or a part of your everyday life. This approach is also useful for future content about specific aspects of your business. For example, if a housing form is due by a certain date, take a photo of the top of that form on a desk, or a video of someone filling out the form and use it in your post. It’s much more engaging than a generic stock photo.

    In The Office/Work Shot and Video

    Another great way to keep your content fresh is with office shots. These are photos or videos of you at work, doing what you do best. While a day at the office might seem mundane to you, your loyal followers are interested in seeing more about your daily routine. Mix it up by capturing different parts of your office or various aspects of your job. Focus on the more interesting tasks you perform and document them through photos or short videos.

    Why This?

    You’re on social media to showcase the work you do and attract your ideal clients. It’s natural to show your audience what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and where you do it. Consider what your ideal client would want to see from someone in your role, and create content that will engage them.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Review your previous content to identify what performed well on social media. If you’re a web developer, for instance, you could include photos of you working at your computer, videos of you collaborating with a web designer, or attending a training session on a new programming language. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your shots.

    With a Client

    I know you might be hesitant about this next photo or video idea, so let me say this: the client does not need to be identifiable. The focus should be on you. Be creative and find a way to show yourself interacting with a client or customer. It could be as simple as you behind a desk with the back of your clients’ heads facing the camera, or a close-up video of you demonstrating something to the client, with only your hands visible.

    Why This?

    You can’t build trust on social media and demonstrate your expertise without showcasing your work. Featuring client interactions is crucial. Highlight your first touchpoints or ways you build trust with clients. Even if you use stand-ins instead of real clients (totally our secret), it’s so important to depict these interactions.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Professional development sessions, speaking opportunities, media events, and more are perfect for capturing photos and videos of you working with clients or potential clients. Make sure someone is available to capture these moments, whether it’s your hubby, friend, or a professional photographer. Take advantage of these opportunities to showcase your client interactions.

    The Work Closeup

    This is what I am doing right now, as I revise this blog post I am recording myself (two birds, one stone) So the idea here is to capture some content up close of you doing something in your business. This is great for stock photography and also to use as B-roll for short-form video. Think about things like, you writing out your plans on an eisel, or your fingers typing on the computer, or writing in a jourmal. Those all work.

    Why This?

    Because when you talk about your work, it is great to have photos that you can post that show you working. Be sure to capture  a variety of photos and videos so you have a library to choose from, although It doesn’t matter that you are writing down the steps to take in your business over the next nine months, but you use the photo in a post about how writing allows your thoughts to flow. In most cases they can’t see the text. You will find that these are the most flexible and useful photos to take as many of them as you can!

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Think about the things that you tend to post about and what an excellent generic visual could be that highlights either what you are talking about in the post, or the feeling you want people to get from the post, etc. We are working on creating a library of flexible and usable stock photos and videos for your business.

    Behind the Scenes

    What are some of the things that you do for your business behind the scenes, or what things would people not ever be able to guess about your business? Photos and videos of different behind the scenes aspects or videos of prepping for an event, photoshoot, or other special occasions are always phenomenal for engagement. Be sure to grab content of this. 

    Why This?

    This is essential because everybody likes a peek behind the curtain. Behind the scenes is always engaging because people want to see the real life person behind what they see that they assume is scripted and perfected.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    All of the images you take should feel real; they shouldn’t be too polished. They should not depict a beautifully perfect life. Make sure to leave your behind the scenes content believable. If it’s too perfect, it shows up as inauthentic, and you could lose credibility.

    Life Outside of Work Shot

    I completely respect a person’s choice not to include aspects such as children in their brand. That is your choice. What I do advocate for is that every business shows off a little bit of life outside of work. If it is you going home and reading a book, walking a dog, cooking, or going to the gym. Those are all great, and you should take photos or videos of you doing them.

    Why This?

    It makes you human, a real person outside of the walls of the business that does cool things and has actual struggles, goals, and dreams. Don’t wipe all the things that make you human from your business; it will erase any possibility of you being able to engage your ideal audience out with it.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

    Social Media is supposed to be social. The things you do outside of work are just as important as those you do at work. 

    Those Are The 9 Photos and Videos to Keep Your Content Fresh

    Using these nine photos as a guide will help you eliminate some of the stress caused by social media. We promise you will feel less overwhelmed, have stronger posts and be able to level up on social media much more quickly.

  • Business Transparency: Real Conversations Series

    Business Transparency: Real Conversations Series

    Are You Ready to Dive Into Transparency Head First

    Jonathan Howard of JRH Graphics and Melanie Richards of Increase Your Visibility Discuss Business Transparency

    • Jonathan Howard
    • JRH Graphics
    • www.jrhgraphics.com
    • jhoward@jrhgraphics.com
    • facebook.com/jrhgraphics
    • instagram.com/jonathanrhoward

    Business Transparency

    In its purest sense, business transparency means apparent, unencumbered honesty. A transparent company is a company that is honest in its business practices. However, there is more to it than that. Open companies do not hold anything back from their employees, customers, and investors. No hidden agendas and the narrative is unified.  Transparency requires all information required for collaboration, cooperation, and collective decision making is available. Transparency is essential to the success of any business in the correct marketplace and a major building block needed for trust to be established. Simple right? You all know what that definition means and how you can apply it to your business. That’s okay we aren’t sure about some of it either. It’s not surprising that many believe that transparency is nothing but an overused buzzword.

