6 Small Business Predictions for 2015

2015 is expected to be a big year for small business growth. Here are six predictions for financial trends in small business.

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Don’t Forget About Mobile When You Go Social

It’s no longer enough to engage with customers via social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. What’s important now is finding ways to engage with them on the go. With the large majority of social media users accessing these sites from their smartphones and tablets, standard desktop strategies may be a waste of time. You need to find ways to leverage their affinity towards mobile devices and discover new methods for effective engagement.

Understanding the User

Before discussing the mobile aspect of social media, it’s important for businesses to first start with the user. At the heart of topic is the social media user, and your ability to understand who he or she is will guide you through the process, and allow you to capitalize on the mobile segment.

Research published in the authoritative white paper From Social to Sale: 8 Questions to Ask your Customers points out there are three basic ‘tribes’ of social media users. While the names are arbitrary, the characteristics remain the same across the board. All social media users fall into one of these three tribes:

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  Thinkers. This is the group that uses social media when contemplating a purchase, “but have not actively begun the research process.” These are the laid-back users and most hesitant to act, out of the three tribes. They will share purchases they are considering and usually need a nudge to make a final decision.

  
  

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  Questers. This group likes to share items they are in the process of actively researching. They have pretty much decided on a purchase, but are good at disseminating information to thinkers and leapers.

  
  

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  Leapers. This is the impulsive group. Leapers are easily inspired by other social users and quickly make purchases without much thought. They are the easiest to convince and represent new sales for retailers.

  
  

Every market segment will behave differently and each social channel is proportionally different, but thinkers generally make up between 49 and 70 percent of users, questers between 21 and 24 percent of users, and leapers between 9 and 29 percent of users. Interestingly, thinkers tend to gravitate towards Twitter, questers towards Facebook, and leapers towards Pinterest.

Capitalizing on Mobile

As a marketer looking to engage with users, the biggest opportunities lie in reaching thinkers and leapers. In 2015 and beyond, this means reaching them on their mobile devices.

According to a recent report from BI Intelligence, 60 percent or more of all social media time is spent on smartphones and tablets. As smartphone display sizes continue to increase, that number is expected to grow exponentially. Now is the time to learn how to effectively engage with mobile thinkers and leapers. To maximize your profitability, let’s take a look at some of the things you can begin working on today.

Optimize Your Facebook Page

Facebook is the king of social media, in terms of engagement and advertising. Naturally, this makes it the best place to start your mobile optimization strategy. Facebook has a responsive design built in, but that doesn’t mean it will handle everything for you. You still need to pay attention to what you post and how you structure your content.

The best thing is to familiarize yourself with how the timeline functions on mobile devices. You can’t properly implement these tips unless you know how things operate. As you’ll quickly notice, Facebook’s timeline design is conducive to swiping and scrolling, but doesn’t give you unlimited space to work with. While Twitter is the platform that limits what you say to 160 characters or less, Facebook will still abbreviate what you post. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t say something in 150-200 characters, it’s probably not worth posting.

Until you become an expert at using Facebook for mobile devices, always check for compatibility after posting or before launching a new campaign. This quick check could save you a lot of embarrassment and will ensure you reach optimal engagement.

Take Advantage of Location-Based Features

One of the biggest benefits of working with mobile users is that you have the capability to tailor information and content based on their location. While Foursquare hasn’t taken off quite as well as some of the other major social media platforms, it’s still a valuable tool for marketers. Using their hyper-targeted ad system, you can serve specific ads based on where the user is. For example, if a social user is two blocks away from your coffee shop, you could serve an ad for a new drink special you’re having.

Eliminate Repetition and Message Fatigue

Marketers refer to repetitive, standardized posts across all social media platforms as message fatigue. Because users generally follow the same brands across multiple platforms, your decision to post the same message on each can be harmful. Instead, take the extra time to tailor each post to a specific platform. Not only will you become less repetitive, but followers will find your posts more engaging.

Utilize Video Capabilities

Video marketing is exploding within social networking. From YouTube and Instagram to Vimeo and Vine, it seems like every social media site is tapping into video marketing. While this is arguably the most expensive aspect of social media marketing, it can bring the highest returns. If you choose to pursue video capabilities, ensure you’re taking the time to produce quality content. It’s better to avoid it altogether than fall flat.

