It is no doubt that small business ownership has increased over the past five years, and small business growth will continue to rise over the next few years. According to the latest statistics shared by Oberlo, “there are 33.2 million small businesses in the US, which account for 99.9 percent of all US businesses (SBA, 2022).”
Additional stats from the Small Business Administration (SBA) states those small businesses alone account for nearly half of all private-sector employment. While starting a small business is difficult, scaling it is even more challenging. In the digital age, the proper techniques can make scaling an online business easier. Today, we’ll cover some of the most effective techniques for scaling your online venture.
Conduct Market Research for Business
Market research is a crucial step in scaling your online venture. You need to understand your customer’s needs and preferences and the competition in the market. Market research allows you to identify new opportunities and stay competitive. You can use various tools to conduct market research, such as online surveys, focus groups, and social media listening tools. This data will provide insights into your target audience, including their demographics, interests, and buying habits.
Build a Strong Brand
Branding is crucial when it comes to scaling your online venture. A strong brand will help you stand out in a crowded market and build customer loyalty. You must develop a unique brand identity and message that captures the attention of your intended audience. This includes creating a logo, designing a website, and developing a brand voice. Consistency is key in branding, so keeping your brand messaging consistent is crucial.
Develop a Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is a great online tool to increase traffic and brand awareness. Creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content can attract new customers and retain existing ones. You can use various types of content, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, and social media posts. Focus on optimizing your content for search engine optimization and create shareable content for social media.
Optimize Your Website for Search Engines
Search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to ensure your site is visible online, preferably on the first page of Google. You can attract more organic traffic and potential customers by improving your website’s visibility in search results. SEO includes techniques like keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and content creation. Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly, has a fast loading speed, and is secure.
Leverage Social Media
Social media is an essential tool for scaling your online venture. You can easily engage with your customers by leveraging social media platforms. You can use various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Ensure you create a social media strategy that makes sense for your customer base – post relevant and valuable content that invites them to interact and engage. Use social media to promote your products or services, share your content, and interact with your followers.
Invest in Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is a great way to scale your online venture quickly. By investing in paid advertising, you can reach a wider audience and increase your visibility in search results. You can use various types of paid advertising, on and offline, to expand your reach. Set a budget for your paid advertising campaigns and track your results to optimize your ROI.
Implement Email Marketing
Email marketing is excellent for nurturing leads and updating your customers on new developments. You can engage with your customers and build long-term relationships by creating targeted email campaigns. Promote your products or services, offer discounts or special deals, and provide valuable content. Make sure that your emails are personalized, relevant, and engaging.
Hire a Virtual Assistant
As your online venture grows, you may need additional help to manage your business. Virtual assistants can help scale your business without hiring full-time employees. A virtual assistant can handle various tasks, such as customer service, social media management, content creation, and administrative tasks. Make sure you hire a virtual assistant with the right skills and experience to meet your business needs.
Expand Your Product or Service Offerings
Expanding your product or service offerings is another effective way to scale your online venture. You can attract new customers and increase revenue by offering new products or services. You can conduct market research to identify new opportunities and develop a plan to introduce new offerings. Make sure that your new offerings align with your brand and target audience.
Focus on Customer Service
Customer service is crucial when it comes to scaling your online venture. Excellent customer service can help you retain and attract new customers through word-of-mouth referrals. Ensure you have a customer service strategy, including processes for responding to customer inquiries, resolving issues, and collecting feedback. You can use various tools like live chat, chatbots, and customer service software to streamline your customer service operations.
In Summary
Scaling your online venture requires a combination of strategies and techniques. By conducting market research, building a solid brand, developing a content marketing strategy, optimizing your website for search engines, leveraging social media, investing in paid advertising, implementing email marketing, hiring a virtual assistant, expanding your product or service offerings, and focusing on customer service, you can grow your online business and achieve long-term success. Make sure that you regularly assess your progress and adjust your strategies to meet your changing business needs. With the appropriate methods, it is possible to transform your small business into a significant success.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
In the current fiercely competitive business environment, it is increasingly crucial for brands to differentiate themselves from their competitors. With
Most entrepreneurs measure success by their ability to generate profits and their client relationships. While profits and relationships do account for a large amount of entrepreneurial success, entrepreneurs also need to prioritize creating solid connections with their customers to stand out from the competition. Today, we are exploring the incredible power of connection and how strong client relationships can elevate your entrepreneurial venture.
Why Strong Relationships Are Important
Building strong client relationships is essential for several reasons:
It increases customer loyalty, which can lead to repeat business and referrals.