    A Real Conversation

    Business transparency is precisely the type of topic we love to cover on the “Real Conversations Series.” It’s a hot button subject and many people have strong opinions on topics like this. Hot button topics provide for exciting conversations. Jonathan of JRH Graphics and Melanie Richards of Increase Your Visibility sit down to have a real discussion about transparency. Nothing to sell, no agreed-upon discussion points, no script, and no roadmap. Just a real conversation that touches on a wide variety of subjects ranging from the role of vulnerability in transparency to the role respect plays in business. For new entrepreneurs we explore the importance of just showing up as well as allowing your true self to guide your way. And for established entreprenuers we look at what it means to be an expert adn the key steps needed to establish your expertise on social media.

    This lively conversation was important and very fun to have with Melanie. We hope that it helps entrepreneurs understand a bit more about difficult topics such as transparency and how they may impact your business.

    What Are Your Takeaways?

    Jonathan and Mel provide you with their takeaways at the end of this video, but we want to know what you have as takeaway. What did you learn? What stuck with you? Has this video changed the way that you look at transparency as a whole. We would love to hear your comments in the comment section of the blog below or on social media! If you have questions that you want answered, please reach out and ask us.

    Also, please share what would have made this video better or what expectations you had for the video that were not met. Our goal is to continue to provide you withthe best information available, with a practical spin.

    Please note, this is the 2nd in the Real Conversations Series, if you would like to see the first one look for Authenticity Beyond The Buzzword!

  • 9 Tips for Engaging The Holiday Audience

    9 Tips for Engaging The Holiday Audience

    Tips for Engaging the Holiday Audience

    Tips to Engage my holiday audience are different than my everyday strategies. Really? Overall, the concepts stay the same; you should just be operating at a slightly higher cadence. And maybe with a few extra jingle bells. Your audience during the Holidays is generally under a time crunch, more likely to be stressed, and focused on what value you can deliver.

    What are some ways that you can reach your audience and help them save time? Ease their holiday stress? How can you show them higher value from the services you offer? From social media posts to services provided, I am reviewing 9 Tips that will help you engage your audience this holiday and keep them coming back into the new year. And Right up front here is your bonus tip, don’t forget to sprinkle everything with a bit of Holiday Cheer!

    Plan Your Content and Create an Experience

    One of the most important things you should do leading up to the holidays to engage your audience is to plan your content. Make sure that what you are posting on social media and your website matches what is happening IRL! Scheduling your posts in advance will allow you to tell a cohesive and engaging story online while still providing varied and “edutaining” content. Planning will enable you to highlight specific products and services deliberately. Your marketing and social media should lay the groundwork for the fantastic shopping experience that they can expect when they shop with you. When they enter your store or website, greet them with an experience that exceeds their expectations.

    How Do You Exceed Expectations?

    You exceed your customers’ expectations through planning. If you plan your marketing, social media, promotional calendar, and in-store events collaboratively, you can create more with less. It is also easier to get others to work collaboratively with you when you create a shopping “event.” Which only requires a theme, a sign, and people saying it is a shopping event. You can also exceed customers’ expectations by offering unexpected service standards. For example, at my last Barnes & Noble College Store, we would wrap presents for any customer that wanted them wrapped. We never included that on any marketing; we just asked if they wished to have their gifts wrapped. In the first year, we delighted a lot of customers by doing this. The next year we had customers telling us that they came to us instead of a competitor across town because we would wrap their presents for them. And the overall shopping experience was better too!

    Engage the Holiday Audience by Keep All Marketing Simple, Clean and Cohesive

    As a small to medium-size business, chances are you do your marketing. During the Holiday season, it is more important than ever to keep it simple. Don’t confuse your customers. Eliminate the need for the fine print. Utilize the same elements in your marketing across all marketing, promotion, and in-store assets so that your marketing is yours.

    Simple and Clean

    Pick a holiday color and theme and stick to it. Make all of your assets match using the same background and color you decide to apply for Holiday. A great way to create an impact for the holiday season is to change out all signage in the store to a Holiday sign with a festive base that is different from your standard signage. Changing the assets is a reasonably low-cost way to dramatically change the look and feel of your brick-and-mortar location as well as your website and social media. The signs should be a part of the story that you are telling with your product.

    Resist the urge to over-sign and do not make signs hard to understand. If you want to run a Buy One Get One Free Promotion in a category, then that entire category should be included. If your employees need a document to decipher the sale, then you are going to have customers that are upset or don’t understand the restrictions. Clear, easy to understand, no explanation needed signs and policies are essential if you want happy customers this holiday.

    Cohesive Assets

    You want your customer’s to be able to recognize your content and marketing at first glance. In seconds you want them to know that what they are looking at is representative of your brand. During the holiday rush, this is even more important as people have less free time to look further. Remember, you have 8 seconds to hold a person’s attention, you don’t want to waste that 8 seconds on them identifying your brand. Pick a Holiday color and stick to it. Use your brand color as the secondary color in all holiday marketing. If a background can’t be scaled appropriately for use on multiple platforms or signs, don’t use it. Keeping these assets cohesive across your brand will facilitate the storytelling and selling process.

    Engage by Making Shopping Easy

    A great way to engage your customers this Holiday Season is to make shopping with you easy. Create stories with your products, both online and in-store by grouping like products together. You can also cross merchandise items to tell a story. You can identify the connection between products in a well-displayed product story without a sign. If a customer needs a sign to understand the story, then that grouping may be a stretch. Clusters give your customers options and put items in their hands, or online carts that they might not have expected. Creating groupings like Great Gifts for Dad, Gifts for the Traveler, Gifts for Shoe Lovers also create a starting point for customers to look at what you have to offer.

    Holiday Gift Guides

    Another great way to make shopping easy is to create a simple holiday gift guide that features some suggested items in different categories based on what you want to highlight. A single sheet of letter-size paper on the counter can do wonders for your customers. While they may not shop at that moment, many customers will take one and may return to get something on it. These serve as tools to get your customers thinking about you as a resource for them during the holidays.