Claim Your Digital Turf

Studies suggest that 81 percent of tablet owners and 79 percent of mobile phone owners use their devices to conduct local searches. Take advantage of this opportunity by creating your Google+ page and filling out all contact information.

Start Engaging

All signs are pointing towards mobile as the next major marketing opportunity for businesses. While there is much to be learned, now and in the future, one things is clear: social engagement starts with mobile devices.

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What is a Brand Kit and Why Should I Care?

Have you ever heard the term “brand kit,” branding kit,” or “identity brand kit?” If so, have you ever wondered what it is and if you need one? Yes, it is true that they sound like media kit, press kit, or electronic press kit, but there is a difference.

No. IDK if I need one. “@socialwebcafe: Q2 Do you have an media kit or electronic press kit (EPK)? Maybe “One Sheet?” #SocialCafe”

— Lisa Salvary (@PRMktgSales) January 28, 2015

Before we delve into what it is and why you might want to put one together, let’s talk about the word, “brand.”

Brand versus Identity

Many times, we think of the word brand, when we should be thinking of the word identity. For example, when you see a yellow spongy looking treat, you may think “Twinkie.” The visual appearance of the item makes you think of a name. Of course that is the name of the product and not the Brand or Company. In the case of the Twinkie, that may have changed since you last saw one.

How about the “Golden Arches?” Do you know what I am referring to, with “Golden Arches?” Many of you will recognize that as the brand of McDonalds®. Some of you may even look at the hamburger, above, and also think “McDonalds®.” This is really called brand recognition (the “Golden Arches”) and brand association (the hamburger).

So, What IS a Brand?

The word “brand” really has more to do with the perception than specifics of the brand. It has to do with a response by the person rather than tangible items. However, the tangible items are also a part of the process of brand and contributing to the resultant perception. More on what those tangible (and intangible) items are, in the discussion of the kit.

Let’s take a recent commercial by Jack in the Box®, shown below.

Some will watch that video and think, “Oh, that is funny,” and associate a sense of humor with the brand of Jack in the Box®. Others will ignore the messaging and see the food, their mouths watering, and associate the visual appearance of yummy food with Jack in the Box®. Others will watch it and think “clumsy” or “klutz” with the thought of Jack in the Box®. And, still others will watch it and believe that Jack in the Box® lacks a corporate responsibility with no attention to order and the clerk caring more about her tummy than her responsibilities. Some will have a combined response.

In the case of Jack in the Box®, this is their branding. In the case of this commercial, there is a bit of a confused branding, as there are quite a few different avenues of perspective, none of which have a really concrete buying message (except maybe the visual on the food). In the case of the Jack in the Box® Marketing Campaign, an analyst could ask what the objective is, in the branding of Jack in the Box®.

Ok, admittedly, we are getting a bit geeky. I think you get the basic idea of what brand and branding is, eh?

What is Identity?

Brand and Identity are often confused. Identity, in terms of an “Identity Kit” has more to do with the inclusion of logos, a list of colors, fonts, images, etc. that are used so that people will be able to have an experience of brand recognition. A more accurate definition for a “kit” that includes these items would be a “Brand Identity Kit” and may include some of the same items that are included in a media or press kit, but definitely includes the consistent items that a marketing team, graphics designer, and social media marketer would need to ensure brand identity consistency.

Still confused about the term “kit” and all these fun words? Curious to know more? Watch the slideshare, below, to find out about the different kits and where they are similar, where they cross over, and where they are different.

Why Should I Care?

Ok, I think you already picked up the answer to this, but the reason you should care is because you want to be able to have consistency in your branding. Similar to the “Golden Arches,” you want people to recognize your company when they see a particular logo, or even a color scheme or font.

When you see the image, above, what comes to mind? It helps that the word is also included in the logo (another great branding idea!). Do you also see the distinct modification of the “o’s” in Socialnomics? (Another memory cue, to help in brand recognition.) In this case, Socialnomics.net would have a kit that includes the color of green that is used, the logo, any specifics that are required for their consistency, to enable brand recognition. This may or may not impact brand perspective, but it definitely contributes to brand recognition and isn’t that a great place to start?!

How Do I Put Together My Own Brand Kit?