It helps entrepreneurs gain valuable insights into their client’s needs and preferences, which can be used to improve their products or services.
It provides a competitive advantage, as customers are more likely to choose a business they have a connection with over a competitor they do not.
How to Build Strong Relationships
Now that we understand the importance of solid relationships, let’s explore some strategies for building them:
1. Communicate effectively
Effective communication is critical to building strong relationships. Entrepreneurs should inform clients about their products or services, respond promptly to their inquiries and concerns, and provide personalized attention.
2. Provide excellent customer service
Providing excellent customer service is another important factor in building strong client relationships. Entrepreneurs should be responsive, helpful, and friendly when dealing with clients. They should also be willing to go above and beyond to solve their clients’ problems and make their experience as positive as possible.
3. Build trust
Trust is essential in any relationship, including client relationships. Entrepreneurs can build trust by being transparent and honest in their dealings with their clients. They should also deliver on their promises and ensure their clients are satisfied with their products or services.
4. Show appreciation
Showing appreciation to clients is another effective way to build strong relationships. Entrepreneurs can do this by thanking their clients for their business, sending personalized notes or gifts, or offering exclusive discounts or promotions.
5. Stay in touch
Staying in touch with clients is important to maintain strong relationships. Entrepreneurs can do this by sending regular updates about their products or services, offering helpful tips or advice, or simply checking in to see how their clients are doing.
The Benefits of Strong Client Relationships
Building strong client relationships can have several benefits for entrepreneurs, including:
Increased customer loyalty: Strong client relationships lead to increased customer loyalty, which can translate into repeat business and referrals.
Improved customer retention: By understanding their client’s needs and preferences, entrepreneurs can improve their products or services, improving customer retention.
Competitive advantage: Building strong client relationships can give entrepreneurs a competitive advantage, as customers are more likely to choose a business they have a connection with over a competitor they do not.
Positive reputation: Entrepreneurs who prioritize building strong client relationships are more likely to have a positive reputation in the industry, which can lead to new business opportunities and partnerships.
Recap
Strong relationships are essential for entrepreneurs who want to succeed in today’s business world. By following the strategies outlined in this article, entrepreneurs can build trust, loyalty, and appreciation with their clients, improving customer retention, a competitive advantage, and a positive reputation. Building strong client relationships requires time and effort, but the benefits are well worth it in the long run.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Storytelling has been an essential part of human communication for thousands of years. It is a way of sharing our experiences, values, and beliefs in a way that engages and inspires others. In recent years, storytelling has become a powerful tool for small business marketing.
Whether you are launching a new product, trying to increase brand awareness, or looking to build customer loyalty, storytelling can help you achieve your goals. This article will explore why storytelling is a game-changer for small business marketing and how to use it to grow your small business marketing.
1. Storytelling Creates Emotional Connections
Storytelling plays a profound role in selling your product because consumers are likelier to purchase brands they know and hear great things about. By telling a story, you can create an emotional connection with your audience, making them feel more invested in your brand.
When you share your company’s story, you share your values, goals, and mission, which can help customers feel more connected to your brand. When they feel like they know you and what you stand for, they are more likely to choose your products or services over those of your competitors.
2. Storytelling Makes Your Brand More Memorable
To establish your brand presence focus on creating memorable experiences for your customers – on and offline; This includes through your social media profiles and in your storefront if it applies.
Small Business Marketing- Storytelling is an effective way to do this. People are more likely to remember a story than a list of facts or features. When you tell a compelling story about your brand, it will stick in people’s minds, making them more likely to remember your company the next time they need your product or service.
3. Storytelling Differentiates Your Brand
Storytelling can help differentiate your brand from your competitors. Your products or services may be similar to those of other companies, but your story is unique. By telling your own story, you can show your customers what differentiates you from your competitors.
You can highlight your company’s values, your unique approach to your industry, or your history of innovation. By highlighting what makes your brand memorable, you separate yourself from others within your niche or industry and attract customers who share your values and appreciate what you have to offer.
Looking to boost your brand’s visibility and reach? Our copywriting and publicity services can help you achieve just that!
4. Storytelling Builds Trust and Credibility
Trust and credibility are essential for any small business marketing. Customers want to feel confident that they are making the right choice when they choose a product or service. When you share your company’s history, values, and mission, you show your customers that you are transparent and authentic. Being transparent will help build a strong relationship with your customers and create a sense of loyalty.