    Create A One-Stop Shop Experience

    What are some things that people ask you for that you don’t have? During the holidays, not having batteries if products you are selling require them may cost you a sale. When I say create a one stop shop experience; I understand you can not be everything to everyone! You should make sure that people can walk out with everything they need for anything you sell. Also, have an option available for them to wrap gifts, and either cards or gift tags. You want to make it easy for your customers to purchase gifts from you, you don’t want to send them elsewhere to get giftwrap, cards or batteries because they may just go elsewhere for the gift as well.

    Engage the Audience with Events But Don’t Interfere

    Events provide you with opportunities to engage followers, drive new business, introduce a wider audience to your brand, and to fill the environment with Holiday cheer. These are all reasons to have a robust calendar of events during the holidays. When planning these events be sure to take into consideration the impact they may have on your location. Will the event cause you to block off a portion of the sales floor customers may want to shop? Will a VIP Night require you to close the store early? Generally, the benefits of the event outweigh the impact on the customer in these cases but during the Holiday Season the opposite is true.

    Showcase A Charity or Socially Responsible Brand

    As you can see from the statistic to the left, cause-based marketing and socially responsible products are popular among consumers. These types of products will drive consumers to your location. Showcasing a charity or one of these socially accountable brands also allows your customers to feel good about their holiday purchase as a portion of the sales is going towards a good cause. Remember to research the values and goals of the brands that you bring in. Make sure that their stance aligns with your brand and beliefs, and you are publically aligning yourself with them.

    Know Who You Are Aligning With

    The public alignment between yourself and the cause-based brand or charity can yield many benefits. However, if the brand or charity you choose has values that do not align with your audience, you may have a small public relations situation on your hands. So do your due diligence, work with brands that have a proven track record, and be able to discuss the charity or brand you are working with in-depth based on facts.

    Engage Your Audience by Adding Local Flair

    Work with local vendors to showcase some unique items that will add a special touch to your holiday assortment. These individual items and local vendors will add another dimension to your product selection. It provides your audience with an unexpected option that will delight them. It helps you drive your business and gives local and small businesses more exposure.

    Adding local vendors also opens up the opportunity to engage another segment of an audience. Small and local businesses have loyal followers that are willing to shop at establishments that support the local economy. Allowing these businesses to market select items as part of your holiday collection helps you engage a new audience that may not have shopped with you. The goodwill that is created by doing this also extends past the holiday season. Continue collaborating with vendors throughout the year, and you will see an increase in traffic and support from many other local businesses.

    Celebrate the Season

    This one seems obvious, but it is my experience that many times, businesses forget about this. Plan events, promotions, and train your staff to highlight the meaning of the season. Be authentic in your celebration of the Holiday. Include stories of hope and goodwill in the stories you tell as part of your holiday celebration. Bring your community together with special holiday events like tree lightings, caroler, and a reading of Twas The Night Before Christmas. Surprise your audience with a free beverage while they shop, or some warm hot chocolate during the first snow of the Holiday. Remember the spirit of Christmas in every interaction and see how you can use it to make each member of your audience smile.

    Don’t Forget Other Key Holidays

    Don’t forget the other holidays celebrated by your audience. Add Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and others to your calendar and make sure to recognize them when they happen. In some areas, you may wish to bring in select merchandise for these holidays, as well. Also, make sure you use the term “Happy Holidays” when greeting your customers to be inclusive.

    Thank Your Customers

    Thank your customers for shopping with you. Thinking of you. Thank them for being loyal customers, and for choosing you to help them celebrate the Holidays. Another one that seems like a no-brainer, but many businesses do not do this enough. A great way to engage your audience is to thank them for being your audience. You should thank them for being loyal followers on social media, thank them for shopping with you when they make a purchase, thank them for stopping in when they come and browse your store or website. A customer that feels appreciated is more likely to purchase.

    Thank Your Customers Advanced Move

    Want to go one step further in thanking your customers? Run a Thank You drive! Create cards that say thank you, and have a spot for a customer’s name and a place to thank them for something, write one out for each customer with something unique on it. Create a location in-store where they can take a photo with their card and encourage them to post it on social media. Dedicate a few feed posts and maybe a lot of story posts to the customers that you thank during the Holiday. Imagine the goodwill this creates.

    The 9 Holiday Engagement Strategies

    These 9 Strategies are based on Jonathan’s 18 years of retail experience. He has seen success with these strategies used together or individually. They will help you engage the holiday audience this season. Depending on the type of business and your location these may be used at varying levels, however, we believe that the concepts are universal. Experiment with a few and build on your successes. We would also love to hear about how you engage your holiday audience and what has worked for you.

  • Tell Your Winning Story with JRH Graphics

    Tell Your Winning Story with JRH Graphics

    Telling Your Winning Story

    At JRH Graphics, we help businesses tell their winning stories. It is the focus of what we do because we believe that your story is your most powerful tool. Your story can engage an audience and build customers for life. All the services we offer at JRH Graphics focus on this goal. Our business consulting services include services to define your niche, develop your brand, and craft your story. These services are laying the groundwork for your business.

    Reaching Your Audience on Social Media

    Once you have laid the groundwork for your company, it is time for us to tell your story. Using the brand and the key differentiators we have defined, we start to tell your story to your desired audience. Our vehicle for doing this is social media because the audience is active, engaged, and looking for businesses to follow.

    Supporting Your Story with Custom Content

    We pair our social media services with our content creation services, so what we are posting to your social media is unique. For us to effectively tell your story on social media, we need content that is specific to your brand. Generic content and stock photos do not highlight your unique differentiators. They also do not add value to the audience. The custom content that is created by JRH Graphics will highlight your unique business and its goals. Millions of pieces of content are added to social media every day; you won’t stand out on social media with generic content that adds no value to your audience.

