As the COVID-19 #virus protocols have encouraged citizens to practice social distancing, many #businesses are concerned about a decrease in customer traffic.
Practicing the following will be important going forward:
Communication
Businesses should look to build trust with current and potential customers through proactive online #communication via #socialmedia, email newsletters, and through their website.
For example, using online tools to communicate your new hours of operation or a shortage in a particular product will be appreciated by customers.
If your website is dated and you have been considering a modern update, to include social media integration and mobile functionality, this would be the ideal time to do it.
Adding an online sales option for your customers may also help sustain revenue if their is a decline in foot traffic to your physical location. You will be able to use your website immediately and as a means to communicate with existing and new potential customers. This long-term investment can improve overall business operations and increase your brand identity.
Adaptability and Patience
We do not know the predictably or duration of these necessary protocols.
Adapting to change and exploring new ways to provide products or services to customers will require business owners to practice a “new way” of doing things and, through doing so, patience. Adapt your services to the needs of the consumer and recognize that those needs have recently changed.
With this in mind, Trudeau said the federal government is “pulling out all the stops” to help Canadians through the global health crisis. The package includes $275 million for additional research, such as vaccine development, and $200 million for federal medical supplies, supports for Indigenous communities and education efforts as reported by CBC.ca
Compassion
Compassion – after all, we are all in this together. We have the ability to choose to be #grateful for today. The time we now have, even if not under ideal circumstances, to spend with our loved ones – is precious.
Acknowledging that we are surrounded by love, rest, and the opportunity to change the way we have always done things and explore alternative means to #growcommunity and #support one another, may be the silver lining.
Free Consultations (phone and video) for any duration
As always, CC Communications offers FREE 30 minute consultations, but during this time, I will accept an initial phone or video consultation for any duration of time, FREE of charge.
On February 6th 2020, CC Communications hosted our #SocialBusiness Marketing Seminar to focus on igniting the marketing potential of our attendees and to provide advice on how to enhance their overall brand presence.
I recorded some of their questions with my responses to help provide this information to all of our followers. If you have a question regarding your use of social media or how to better enhance your online presence, please send it forward to connie@cccommunications.ca or request a FREE 30 minute consultation.
Q) How do I carve out my identity within the guidelines of a brand?
A) If your business/brand has a series of guidelines or a social media policy in place, it is always a best practice to follow those guidelines. Review the particulars of the guidelines and work to establish yourself as an employee of the organization both in the professional workplace and online. Keeping a consistent brand identity within the overall brand identity is a professional action that can help build your credibility.
Communicating your specific skills and experience on social media platforms like LinkedIn can also serve to help you build your personal brand identity within the umbrella of your organization. As this social media platform allows you to receive testimonials personally, LinkedIn is a great option for someone looking to enhance their brand identity within a brand identity.
Q) Is there any way to have our clients become more engaged and interactive online?
A) The first step would be to define your target demographic and develop an emotional appeal or educational purpose for that audience.
Understand that your audience is human and will interact with social media content in a similar manner that you do. Think of social media posts that inspire you to become engaged and interactive. Visual posts that have vivid colour and short informative videos are often very well received.
Acknowledge that SEO (search engine optimization) is very important in the development of your online content and that a “marketing plan” that addresses your overall branding goals should be in place. This is highly recommended instead of publishing content “whenever you can,” with the hope to capture interactive followers.
Q) I am not a big “social media person.” How do I get started in building connections so I do not lose interest in being connected?
A) Start building your social media following by creating posts that inspire you.
Learn to use social media as a tool to promote your products/services to a larger audience rather than cold calling or relying on traditional forms of advertising. Social media allows for you to start a two-way conversation with your followers and answer any questions they may have directly – you can’t do that will a sign or print ad!
Social media platforms have insights and data for you to analyze and use to create future sales leads. The conversations and insights you receive provide you with feedback and further information to help you work closely with potential customers who have an interest in your business, brand, and services which should motivate you to remain socially connected.