5. Storytelling Drives Action
Ultimately, the goal of marketing is to drive action. Whether you want customers to buy your product, sign up for your service, or engage with your brand on social media, storytelling can help. When you tell a compelling story, you can inspire your audience to take action. By tapping into their emotions and values, you can motivate them to choose your brand over your competitors.
We recommend Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results by Rob Biesenbach – a comprehensive guide that teaches you the art of storytelling and how to use it effectively in your personal and professional life. With real-life examples, practical tips, and exercises, this book will help you craft compelling stories that connect with your audience, build trust, and inspire action.
How to Use Storytelling in Your Small Business Marketing
Now that we’ve explored why storytelling is essential for small business marketing let’s look at some practical tips for incorporating storytelling into your marketing strategy.
1. Find Your Story
The first step in using storytelling for your small business marketing is to find your story. What is your company’s history? What are your values and mission? What makes your brand unique? Once you clearly understand the message behind your story, you can start to craft a message that will resonate with your audience.
2. Know Your Audience
To tell a compelling story, you need to know your audience. Who are they? What are their values and interests? What motivates them to make a purchase? When you identify and understand how your audience connects with your brand, you can tailor your storytelling to resonate with them and make a stronger emotional connection.
3. Use Multiple Channels
There are many ways to tell your brand’s story, and using multiple channels to reach your audience is important. You can use your website, social media, email marketing, and even video to tell your story. Each channel has unique advantages, so use them to their fullest potential.
4. Be Authentic
Authenticity is critical when it comes to storytelling. People can tell when a story is not genuine, and it can damage your brand’s reputation. Be true to your values and mission – authenticity sells, and be personable! People connect with authenticity, so be honest and transparent in your storytelling.
5. Make it Compelling
To make your storytelling effective, it needs to be compelling. Your story should be exciting and engaging, making your audience feel something. Use vivid descriptions, personal anecdotes, and relatable characters to bring your story to life.
6. Use Storytelling Throughout the Customer Journey
Storytelling should include more than just your marketing efforts. You can use storytelling throughout the customer journey, from the first time a customer interacts with your brand to the post-purchase experience. By incorporating storytelling into every step of the customer journey, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and create a sense of loyalty.
In Summary
As you read above, storytelling is vital to small business marketing. By creating emotional connections, making your brand more memorable, differentiating your brand, building trust and credibility, and driving action, storytelling can help you achieve your marketing goals.
By finding your story, knowing your audience, using multiple channels, being authentic, making it compelling, and using storytelling throughout the customer journey, you can use storytelling to grow your small business marketing and build a strong brand. So start telling your story today and see how it can impact your small business marketing efforts!
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Houston, Texas, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, with a booming economy and a diverse population. The city has long been a hub for the oil and gas industry. Still, in recent years, the 4th largest city in America has become a popular hub for technology, healthcare, and manufacturing. This growth has led to a thriving real estate market with numerous investment opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Today, we will explore several of Houston’s top real estate investments.
Multi-Family Properties
One of Houston’s most lucrative real estate investment opportunities is in multi-family properties. With a growing population and a high demand for affordable housing, multi-family properties are in high demand in Houston. Investors can purchase apartment complexes or townhomes and rent out units to tenants providing a steady stream of rental income, which can be reinvested into the property or used for other investments.
Benefits of investing in multi-family properties
Multiple rental income streams: Multi-family properties allow investors to earn rental income from multiple units, which can provide a steady cash flow.
Economies of scale: Managing multiple units under one roof allows for cost savings on maintenance, repairs, and other expenses such as property management fees.
Lower vacancy rates: Multi-family properties tend to have lower vacancy rates than single-family homes because there are multiple units to rent out.
Appreciation potential: Multi-family properties can appreciate over time, especially in growing markets like Houston, which can provide a profitable exit strategy for investors.
Diversification: Investing in multi-family properties provides a real estate portfolio diversification instead of putting all of one’s eggs in a single-family home basket.
Industrial Properties
Houston is a central hub for the manufacturing and logistics industries, with a large port and numerous distribution centers—the increased demand for industrial properties such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities. Investing in industrial properties can provide a steady stream of rental income from tenants. The property’s value can appreciate over time as the demand for these properties increases.
Benefits of investing in industrial properties
High demand: Industrial properties, such as warehouses and manufacturing facilities, are in high demand in growing cities like Houston, making them a potentially lucrative investment opportunity.
Long-term leases: Tenants in industrial properties often sign long-term leases, which can provide a stable source of rental income for investors.
Appreciation potential: As the demand for industrial properties increases, their value can appreciate over time, providing investors with an opportunity for capital appreciation.