    What makes JRH Graphics different? Multiple services all aimed at helping you reach your goal of telling your winning story to your audience.

    Flexible Options to Meet The Needs of Our Clients

    Every business is as different as the owner. For our services to work with a variety of companies, we offer flexible options to our clients. We allow each client to change the type or level of service needed on a month to month basis. Flexibility enables our clients to increase or decrease coverage based on needs. As well as allowing them to scale their services as they build the business. We focus on the needs of each client by only providing them services they want.

    To highlight how we can utilize the services offered by JRH Graphics to help businesses tell their story, we will look at Urban Jungle DC.

    The Story of Urban Jungle DC A Premier Botanique

    Urban Jungle developing the storyI had known Cody Alexander, owner of Urban Jungle DC for a few years before I began working with him. When I met him, he was a nurse, but his real love was plants, particularly orchids. Shortly after that, he and his partner began running a small garden center out of the first floor of their home in Washington, DC.  Over time they stared to experience some of the growing pains common in small businesses. They had too many clients to handle daily. But not enough clients or exposure to make a more substantial investment in the business. We had spoken about this by chance, approximately two days before I left my full-time job. I provided him with some tips based on my experience as a retail manager. I also offered him some details on social media marketing, as that was my current love.

    My Story with the Jungle Junkies Begins

    I joined the team of Urban Jungle DC as the “PR Guy” officially in January. Our first major test would be the upcoming Valentine’s Day Holiday. We had a lot of work to do in a limited amount of time. Luckily, I was able to have the Urban Jungle intern work on the specifics of the Valentine’s Day promotion. Meanwhile, I tackled other branding and story-related things. Those first few weeks, I spent a lot of time talking with Cody. I was asking a lot of questions about his brand, his philosophy on life, where he fit in as a business in the DC area, and more. I was gathering the information I needed to define his brand and differentiators. Additionally, I was observing the daily operations of the business.

    Business Consulting Services at Urban Jungle

    At Urban Jungle, the formula for success had a few components. First, they had the best exotic and easy to care for plants in the area. Secondly, we added some creative storytelling and themes to the mix adding in some quirkiness and interest. Thirdly, we focused on education and plant care. Finally, we made sure to feature the passion and love for plants that ower, Cody Alexander showcased in all that he did.

    Having the best available product does not automatically equal a win for a business. Our other key differentiators needed to be just as visible, if not more evident than the plants. Urban Jungle provided each customer with in-depth care for all of their plants, even if they did not buy them at Urban Jungle. Walk-in Clinic hours to help customers diagnose sick plants were also available. Quirky and unique containers for many of their plants was a fun aspect of the brand. We made sure that when customers came into the store, they saw lots of unique options.

    Cody Alexander as A Key Differentiator

    Cody was a Key Brand differentiatorA business without a heart, without a, why, without energy, and without passion will always fail. Cody was all of these things for this business and more. Cody was the key brand differentiator for this business. It was the one thing nobody else had. As a brand differentiator, Cody was the face of Urban Jungle. The success or failure of the company was tied to his success.

    When You Are Your Brand, Literally

    For this to be possible, we also needed to create procedures, standards and simplify other operational issues. Streamlining procedures would allow Cody to could continue positively contribute to the community, collaborate with other business leaders, and teach classes. Once these details were hammered out, we were able to start building on our successes. We were able to expand our offerings and our audience. While Cody focused on being the brand, I focused on promoting the brand.

    Social Media Management and Content Creation at Urban Jungle DC

    At Urban Jungle DC, my role as PR Guy. I managed all the social media accounts and created all the content for each profile. These two services were linked together for Urban Jungle but are not always depending on the business. Working with Cody, we developed a plan for the social media content to feature the educational aspects of the business, as well as a bit of quirkiness and fun. “Plants with Personality” became an important theme. It allowed us to tell the Urban Jungle story through the eyes of the plants. Other central aspects of the social media marketing included a focus on collaboration, building on successes, and finding unique ways to tell our story.

    Plants with Personality

    From movie start orchids running from papparazi to scorned succulents who hated supporting the orchids. All of the plants were part of the story at Urban Jungle, which was an amazingly successful storytelling tool. The audience would become connected to these characters. Some of the characters like the Wandering Cactus would make repeat appearances. Often people would come in looking to adopt a plant that was featured, calling them by the characters’ name in the social media post.

    Building A Community of Jungle Junkies

    From our first Valentine’s Day promotion, we focused on building a community around the Urban Jungle brand. A community of Jungle Junkies that loved plants. A community that became a part of the story. From influencers that became friends to customers that would come by daily, we made sure to feature as many of them as possible and build on a campaigns success. Once a Jungle Junkie always a Jungle Junkie!

    The Results

    The results we saw at Urban Jungle DC were incredible; through our efforts, he increased his followers on Instagram from 1,000 to 18,000. Sales doubled year over year. He expanded the footprint of his business and was featured in locations like Shop Made in DC, Steadfast Supply, and Think Local DC Markets. Urban Jungle was named the best place in DC to buy plants by the DCist. The shop was also featured in publications like the Washington City Paper and The Washingtonian. Urban Jungle DC was the new kid on the new kid on the block, but they quickly became a top brand and the Premier Botanique in the area.

    Flexibility to Tell Your Winning Story

    Flexibility and custom options allow our clients to select the services necessary to tell their winning stories. We focus on what our clients need at any particular moment and can build a package that will help them succeed. This different approach is what allows us to be successful with a variety of clients, no matter the strengths or needs.

  • Customer Service: The Foundation of Business Success

    Customer Service is So Out of Your Lane, Why Are You Talking About It?