There is a great article, that includes all of the elements that you could add to your brand kit. It is located at filecamp.com. They also provide a service. You can use the article to compile your list of items and load it into your web site, with a “brand kit directory” page for people to use when navigating the components. It may be just as easy to pull together all of these components, zip them, and add it to a private dropbox, providing a link to those who need access. You don’t even have to zip it for Dropbox and that allows you to update it as needed and to have a virtual team approach to keeping it fresh and ready at a moment’s notice.

There you have it, the “why” and the “how” for your own brand identity kit. Now, you are on your way to brand identity consistency and brand identity recognition. Maybe you, too, can be the next “Golden Arches” in your niche or industry!

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Are You Tapping Into Social Media for Technology?

From the latest electronic gadgets for your home to the top devices for business, technology continues to evolve on a daily basis here in the United States and in many other countries. As a result, knowing where to find the latest tech offerings is as important as ever.

For those who turn to social media seeking advice on technology, there is an entire world out there just waiting to be discovered.

As more technology companies have realized in recent years, social media is essentially a free tool for them to discuss and promote their brands, be they to savvy tech folks or the green ones who are looking to become more technologically educated.

So, how can your tech-related business become better in-tune with consumers via social networking?

Relevancy and Consistency Matter

To begin with, whether your brand is iOS app developers Blue Rocket or one of countless others, you need to be a relevant tech company and you need to consistently hammer home your message on social media.

Many tech companies, however, might wonder just where a large volume of their customers are when it comes to social media.

Are they on Facebook or Twitter? Maybe they’re more image-focused and spend the bulk of their time on Instagram or Pinterest? Videos might be what catch their attention; therefore they’re more apt to visit sites such as YouTube?

Take the time to research exactly where many of your customers are likely to be in the world of social media. Otherwise, you run the risk of wasting time and resources.

Secondly, be a consistent player on social media.

While that sounds like an easy thing to do, you’d be surprised how many companies fail at this simple task.

Begin with setting up a regular schedule for tweeting, sharing, pinning and more.

There are numerous reports and analytic options out there to help you deduce the best times to post and get the most bang for your dollar. One key, however, is avoiding posting too often. The last thing you want to do is turn people off and make it seem like you are shoving information and/or sales down their throats.

Don’t Forget to Network

Another important reminder is to share your social media output with others, including other businesses.

Now while you understandably might be hesitant to promote competitors that does not mean you can’t publicize relevant tech news. If something in the tech world would be of interest to the general public, then by all means talk about it on social media.

Lastly, be sure to keep in mind (if you are not already) that making your current and potential clients happy should always be a top priority as you look at strategies for building customer loyalty.

In the end, your customers and how you treat them go a long way in determining your success.

When you deploy social media as part of that process, your odds for success are that much higher.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Your LinkedIn Profile: The Basics

Chances are you’ve heard this advice before, but if not, here goes: if you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be on LinkedIn.

A 2014 survey found that 73% of businesses intend to increase their investment in recruiting through social networks, and 94% of recruiters used LinkedIn. Even if you’re not on LinkedIn, companies you apply to will be looking for you there. At Career Glider, we’re driven by helping people achieve career success, and LinkedIn is increasingly important to careers.

If you’re not familiar with LinkedIn, your profile can be thought of as a professional Facebook page, which shows your education, experience, and skills instead of your likes and photos. And on LinkedIn you make connections, which you can think of as professional friends.

A LinkedIn profile is a number of things:

1. an online resume which showcases your qualifications;


2. a filtering mechanism for job recruiters—if you’re not on LinkedIn, or if your profile isn’t up to scratch, recruiters may cross you off their list;


3. a way of being headhunted by recruiters for job openings, even openings that haven’t been advertised.

Today, we’ll focus on how to address 1. and 2—how to do the essentials, and how to avoid the basic, disqualifying mistakes. A solid, basic profile will put you ahead of a lot of people.

Most importantly: no typos, and no formatting errors—they’re avoidable and they hurt you. And if lying on a resume is a very bad idea, on LinkedIn it’s a terrible idea—a whole network of your connections will know very well that you’re stretching the truth. With that in mind, here are some tips for sections of the profile you’re setting up.