Low tenant turnover: Industrial tenants tend to have low turnover rates, reducing vacancy risk and turnover-related expenses.
Diversification: Investing in industrial properties provides real estate portfolio diversification instead of putting all of one’s eggs in a single-family home or commercial property basket.
Office Buildings
Houston is home to numerous corporations, law firms, and financial institutions, making it an ideal location for office buildings. Investing in office buildings can provide a stable source of rental income from tenants, and the property’s value can appreciate over time. In addition, owning an office building can provide entrepreneurs with a prestigious address and a professional image.
Benefits of investing in office buildings
Long-Term Leases: Office buildings often have long-term leases, providing investors with a steady and predictable cash flow. Additionally, leases for commercial properties usually come with built-in rent increases, providing a hedge against inflation.
High-Profile Tenants: Office buildings often attract high-profile tenants, such as law firms, accounting firms, or tech companies, which can increase the value of the property and provide a level of stability to the investment.
Appreciation Potential: Like other types of real estate, office buildings can appreciate over time, providing investors with long-term growth potential. As the economy grows and the demand for office space increases, the property’s value may also increase.
Professional Management: Similar to multi-family properties, office buildings often require professional management, which can benefit investors who need more time or expertise to manage their properties. Experienced property managers can handle leasing, maintenance, and tenant relations tasks, freeing up the investor’s time and reducing the stress of property management.
Tax Benefits: Office building investments may offer various tax benefits, including but not limited to tax deductions and interest. Additionally, investors may be able to defer or reduce their capital gains taxes by using 1031 exchanges or other tax strategies.
Retail Properties
Houston is a major retail destination, with numerous shopping centers, malls, and other retail properties. Investing in retail properties can provide a steady source of rental income from tenants, and the property’s value can appreciate over time. Retail properties can be a great investment opportunity for entrepreneurs looking for long-term investment opportunities.
Benefits of investing in retail properties
Prime Location: Retail properties are often located in high-traffic areas with excellent visibility, providing investors a prime location for their investments. The site can attract diverse tenants and customers, increasing rental income and property value.
Diversification: Retail properties can offer investors diversification benefits by spreading their risk across multiple tenants and different types of retail spaces. This can reduce the impact of tenant turnover or other issues on the property’s cash flow.
Tenant Stability: Many retail tenants sign long-term leases, providing investors with a stable cash flow over the life of the lease. Additionally, some retail tenants have strong credit ratings, reducing the risk of default and improving the investor’s overall cash flow.
Potential for Value-Add Opportunities: Retail properties may allow investors to increase the property’s value through renovations, tenant improvements, or repositioning the property in the market. These value-add opportunities can result in higher rental income and increased property value over time.
Tax Benefits: Retail property investments may offer various tax benefits, including but not limited to deductions for property taxes and mortgage interest. Additionally, investors may be able to defer or reduce their capital gains taxes by using 1031 exchanges or other tax strategies.
Land Development
Houston has a high demand for new housing and commercial developments. Investing in land development can be profitable for entrepreneurs willing to take on some risk. Investors can purchase undeveloped land and develop it into residential or commercial properties. This process can be tedious and time-consuming, but it can generate significant profits if the development is booming.
Benefits of investing in land development
Potential for High Returns: Land development can offer investors the potential for high returns on investment. As the land is developed, its value can increase substantially, resulting in a significant profit upon sale.
Control Over the Investment: Land development gives investors a high degree of control over their investment. They can choose the location, type of development, and timeline for the project, allowing them to tailor the investment to their specific goals and risk tolerance.
Opportunity for Creativity: Land development can be a highly creative process, allowing investors to design and build properties that reflect their vision and goals. It can be a highly satisfying investment and may result in a unique and highly desirable property.
Inflation Hedge: Land development can provide investors with an inflation hedge, as land value typically increases over time. This can help to protect against the effects of inflation on the value of the investment.
Tax Benefits: Land development investments may offer various tax benefits. Additionally, investors may be able to defer or reduce their capital gains taxes by using 1031 exchanges or other tax strategies.
Fixer-Upper Properties
Investing in fixer-upper properties can be an excellent way for entrepreneurs to enter the real estate market without breaking the bank. Fixer-upper properties are often sold at a discount and require some renovation work. However, after the renovations, the property can be placed on the market for purchase or rented for a steady stream of rental income.
The benefit of investing in fixer-upper properties
Lower Purchase Price: Fixer-upper properties are often priced lower than comparable properties in the same area that are move-in ready, allowing investors to purchase a property at a lower cost, which can result in a higher return on investment.