    I am sure you are all thinking right now, why is this guy talking about customer service? Why not write about branding or social media or stories?  Stick to what you are good at, right?

    So to those questions, I have three answers:

    1. If you think that social media and branding have absolutely nothing to do with customer service, you are sadly very much mistaken.
    2. If you think that client relations is not customer service, you are in for a rude awakening.
    3. I am good at customer service. I am freaking amazing at customer service. It is one of my strengths, and it is very much in my lane.

    So, Let’s Talk Customer Service?

    I am talking about customer service because without customers (or clients) your business will close. If you aren’t marketing with customers in mind, your business will fail. Not treating your customers like family, the family that you like, then you are going to have a significant issue on your hands. Remember, the marketplace is more crowded than ever. Customers have more choices than ever before, and if you are not treating them like they matter, they will be gone. No matter how large or small your business, you need to be adding value. You need to surprise and delight your customers every single chance you get. From the first time, they contact you on social media, right to the 750th cup of coffee they buy from you. Every experience needs to give them a reason to come back.

    The Customer Journey

    Is it the first time you are coming in contact with the customer? What stage of the customer journey are thin? What have they heard about your business? From reviews to social media, to experts and peers impressions of your brand. A customer may have heard of your business name 30 times and gotten 15 good stories and 15 negative ones before they even contact you. As a business, you never know. Every single time I see an oversimplified version of the customer journey, I want to scream. Don’t get me wrong; the stages are valid. Their thoughts and experiences at specific stages in the buying process are essential to know so you can deliver the right message, content, and so that you understand the process. My problem is, no customer journey looks like this:

    If the customer journey were that simple, all businesses would be able to control the variables, eliminate the guesswork, and get customers from awareness to retention in 5.2 seconds flat. Seriously, these customer journey charts make it look like a walk in the park. But in the real world, the customer journey is littered with land mines, lobbed grenades, and all other sorts of marketing shrapnel. Because realistically the customer journey could look like this.

    Why Does It Matter

    The second diagram is more representative of the modern-day customer journey. Not as easy to map, not as easy to react to and about 100 opportunities for customer service to impact whether or not they decide to buy. If you look at the journey in the way that is represented in the second diagram, you realize how important it is for everyone in your organization to be on the same page. From customer service to social media, to call centers. If one hand isn’t telling the other one what it is doing, you are destined to have customer service issues that will cost you sales.

    If the overall customer experience is not a positive one, they are less likely to begin doing business with you. People like to feel good, make them feel good every step of the way.

    Customer Service and Profit

    Do you believe that this statement is true? To be profitable, you must compromise on the service you provide.

    Many companies operate in this manner, compromise the customer experience to save some money. Not everyone believes that the customer is always right. Many companies don’t see the value in making sure that the customer is delighted. This is a detrimental flaw in their culture and will lead to their demise. An American Express survey found that 78% of consumers have backed out of a transaction or failed to make an intended purchase because of sub-par customer service. Customers have options; if they are not satisfied with you they will move on

    Show Your Customers You Care By Adding Value

    Companies that value the overall customer experience are those that are successful. The only sure-fire strategy to maintain your market share is to build your policies and procedures with your customers’ interests at heart. Provide value to every customer. It doesn’t matter if they stop on your social media page, enter your store, or visit your website. Everyone should leave feeling like their experience with your company added value to their day. Be proactive, anticipate problems, provide solutions, and meet them where they are. It is your customer’s world, and you are just living in it.

    More to the Foundation

    Yes, what I have already mentioned represents a strong argument for making customer service the most critical thing in your business, but I have more for you. There are integral parts of this foundation like customer service is representative of the culture in your industry. Issues caused by poor service may be a symptom of more significant problems in your organization. Or the fact that lousy service leads to bad reputations which lead to customers choosing other businesses to meet their needs. Failure to keep the customer service foundation stable will lead to significant issues within the organization.

    Bad Service Is What People Remember

    Customers will remember and talk about the negative customer service experiences much more than the positive ones. Every negative customer service experience can potentially lose you as many as ten customers. Every negative experience can hurt your reputation, and a lousy reputation can destroy your business. You need to get it right every time to avoid a damaged reputation. Training your employees and hiring people who believe that the customer experience is the most important task at hand will help make this part of your culture. Anticipating issues and proactively solving them as well as educating and informing your customer base can go a long way in preventing negative customer interactions.

    Excellent Service Strengthens Your Brand

    Hey, look who is back in his lane! How you treat your customers is directly related to your brand. Poor service and a customer may choose another brand over you. Conversely, if you are well known for delivering a fantastic customer experience throughout a customer’s journey that may be what causes people to choose you over your competition. When everything else is equal,  customers and clients are much more likely to choose a business that delivers a great experience.

    How You Do One Thing, Is How You Do Everything

    Sloppy? Poor communication? When somebody sees the way you do something, they assume you do everything in that manner. Therefore, allowing for poor customer service in your business tells customers that you may not have the highest standards. It leads them to assume that maybe your products aren’t the best, or perhaps the food you serve in the cafe is not prepared under the proper conditions. Sure, one negative situation, maybe a crisis averted, but that same crisis will arise again if you do not address the root of the issue.

    Customer Service Issues Can Signal A Larger Problem in the Organization

    Many times customer service issues arise as a symptom of other problems in an organization. I still believe that people are inherently good, and when given the tools necessary, and under proper conditions, they want to make other people happy. Poor service many times is a sign of inadequate training and poor communication in a business. Other times it is a result of employees not being empowered to make decisions. Or a management team that is reluctant to participate in the daily operations of a business.