Q) For B2B services, do you think it is important to have a Facebook/Instagram account when most clients are likely not active on these social platforms?
A) Yes! Facebook and Instagram are ideal places for businesses to showcase their story and to target an audience in a compelling, memorable, and engaging way.
Understanding what types of content to post for B2B businesses, however, will be more important to plan out in your overall marketing strategy – which every business should have and revamp routinely. The demographics for both Instagram and Facebook will be different and catering your content to attract these audiences will be different than your approach for platforms like LinkedIn or your corporate website.
Considering the wide use of Facebook and Instagram, the decision makers of an organization you would like to interact with – are likely using these platforms socially – and being visible online is imperative in 2020. If you haven’t considered using these platforms previously, now is the time.
Q) How can I analyze social media data based on people’s life experience and genuine interests? How can I generate more followers/shares, overall?
A) Ask questions. Social media is the one form of marketing (advertising) that will allow you to receive insights and data you can use to generate a “plan of action” to retain future sales leads.
Focus on building a following of genuine customers versus trying to reach a million likes or followers. This will allow you to learn more about the people who follow you, why they are following you, and how your product/service can help them.
This idea of building a genuine and authentic following has encouraged Facebook and Instagram to rethink the use of “like counts” and examine how the profiles could operate without them. Yes, that’s right… “page likes” may disappear in 2020 and push business owners to be more authentic and organic with their overall social media strategies.
Q) Facebook has regulations against “like and share” giveaways. How can I host a compliant campaign that will ensure the integrity of my business page?
Like and Share contests violate the community guidelines Facebook has established as they do not allow for administrators to actively track who has participated. With high privacy settings, participants can like and share and you would have no knowledge of this interaction.
The like and share campaigns also do not provide an administrator with proof of participation and further can compromise the integrity of your participants information as there is no official rules or request for a collection of information. Some like and shares may be “hidden” by users. This sends a signal to Facebook that you are posting low quality content and they will show your posts to less people in the future or even worse, may render your page inaccessible. Some campaigns may also violate Ontario Promotional Law as alcohol and lottery tickets are not to be given away as “prizes.”
In a compliant campaign, participants are informed about their opportunity to participant, how and if their information will be used, and are provided with a fair and equal opportunity at winning. When hosting a compliant campaign with CC Communications, you also receive quality marketing feedback from your participants WITH their permission – something a like and share cannot provide.
Interested in attending a future seminar or hosting Connie as a guest speaker at your next event? Email connie@cccommunications.ca and let’s talk!
It can be tough to keep up with the changing platforms and trends of social media marketing. For this reason, CC Communications has researched the following trends in order to help you continue to grow your brand online – here is a rundown of what to expect in the early onset of 2018.
Video Content Dominates
Customers recall imagery and videos better than text. Video content is therefore on the rise. If you only post text updates to your Facebook page, get ready to change your social media strategy.
Live features on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat have popularized video options from covering live events to announcing new products. We predict that next year, your social timeline will include even more visuals, including GIFs, videos, photos and animations.
Chatbots become Essential
Social media is where many customers go to get answers to their product questions and inquiries. Consumers demand quick answers and chatbots help facilitate this. Chatbots allow you the opportunity to reply to customers instantly through social media messaging if you are not online or when a message is received outside of business hours.
A well-maintained conversation with your customer after a “cold chatbox introduction” is made should become a number one priority in order to #ConnectMORE with your target audience. A social media manager should follow up with all leads and inquires received to ensure that customers questions have been properly answered.
Mobile Use Continues to Skyrocket
Most social media sessions are accessed through mobile devices. Facebook reported 1.23 billion daily active users as of December 2016, with 1.15 billion of those coming from mobile devices. Taking the time to ensure that your ad is well-designed is important, however, a great ad design will not help if customers are directed to a website with slow load times and a difficult navigation structure. Prevent this by making your website mobile-friendly, user-friendly, and accessible.