Potential for Equity Growth: By renovating and improving a fixer-upper property, investors can increase the property’s value and build equity quickly. This results in a significant profit upon sale.
Customization: Fixer-upper properties allow investors to customize and design the property to their liking. A highly satisfying investment may result in a unique and highly desirable property.
Flexibility: Fixer-upper properties can be a flexible investment, allowing investors to choose the extent of the renovations and the timeline for completion. This can help to manage costs and risks associated with the investment.
Opportunity for Cash Flow: Fixer-upper properties offer investors a chance for cash flow through rental income. By renovating and improving the property, investors can increase the rent and generate a steady income stream.
Short-Term Rentals
Houston is a major tourist destination, with numerous attractions such as the Space Center, Houston Zoo, and other popular destinations. -Investing in short-term rentals such as vacation homes or Airbnb properties can be lucrative for entrepreneurs. Short-term rentals can provide a high rate of return, but they do require a significant amount of time and effort to manage.
The benefit of investing in short-term rentals
Higher Rental Income: Short-term rentals typically generate higher rental income than long-term rentals. This is because short-term rentals can be rented out at a higher daily rate and can often be booked for more days throughout the year.
Flexibility: Short-term rentals provide investors with a high degree of flexibility, as they can choose when to rent out the property and for how long. This can allow investors to use the property for personal use or to rent it out during peak rental seasons.
Diversification: Short-term rentals can offer investors diversification benefits by spreading risk across multiple renters and rental periods. This reduces the impact of low occupancy rates or other issues on the property’s cash flow.
Opportunity for Appreciation: Short-term rental properties may appreciate over time, providing investors with long-term growth potential. As the property becomes more popular and the demand for short-term rentals increases, the property’s value may increase as well.
Tax Benefits: Short-term rental property investments may offer various tax benefits, such as deductions for property taxes, mortgage interest, and depreciation. Additionally, investors may be able to defer or reduce their capital gains taxes by using 1031 exchanges or other tax strategies.
The Final Say
Houston offers numerous real estate investment opportunities for entrepreneurs. Whether you are looking to invest in multi-family properties, industrial properties, office buildings, retail properties, land development, fixer-upper properties, or short-term rentals, there are plenty of opportunities to choose from.
Do your due diligence and research the market thoroughly before making investment decisions. With careful planning and a strategic approach, real estate investments in Houston can be a profitable and rewarding opportunity for entrepreneurs.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Small business owners face challenges when promoting their products or services. With limited resources and budget, standing out in a crowded marketplace can take time and effort. That’s why this article will show you how to effectively use influencer marketing for small businesses and reach new customers.
Understanding Your Ideal Customer
Before you can reach out to any influencers, it’s better to have a clear understanding of who you want to reach and identify your target audience. It involves understanding who your ideal customer is and researching potential target influencers. Here’s what you need to know.
Consider factors like demographics, interests, and buying habits, and use this information to create a detailed profile of your ideal customer. It will help you to tailor your messaging and choose influencers who are a good fit for your brand.
Once you clearly understand your ideal customer, it’s time to start identifying potential target influencers. There are several ways to do this, including:
Utilizing influencer marketing platforms: Many platforms allow you to search for influencers based on specific criteria, such as location, niche, and social media following.
Checking out your competitors: See who your competitors are working with and note any influencers who seem to be a good fit for your brand.
Exploring social media hashtags: Look for popular hashtags in your industry and see who uses them.
Engaging with your audience: Ask your existing customers whom they follow and engage with on social media.
Once you’ve identified a list of potential target influencers, take the time to research each one. Look at their social media profiles, the type of content they post, and the size and engagement of their following. It will help you determine which influencers best fit your brand and your target audience.
Defining your target audience and researching potential target influencers are crucial first steps in any influencer marketing strategy. By taking the time to understand who you want to reach and who can help you get there, you’ll be well on your way to creating successful and impactful influencers for small businesses.
Researching And Choosing The Right Influencer
Now it’s time to start narrowing down the list and choosing the right one for your brand.
Here are several things to consider when making your selection.
Aligning With Your Brand Values
When choosing an influencer, it’s essential to ensure that their values and beliefs align with your brand’s. After all, you want to work with someone who can authentically represent your product or service and connect with your target audience. Consider factors like personal interests, values, and mission, and ensure they align with your brand.
Checking The Influencer’s Following And Engagement
The size of the influencer following is essential, but there are other things to consider. It’s also necessary to look at the influencer’s followers’ engagement level with their content.