    Make Informed Decisions By Talking To Your Team

    If things have been going great, and then suddenly you see a rise in complaints look at the changes in your organization. What roles are different? Were associates not trained on specific procedures? Are there open lines of communication? Or are people unaware of policy changes? Engage your staff and ask for input. Listen to what they have to say. Many times employees will tell you what they perceive to be the problem, and they may be 100% right. Even if your employees don’t see the issue in the same way, they will appreciate being consulted. No matter what, don’t just ignore the problems.

    When Service is Great Things Are Just Better

    When you treat your customers like family, they will return the favor. You will be less likely to have angry customer issues, complaints about the operations of your business, and fewer lawsuits. Because when you treat your customers right, you are opening the lines of communication and allowing for the flow of ideas. Your clients and customers are much more likely to approach you to discuss issues rather than resorting to other alternatives. Treat your customers poorly, and you can almost be sure that you’ll run into problems at one point or another. They don’t have a connection with you, they don’t know your story, and they don’t care if you succeed or fail.

    Delighted Customers Leads to Advocacy, and Social Proof Money Can’t Buy

    When you provide a delightful customer experience, from start to finish, Across all avenues for every customer, client, and audience members. You will begin to see people pinballing through the customer journey into the advocacy phase. With some people arrive at the advocacy stage quicker than others. It may take more time to earn the trust of other customers. But continue to deliver the same positive experience, and they will reach the advocacy phase as well.

    What is magical about the advocacy phase is your clients and customers are doing some of the marketing for you. In our blog and webinar on social proof, we highlighted the power of a brand advocate. Someone who writes reviews or recommends your business to peers is proof that you are practicing what you preach and delivering value to your clients. It is a big win for your business so keep up the excellent work. And don’t forget, to keep the trend of positive proof going by using the great reviews and testimonials in your marketing.

    Keeping Customers Is Cheaper than Attracting New Ones

    Remember those profits you were protecting by settling for mediocre service; you can say goodbye to those right about now! Another reason customer service needs to be the foundation of your business is that keeping a customer is cheaper than attracting a new one. Once a customer purchases with you, they are more likely to continue to use your services if you continue to meet their needs. Keep in mind that those needs include being treated with respect and continuing to see value in the relationship.

    Attracting new clients requires a business to attract leads. Engage those leads and provide them more value than the competition. Hopefully, a high percentage of those leads are converted to replace the customers you lost due to poor customer service experiences. And if the cause of the negative experiences is unresolved, you will continue to lose customers you acquire. Keep your clients when you delight them with a fantastic customer experience. Then build your business when you receive new clients not just maintain the status quo.

    Customer-Centric Businesses FTW

    When your business is customer-centric, it will make sure that the experience every customer has is a positive one. Your people will go above and beyond to deliver the service that your clients expect. You will anticipate and resolve potential problems making the lives of your customers better. And you will see growth as you retain clients, move customers into the advocacy phase and continue to add value. The only path to business success is having a customer-centric business, and doing all that you can to make every decision with the customer experience in mind.

  • Webinar: How Small Businesses Can Utilize Social Proof

    How Small Businesses Can Utilize Social Proof

    We followed up the blog post on Social Proof with our Social Proof Webinar!

    In our Social Proof Webinar, we focused on how small businesses can utilize social proof. Including using it on social media as well as in their general marketing campaigns. We started with a simple definition, but then we dug a bit deeper. The three major areas we focused on for this webinar were customer reviews, user-generated content, and micro-influencer marketing. We believe that these three areas can have the highest ROI for small businesses when executed properly. During the webinar, we providing the best practices, things to stay away from, and offered some examples from our experiences. All participants also had the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the webinar.

    Is This The Right Lesson For Me?

    If you are interested in social media marketing or have your own business, then this Social Proof Webinar is aimed at you. It should help you incorporate some of the primary forms of social proof into your strategy. If you are a professional marketer but want to be able to provide small business owners with advice on areas to focus, this could be the right webinar for you.

    Still have questions after the webinar? Please feel free to sign up for a Free 30 Social Media Consultation Call.

    Ok, I am Ready to Conquer Social Proof!

    The webinar is approximately 45 minutes long. So grab a pen and paper and, maybe a drink of water. Enjoy!JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI1NjAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGVDdCVHhSaWJScW8lMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXIlM0IlMjBhdXRvcGxheSUzQiUyMGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYSUzQiUyMGd5cm9zY29wZSUzQiUyMHBpY3R1cmUtaW4tcGljdHVyZSUyMiUyMGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==

  • What’s Your Story? Unleash Your Business Superpower

    Surrounded by Darkness

    It is 2:45 am on August 24, 2008, and blackness surrounded me. I am laying face down and unconscious in the middle of Columbus Ave in Boston. The man who had moments before been stomping on my head, yelling for me to die was gone. This vicious and unprovoked attack left two friends in the hospital and two others afraid to leave their apartments.

    To this day, I have no recollection of what happened; it was all very cloudy and grey in my mind. What I do remember is waking up in the hospital. Confused. Distraught. And in pain. But there was also something else that felt different, but at that moment I could not pinpoint what this different feeling was.

    The Darkness Returns

    Months later, my attacker pled guilty to 9 counts. But justice was not served as he walked out of the courtroom with his freedom and instructions to attend anger management classes. Once again, I was surrounded by only darkness.

    Where was the justice in that sentence?

    What message is this sentence sending to people?

    Before this moment in my life, I never had any desire to share my Story. My experiences were unique to me and had no way of impacting others. In my mind, those who said they were going to change the world were merely tilting at windmills.