Name

As well as your full name, you can add a maiden name or nickname here, if people are likely to search for you by that name. You can add suffixes, like “Jr.”, or add certifications, but putting anything else in the Name field is unacceptable to LinkedIn and will get you in trouble.

Photo

Your photo is important. Profiles with a photo are at least seven times more likely to be viewed than profiles without one. You’ll see that if you search LinkedIn, profiles without photos cluster near the bottom of the results. But it has to be the right photo.

Your photo should be a professional-looking headshot, of you, and only you. You should be dressed for your industry—if that means a suit, you should be wearing a suit. And while it might surprise you this advice is necessary, you should not be at a party, or drunk, in your LinkedIn profile photo. It’s worth considering having a photo professionally taken. This may all seem obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many people don’t do it!

Summary

Your summary should capture not just what you do, but who you are. It’s a way to introduce yourself to people, and should showcase not just what you do, but what you can do, by giving a sense of your accomplishments. Your summary can also link to other places that people can find you online.

People debate whether to use the word “I” on your resume, but on LinkedIn it’s usual to write in the first person and use the word “I” freely. You have up to 2,000 characters for your summary, and some people will advise you to use them every character no matter what, but no one wants to read filler. So do your readers a favor and don’t write just to fill space.

Experience (and Education)

Describe your experience and education similarly to how you would on your resume. One great thing about LinkedIn is you don’t have to leave experience off to save space. In fact, it can help to include all your experience, especially if you’re early in your career, to show you’ve kept busy. It’s still important to be concise.

Groups

Joining groups is important for two reasons. First, it shows a engagement with an institution or industry. Secondly, you can contact people in that group directly (otherwise, you can only reach out to connections or use LinkedIn’s paid InMail). So take some time to join a few relevant groups: industry groups, alumni associations, and so on.

Volunteering

One study found volunteers were 27% more likely to land a job than non-volunteers, so if you have volunteering experience, don’t skip this step.

Next week, we’ll look at your LinkedIn profile’s more advanced features and how to use them to make yourself stand out. In later posts, we’ll look at other features of LinkedIn, including skills, endorsements and recommendations, your network, and job searching on LinkedIn. In the meantime, good luck!

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10 Must-Read Marketing Blogs For Intermediate and Advanced Marketers

Operating on Social Media for Medical Information

Those that live in cities and near medical facilities might take for granted the availability of healthcare.

It’s easy to pop in a doc in the box or run in to see your practitioner on a few hours’ notice. If a specialist is needed, they’re usually right there, too.

But what about those who don’t have such accessible health care, maybe due to location for those in more rural areas.

Are there other ways of gaining information?

Social Media

Social media is big; we all know that.

We can learn from social media, connect through it and engage using social media. It’s not so far-fetched to use social media for medical needs.

And this can go both ways – doctors, hospitals and medical clinics can use social media to reach out to patients and at the same time, patients can use it to reach doctors and staff as well.

Doctors, Staff and Facilities to Patients:

Doctors can use social media to reach out to patients in a variety of ways.

One example is posting medical research and findings on social media and getting it to their patients. The same goes for hospitals and clinics – if they are opening new departments, hiring new physicians or implementing new care protocol, they can publish it in social media.

Social media is a great platform for general material to get out to patients.

Even texts can be used for appointment reminders and invoice notices, but personal information should never be disseminated through social media.

Patients Gaining Information:

Just as doctors can release information to their patients through social media, patients can use it to connect with doctors or other patients through groups and social networks.

Again, confidentiality is key here, especially when it’s a doctor/patient communication, but patients on social network sites can learn a lot from one another’s experience and medical journeys.

Reaching a Broader Area

As the following article shows, in November of 2014, headlines hit of the USDA Announces $10 Million in Healthcare Grants.

These grants can make it much easier for those in rural areas to gain needed medical information and care.

Because of geographic areas and barriers, poor nutrition and difficult access to medical care, those in rural areas often have more healthcare issues than those with better access to healthcare and information.

With this grant, more people can gain the access they need, and social media will probably be a big part of getting the information out there.

Again, the Internet offers capabilities that people didn’t have even a decade ago.

With better information dissemination, people can learn better daily habits to keep themselves healthy, and when to seek care when they may need it, even through social media.

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