A high number of followers is significant, but they need to be more engaged with the influencer’s content to be likely to take action and buy your product or service.
Look for influencers with high levels of engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares, and consider these metrics when selecting.
Utilizing Influencer Marketing Platforms
These platforms can be a valuable resource when choosing the right influencer. These platforms can help you to find influencers who are a good fit for your brand based on specific criteria like location, niche, and social media following.
They can also help you measure the success of your influencer marketing campaigns and track metrics like website traffic, sales, and social media engagement.
Choosing the right small business influencers for the success of your marketing campaign is necessary. By aligning with your brand values, checking the influencer’s following and engagement, and utilizing influencer marketing platforms, you’ll find the perfect influencer marketing to represent you and connect your brand with your target audience.
Creating a Clear And Compelling Message
Once you’ve chosen the right influencer, it’s time to start crafting a clear and compelling message that will resonate with your target audience. Here are a few key elements to include in your message.
Key Benefits Of Your Product/Service
Regarding influencer marketing, it’s crucial to communicate your product’s or service’s benefits. Consider what sets your product or service apart from others and what problems it solves for your customers. Make sure that this information is front and center in your message, and highlight the unique value that your product or service provides.
What Sets You Apart From Competitors
Consider what sets your brand apart from others in your industry when crafting your message. Whether it’s your commitment to sustainability, your focus on exceptional customer service, or your innovative products, make sure that this information is included in your message.
Communicating The Value Of Your Brand
Finally, make sure that your message communicates the value of your brand. Consider what your brand represents, what it stands for, and what it means to your target audience. Ensure that your message reflects these values and helps establish a strong emotional connection with your target audience.
In the end, creating clear and compelling small business marketing strategies is essential for the success of your influencer marketing campaign. You are highlighting what sets you apart from competitors, communicating your brand’s value, and driving accurate results for your small business.
Offering Value To The Influencer Marketing
When working with influencers, it’s essential to offer value in exchange for their help in promoting your brand.
Free Samples Of your Product
Providing free product samples is a great way to give influencers an inside look at what you offer. It will also allow them to share their thoughts and opinions about your product with their followers.
Discount Codes And Special Offers
Offering influencers discount codes or special offers is a great way to show appreciation in promoting your brand. Their followers can redeem these offers, providing additional value for the influencer and your target audience.
Monetary Compensation
Finally, consider offering monetary compensation to the influencer for their help in promoting your brand. This compensation could come in a flat fee, a commission-based structure, or a combination of both.
Measuring The Results Of Your Campaign
Once your campaign is up and running, tracking and measuring its success is essential. Here are a few key metrics to focus on:
Tracking Sales, Website Traffic, And Social Media Engagement
Tracking sales, website traffic, and social media engagement will give you a good sense of your influencer marketing campaign’s impact on your business. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media analytics, and your e-commerce platform to track these metrics and see how your campaign performs.
Evaluating The Effectiveness Of The Campaign
Once your campaign is complete, take some time to evaluate its effectiveness. Consider what worked well, what could be improved, and what you learned from the experience.
Making Necessary Changes For Future Campaigns
Based on the results of your campaign, make any necessary changes for future campaigns. It could include choosing different influencers, adjusting your messaging, or adjusting your compensation structure.
The Final Say
Influencer marketing for small businesses is a powerful tool for those looking to reach new audiences and drive accurate results. By defining your target audience, researching and choosing the right influencer, creating a clear and compelling message, offering value to the influencer, and measuring the results of your campaign, you can maximize the impact of your influencer marketing efforts and drive accurate results for your small business.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
AI is a tool that can be used to both streamline and improve the operations of small businesses. AI productivity tools are perfect for small businesses because they have access to fewer resources than larger companies do. Even though these tools might seem daunting at first glance, they’re relatively easy to use when you break them down into their components. In this article, we’ll cover some tips on how small businesses can use artificial intelligence tools to grow their businesses even faster than they already are.
Artificial Intelligence & its Impact on Small Businesses
Artificial Intelligence is a massive buzzword in tech, but what does it mean? Here’s the short answer: AI refers to intelligent machines that can perform tasks as well or better than humans.
AI has become increasingly important because it improves productivity, efficiency, and customer service. Many small businesses are now using some form of AI-powered tool to help them manage their business more successfully. AI tools can do everything from help you get more sales leads on LinkedIn or Facebook ads by analyzing your website traffic data and learning which keywords are most effective for attracting new customers. From generating automated reports on key metrics like sales pipeline progress that would otherwise take hours each week for someone like yourself who’s just getting started in marketing (or doesn’t have time).