    My Own Story Transformed My Thoughts and Beliefs

    I left the courtroom, angry and upset, and I walked to calm my nerves. My voice cracked as I answered the first call from a reporter following up on the case. But that small crack in my voice was the last I ever saw of the person who didn’t share his Story.  I delivered an emotional but rational response that highlighted the critical points to the argument I had laid out in my head. Ending the conversation with a simple but powerful, imagine if you were the one lying face down on the pavement, how would it feel to know that the man who did this to you walked free.

    And I continued to tell my story.  Zeroing in on all the emotions that someone experiences when they are violently attacked and continued to ask them to imagine if it was them. Just a short while had passed, and something extraordinary and entirely unexpected started to happen. People began to listen. But not only listen, these listeners then started to re-tell my Story, to rally around it, and to take actions to try to prevent things like this from happening again.

    The world around me began to lighten.

    My Story Was Now Bigger Than Me

    Then one morning, my phone rings and the voice on the other end says, “Please hold for Senator Kennedy’s Office.” The Senator wanted to use my Story as part of his floor speech in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill. A bill he fought tirelessly for. Legislation that this country desperately needed if we had any chance of preventing attacks like the one that happened to me and so many others.

    That Bill was Senator Kennedy’s windmill and his legacy. I can only imagine what he felt the day the bill became law.

    Darkness is Lifted

    The passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Bill marked the moment when color began flooding back into my life . The darkness had finally lifted.  I took a deep breath and walked back into my technicolor world a different person than when I was ripped from it the year before. That period of darkness taught me many lessons that will stay with me for a lifetime. But I was happy to return to my technicolor world and continue to use the new found superpower of storytelling to brighten the world just a bit more.

    Laying The Groundwork for JRH Graphics

    I was still many years away from establishing JRH Graphics, but I was unknowingly laying the groundwork for my future business. As the head of GLAAD’s DC Leadership Council, I worked with a team to help amplify the local stories that needed to be heard by a larger audience. And the fight for marriage equality came to DC, and GLAAD DC LC told lots of amazing and compelling stories of love.

    Then there was a wedding contest that was supposed to be for fun. It was a 3 month full fledged storytelling, marketing, and social medi blitz that landed a gay couple in second place in a NATIONAL wedding contest. That would be me and my ex-husband of course. And a small New York Times photo, of minor importance. Or we were on the cover above the fold on the day marriage was legalized in  DC. Plus a wide array of rallies, and speeches and so much more. Through this, I was honing my craft. I was learning to trust my gut. And most of all, I was repeatedly being amazed by the power of stories.

    Understanding the Importance of Stories

    I learned so many lessons running these campaigns, but none was more important than how powerful stories can be. Stories are like no other medium. They empower, inform, and encourage action. Stories are transformational. Stories capture hearts and minds. A good storyteller can simplify even the most difficult issues and create greater understanding with a story. Stories create powerful connections between seemingly unrelated things, and stories bring people together. Something we need now more than ever.

    This is My Story

    Jonathan Howard The Power of Stories So this is my Story; it is my authentic and emotional Story about how I learned of the power that stories possess. This is also a happy story for me, it is an awful thing that should never happen to anybody else. But it happened to me for a reason, and it allowed me to uncover my passion, and build a business around something I love. This story is a portion of my overall brand and a part of what makes JRH Graphics different.

    When you boil all of what I told you down to its essential elements, it is about transforming hate into love. Hate and love are universal emotions. Everybody knows love in some way, and everybody knows hate. These universal emotions are the secret sauce, they are what allows the Story to connect with an audience.

    So, What’s Your Story?

    Want to know a secret? The words you use to answer this question don’t matter at first. The first time I ask it I am listening to how you provide the answer, then I am watching your body language, and looking for something that will clue me in to the fact that there is a bit more. And then I push.

    Why do I push…

    Because each time I ask the question “What’s Your Story,” I am trying to get down to the “why.” When you finally reach the real reason behind why you do what you do, the rest falls into place. Your Story becomes your roadmap for everything you do. It provides clarity and purpose for your business as well as great content for me to post on social media.

    An authentic story that connects to your why and engages your target audience makes everything easier. Content creation is more straightforward; engagement is more organic, scaling your business is natural and creating measurable goals that move you towards where you want to be in 5/10/15 years is a piece of cake because all the key factors are aligned.

    A T-shirt is More Than Just A T-shirt

    I want to give you an example. I had a business I was working with to build a brand that they could use that felt authentic. The problem was I could not get down to the “Why” with them for weeks.

    Why is it that you make these T-shirts?  I would ask

    Because they are nice, aren’t they!

    Why not cotton socks?

    Because we make nice t-shirts.

    After a few weeks of beating my head against the wall, I finally saw a glimpse of something and pushed to eventually discover that the family made the t-shirts because after their father passed away, they could not find one of his favorite ones. They found the fabric of the original shirt and now use it for all of their t-shirts. And instead of their marketing just relying on the fact that they make nice t-shirts a fairly low threshold, we were able to create a niche for them and a new need for consumers.

    Because that t-shirt is not what they are selling, they now sell memories. And a simple story overlooked by the business owner made all the difference.

    We All Have Powerful Stories, Use Them

    I hope this highlights what a well crafted and authentic story can bring to your brand. I also hope that this gives you a bit of insight into my business and,  it inspires you to tell your Story. We all have stories they are powerful, don’t be afraid to use them.

  • A Different Approach to Social Media and More

    Combining Our Experience with Our Passion and Helping Other Businesses Succeed

    Social Media has incredible power and reach. However, businesses can not capitalize on that if they don’t have a great story to tell and content that helps followers understand that story. When we founded JRH Graphics, we knew that our suite of services had to make it easier for businesses to tell their story. Our services needed to offer customizable social media plans for posting on their profiles. As well as provide our clients with content that spoke to their unique brand.

