Small businesses and entrepreneurs can gain exposure and financing with crowdfunding, but even the most powerful tools do not work like magic. For a crowdfunding campaign to be successful, it must be supported by a solid marketing and communications strategy. Prospective funders need to be able to access information about who you are, what you do, why they should trust you and … [Read more...]
According to Pew Research Center, 28 percent of online adults use Pinterest and 26 percent use Instagram. Additionally, YouTube reports that they currently have over 1 billion users. What these types of statistics tell us is that we are slowly becoming a more visual society in our online experience, relying more heavily on pictures and other graphics to educate and engage us as … [Read more...]
Once your business commits to maintaining a consistent social media presence, a key piece of the strategy for social media success is determining when to post what. Create a weekly social media schedule to prime the social media pump while promoting engagement and calls to action without creating excessive burdens for you and your staff. In addition to streamlining social media … [Read more...]
Starbucks is the de facto office for many entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners. It is an ideal place to meet with clients and prospects and to talk shop with partners. As much as Starbucks is a comfortable place to get work done, and as common as it is to see someone set up a workstation for hours at a time, it essential to remember that Starbucks is public … [Read more...]
One of the biggest challenges to consistent social media use, and by extension, social media success, is the perception that time spent on social media becomes time lost to distraction or to activity that cannot or does not support the real, practical goals of your business. This is a real fear, and a legitimate one. Social media is a difficult space to navigate. There is so … [Read more...]
Between texting, tweeting and other forms of instant communication, many Americans are writing more than ever. The trouble is that we have gotten sloppy with our writing. While putting together a unique blend of abbreviations, emoticons and punctuation marks may be appropriate when discussing weekend with friends, this kind of informality can mark you as unprofessional in … [Read more...]
When you are working on ways to create a community around your brand or service, a blog is an effective addition to your communications and marketing strategy. Understood as a community building tool, the blog is a natural extension of your core message and a way to communicate with your audience, an audience you have identified, targeted and are working to cultivate. What … [Read more...]
Stop using social media to broadcast your own message; start creating connections Social media is never as easy at is seems. And there is a simple reason why: it is social space. That means that opinions, voices, conversations and conflict are a part of daily interaction and engagement. Except when they’re not. And that’s when your business really has a problem. Too … [Read more...]
Use a variety of platforms to build client relationships by leveraging your knowledge and expertise. A small business owner, particularly one who provides a professional service that is intangible (as opposed to a physical product that your customers can hold) like consultants, designers, or even software developers, faces unique challenges when it comes to communicating … [Read more...]
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