How Small Businesses Can Use AI Tools to Improve Productivity
One of the most common misconceptions about AI tools is that they can only be used for highly technical tasks. While it’s true that some of these tools are designed for businesses that don’t have a large workforce or complex processes, you can still use them to get more done with less effort. Many small businesses are already using AI productivity tools to streamline their workflows and make more money.
One way to use these tools is by outsourcing repetitive or monotonous tasks so that employees can focus on other business areas. An example would be having an AI system handle customer service calls while an employee looks over transcripts and provides feedback on improving performance next time. Another way is by automating data processing so that employees don’t have to do it themselves—and yes, even if your company doesn’t deal with tons of numbers every day, there may still be ways in which automation could help.
How AI Helps in Content Creation
AI helps you create more engaging, relevant, and actionable content.
Say you’re a small business owner looking to launch your first blog post. You have a perfect idea—a product review of Samsung’s latest smart kitchen appliance. But where do you start? How can AI help?
First, when it comes to writing blog posts about consumer products, there are two main types: reviews and how-to guides. Reviews tell readers what they need to know about a product before making a purchase decision; how-to guides show them how to use it once they get their hands on one. When creating these types of posts for your site or social media channels, AI tools can help by advising which type best suits your audience based on past engagement levels with similar content (and other factors).
AI Productivity Tools for Better Marketing & Sales
AI productivity tools can also help you with marketing and sales. These tools can help optimize your marketing campaigns and improve your sales process. For example, AI-driven email automation software can automatically segment contacts into different groups based on their interests and preferences; This allows for highly personalized communications across multiple channels (e.g., social media, newsletters, etc).
The use of AI in marketing has increased over the past few years due to the rise of chatbots and virtual assistants like Alexa or Siri. Chatbots are becoming one of the marketers’ most valuable assets because they allow them to interact directly with consumers through messaging apps like Facebook Messenger without having to deal with pushback from customers who don’t want to talk on the phone.”
Conclusion
As you can see, using AI productivity tools has many benefits for small businesses. They can help you save time and money, improve communication with your customers and make sales more efficient. Using these tools, you will grow your business with less stress and effort.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Nowadays, social media dominates the conversation around influence-building in the digital landscape: exploring alternative strategies that can help you establish
With 2023 just around the corner, the time to start preparing for the holiday season is now. The way you run your small business during the holidays can make or break your end-of-the-year revenue and determine whether you start the new year strong. Competing to make sales with big names and brands can seem impossible, but taking a page out of the big box retailer holiday strategy will be your ticket to the top!
There are a lot of strategies you can adopt as your own, and the best ways to stand out are staying organized with your inventory, preparing for additional staff, bolstering your e-commerce game, and providing personalized customer service.
Inventory Management
If you’ve ever wondered how larger retailers can achieve such high levels of sales during the holiday season, the answer often lies in their inventory management and organization techniques.
Your small business may not be ready for the inventory levels that larger retailers have had years to prepare and adapt for; but having a go-to system in place before your sales volume increases will help you and your staff stay on top of sales.
You may be overwhelmed with the idea of having the perfect inventory system ready to go, but the first step in creating an efficient system should be to look at your business’s past trends and sales goals. This strategy helps you determine a ballpark for the inventory you should carry higher stock of. Integrating a SKU system can help with tracking automation and keep the inventory you’ve yet to display organized and easily accessible.
A challenging aspect of inventory management can be dealing with last year’s inventory. Dedicate time to take inventory of your products to help you manage expectations for hitting sales goals and determine where you should focus your marketing efforts.
Evaluating your inventory can be a daunting task if you plan to do it alone, but assigning certain areas of your inventory storage to your staff so each member of your team is responsible for counting a small part, can save you time and eliminate any miscalculations.
Seasonal Hiring
A big step in preparing your business for holiday hours is hiring additional staff. Larger companies can achieve higher customer satisfaction during the holidays because they can bring on seasonal staff to support their team. Adding more employees to your payroll during the holidays can be tough on your finances, but extra hands can make a difference to your workflow and give you an advantage during busy times. Seek out additional funding to cover expenses that may arise during the search for employees, onboarding, training, and payroll stages. This financial buffer can provide you peace of mind as you head into the holiday season!
The process of hiring additional staff should be different from that of hiring nonseasonal staff. Make sure to include a clear start and end date for the job listing you’re creating. The time to start your search should be as soon as possible, as it’ll take time for new employees to get acclimated to the role and accustomed to the heavier workload that typically comes with the season.