Stay ahead of the curve by building a strong online presence now. Build an effective social media strategy before the ball drops in 2018 by booking your FREE 30 minute consultation with CC Communications today!
As consumers are less frequently using traditional forms of advertising, it is important to start building your online presence now.
Google searches have replaced the need for a phone book and social media marketing has become an effective way to virally-expand your brand’s exposure on an epic scale. Compared to signage, social media marketing allows you the opportunity to record data regarding those who have seen and interacted with your advertisement.
Taking the time to build your brand’s presence online is a worthwhile investment. You will gain access to valuable analytics while opening a door for communication to your customers.
This opportunity to #ConnectMORE with your target audience will help you build trust with your customer and help your brand build a loyal following. Taking an online approach for your future marketing pursuits can also result in the following:
An opportunity to Build a Following – People are searching for you…
The sooner your business is online; the sooner people can find you. People are searching for your brand on social media channels and Google. It might start with just a few friends liking and sharing your Facebook page, but that leads to a wider audience being exposed to your brand.
Remember, word of mouth advertising is now spread online! Once you have a captive audience of social media followers, it’s easier to spread your messages to them and convert your audience into customers.
Own your own advertising goals
You are not limited to local reach when using online marketing tools. Your target market can be isolated or you can choose to expand globally.
The option for reaching a segmented audience is limitless and the data recorded for such marketing initiatives will help you plan for future campaigns and/or promotions.
Claim your keywords and hashtags!
Your brand’s hashtag is important, so make sure to claim your own before a competitive businesses does. Your hashtag helps your audience connect with you overall brand and helps people discover your brand to further your reach on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and more!
Getting your brand online leads to more exposure for your business and, as a result, can help boost your online and in-store traffic.
Join us at CC Communications’ Online Branding and YOUR Business Introductory Seminar on November 28th at Solo Trattoria in Sault Ste. Marie.
From 5:30 until 7:00 pm, you will learn how having and maintaining an online presence can take your business to the next level and help you #ConnectMORE with your customers!
Delicious appetizers from Solo Trattoria is included with your $45 ticket.
With the changing season, our approach to social media marketing should change and diversify as well! Fall means that students are back to school and parents are back to work. As people return to their routines and are spending more time indoors, it is the perfect time to gain their attention through their newsfeed! This identifies October and November as awesome months to embrace the Fall season and the opportune time to try out some creative seasonal posts. Here are some ideas to grow your following this fall:
Show off your Fall Spirit Host a campaign with CC Communications that shows off your unique fall flair! Have products or services that would provide comfort during this upcoming season or in the preparation of winter? Make them stand out online with professional photography services as well as a well-managed two week campaign to bring traffic to your storefront and increase your viewership online. Book your FREE 30 minute consultation to learn more!
Spice it Up
A Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, affectionately referred to as a PSL, is arguably the trendiest drink for Fall. Since introducing the drink in 2003, Starbucks has made over 100 million dollars in revenue from PSLs each year! Get creative with your products and services and “spice them up” in a similar manner!
Get in the Game Take advantage of Football season by interacting with the current game schedule! Host a campaign that makes reference to upcoming games or products/services that could enhance game day! For more ideas book your FREE 30 minute consultation with CC Communications.
Google Doodle for the First Day of Fall showcases the incorporation of the season in their branding.
Dress Up Your Social Media Consider changing your profile picture or cover photo to reflect the changing season. You can also try enhancing your logo by incorporating some symbols that resemble the changing season. Google frequently changes their logo to reflect seasons, holidays or events – take a look through the Google doodles archives for some inspiration.
As always, CC Communications can help you with your seasonal social media marketing initiatives including the development of a seasonal campaign and accompanying seasonal graphics for your Cover Photo or Logo Design. Learn how to leverage the season to increase your social media viewership, increase traffic to your storefront or online store, and #ConnectMORE with your target demographic! Contact us to set up a FREE 30 minute consultation, and let’s talk about the inspiration of the season! #HappyOctober