    So, we combined our twenty years of business experience with our passion for storytelling and set out to help small and middle-sized businesses get the most out of social media. Our services are all customizable. This allows us to build social media plans that meet our clients’ unique needs. Each piece of content created is made for the sole purpose of telling our clients’ unique story. No generic content, no one size fits all solutions and no pick one from column A and one from column B brand stories.

    A Different Approach: Story First

    At JRH Graphics, we do things differently. We believe that spending a little extra time building your brand story provides value to the brand in the long run. A company without a story has no chance to survive in today’s marketplace. Your story is the foundation of all that we do. If we want to help you to be successful, we must first build a solid foundation.

    Building A Solid Foundation: Discovering Your Winning Story

    What’s Your Story? If you have ever had a meeting with Jonathan Howard, then the chances are he has asked you this question. For us to be able to support your business, we need to know your story. Everyone’s story is unique, so the first thing we do is listen to you talk about your business and watch how you engage with your audience. Your answers to questions like, What does your business means to you, provide us insight as we help you explore your “why.” We ask about your reasons for doing things. What are the values of your company? We want to know what you want to be known for after all is said and done. What problems are you solving for people? All of these questions help us understand your business and allow us to build a brand story.

    The Foundation is Solid

    Now that we have explored your brand story, we can use what we have learned to move forward. This allows us to make more informed decisons about how we promote your brand, what audience would engage with your brand and so much more. A well developed brand story provides us with a solid foundation we can build upon. This foundation allows us to do the following items an so much more.

    1. Use your voice and values in our posts on social media
    2. Target an audience that makes sense for your business
    3. Create custom content that speaks to your values
    4. Engage others that share your values
    5. Represent your business properly on your social media platforms

    We Have The Story, Now What?

    People do business with people in today’s marketplace. The days of businesses operating behind a veil of secrecy is long gone. Your story provides your business with a human face. A human face gives it the power to connect with your audience. Once we are at this stage, JRH Graphics works with you to build a social media plan that allows you to tell your story to an audience that shares your values.

    We work with you to create a package that works for your business. Self-run packages are available where we meet either monthly or weekly to review your calendar and posting plan. We also provide fully managed packages across multiple platforms. With these plans JRH Graphics will create and post custom content that supports your story. And if you fall somewhere in between these two options, we build a custom social media plan that will work for you.

    Social Media Management Plans to Support Your Business

    A Self Run Approach to Social Media

    You decide that you can continue managing the daily duties of your social media. All you need is some assistance planning your content and posts. The drab and generic content that past providers have given you as “custom” does not speak to your unique brand, so creating some custom content to post on your profiles is essential.

    You are not alone, many of our clients fall into this category. They choose JRH Graphics because we offer them a better solution. We schedule regular meetings to help them plan their content. We provide them with a framework for content creation we call the 9 Essential Posts for Every Business on Social Media. During our regular meetings, we help schedule monthly posts and ensure that they are providing their followers with “edutaining” content that adds value. Our goal is to make sure that your social media profiles start working toward the success of the business and no longer feel like a burden.

    A Fully Managed Social Media Plan

    Your business has grown, and the stress of managing your business and promoting your business is overwhelming. You decide that you want to focus on running your business because that is your wheelhouse. But, you need to be able to trust someone to help you promote it. JRH Graphics offers plans that can help you here too.

    It is nearly impossible to run and promote your business at the same time. We take on the task of managing your social media so you can focus on what you do best. A review of your current platforms is performed and make a recommendation on a social media management plan that works for you. We will help you build a strategy that puts you on the path towards engaging followers and creating customers for life.

    The next step is to create content that supports your brand, your story, and reflects your values. We share these customized posts with you every week and ask for your approval. We will never share anything on behalf of your brand without your approval. This strategy allows you to engage your audience, provide them with “edutaining” content that speaks to your brand daily. It is your brand, your messaging, and your custom content; we are just the ones posting it for you.

    A Plan for Custom Content Creation

    Some businesses have a person in the marketing department that is in charge of monitoring the social media for the company. In some cases, they are responsible for creating content. In other instances, a business may need content created by an outside source. Whether you need photos or additional promotional pieces we can help you out.

    Content is king!

    The content you put on your social media can determine who chooses to follow you . Your content influences how your audience feel sabout your brand. From photos to articles, to free tools you provide to your followers, it all says something about who you are. We believe that the content you put out should look and feel like you. While we love stock photos for some things, they don’t belong on your social media profiles.

    At JRH Graphics we literally, loathe content that pretends to be custom. You hava all seen the cringe-worthy off-brand quote somebody posted to their Instagram feed. This is not what JRH Graphics provides. When you hire JRH Graphics to create custom content for you, we will create actual custom content. Content that is based on your brand and your story, not just your brand colors and taglines.

    You Have Choices, We Hope We Made That Clear

    You can select to have photos taken that represent your brand, or have posts created based on the content you have already curated. Whether you need us to develop a single campaign or want us to work with you in an ongoing capacity we can help you out.  We can create content that is representative of your brand each month or once a year. Our content creation plans are just as customizable as our social media plans.

    The Biggest Difference at JRH Graphics

    Jonathan Howard is what makes JRH Graphics different. He is driven, passionate and creative. His hand on style and unique way he approaches problems will help your business rise to the next level. Jonathan has over 20 years of business management experience. The knowledge gained from his experience is what he brings to every one of the clients. Jonathan and the entire JRH Graphics team is committed to helping you be successful. We will roll up our sleeves and work along side our clients to ensure their success.Are you ready to be heard on social media? Do you want the JRH Graphics team to help you tell your winning story? Ready to engage an audience that has the potential to be customers for life?Get Noticed