Use your local community as an advantage in your search. Many people that will be looking for seasonal employment can be college students or older adults looking for ways to provide for their families during the holiday time, so it’s important to be sensitive about scheduling. Letting people know in advance that they’ll have to work specialized hours ahead of time will allow your employees some flexibility to adapt to their prior commitments and can be a great management technique.
E-commerce
The e-commerce business model has exploded since the pandemic and bigger retailers have taken notice. For your small business to stand out amongst the millions of other small businesses and larger retailers utilizing e-commerce as a sales booster, you should make sure your website is optimized for large amounts of traffic.
Brand visibility is everything in the e-commerce space, especially with the rise of impulse shopping; so, you’ll want to make sure you have a shopping cart system that’s easy to navigate and will help shoppers carry through with their purchase. Customers will shy away from your website if pages load too slowly and your website isn’t equipped to handle the seasonal traffic.
A lot of bigger retailers have already updated their websites with seasonally themed banners to alert people of their holiday deals and implemented discounts their customers can look forward to. Creating a seasonal campaign for online shopping experiences will catch the eye of online shopping browsers and show people that your business is paying attention to what’s on the minds of shoppers, as well as the competition.
Larger retailers may be able to provide customers with better deals, but many people would rather support the shop local and small business movement during this time. With that in mind, it’s ok to lean into the shop small mentality in your e-commerce space.
Customer Service
Providing quality customer service that makes your customers feel seen, heard, and understood should be a large component of your holiday strategy. A little more than 40% of shoppers prefer to shop small because they receive better customer service than with larger businesses. This statistic can be attributed to the large number of retailers that have automated their customer service with phone systems or chatbots, resulting in customers becoming less satisfied with their shopping experiences. This is just another way your small business can pick up the slack left by bigger retailers.
Maintaining an active presence on social media encourages your audience and customer base to interact with your business and gives them the opportunity to participate in your business’s core values. This can also help them feel a sense of community surrounding your brand. Responding to comments in real-time and offering timely assistance can bring customer loyalty to a new level, which can last far beyond the holiday season.
Customer service doesn’t just have to be online. In-store customer service is just as important and can be as simple as greeting people as they walk through the door or striking up a conversation. Making sure your staff is friendly and approachable when someone is in need of help can go a long way, as larger stores no longer offer these kinds of services. Understand the needs of your customers and they’ll appreciate the service you provide them.
Now that you know the secrets big box retailers use to increase their holiday needs, you’re ready to execute your holiday business plan. By taking the time to prepare for all aspects of the holiday rush, your small business can hit the ground running today!
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
The holiday season is perfect for your small business growth to get noticed in growth strategies. Many Small Business Growth benefit significantly during this time of year due to higher sales and more foot traffic in their stores. Holidays are also an excellent opportunity to promote your brand through cross-promotion with other businesses or hosting events that engage your community. Here are five strategies you can use to grow your small business growth over the next few months:
1: Cross Promote with Other Businesses
Cross-promotion is a great way to get your brand noticed during the holiday season. This strategy involves promoting another business’s products or services in exchange for them promoting yours.
It can be done on social media, in-store, or through a newsletter. You should focus on businesses with similar audiences and offer products that complement yours. For example, if you sell jewelry and they sell apparel, then it makes sense to cross-promote each other’s products.
Here are some examples of businesses that could cross-promote with you:
Online retailers with stores on Etsy & Big Cartel
Local boutiques or shops where you live
Bloggers who write about similar topics to yours
2: Host a Food or Toy Drive
We all know how important it is to give back to our communities and positively impact others. Hosting a food or toy drive is one of the best ways to do this. You can either collect donations from your customers or run an in-store donation drive by setting up a table in the middle of your store where people can drop off their donations, or both!
Just make sure that you promote your drive so that you get the most amount of donations possible. The last thing you want is for your customers not to know about it! Once the holidays are over, thank everyone who donated so that they know how much their kindness means.
3: Engage Your Community
It would help if you also considered creating a contest for your business. This could include giving away a gift card or other prizes to encourage people in your community to visit your small business growth. You can also ask for feedback on your products and services, which can help you improve them in the future.
Lastly, you could ask followers of social media or email lists what they think about working with your company and whether they would recommend it to others.
4: Consider a Virtual or Live Event
Virtual events are great for getting your brand noticed and building new customer relationships. These events can be held in several places, like on social media or via video conferencing platforms like Zoom.
Traditional live events can also be a huge success because you build customer relationships and connect with people in person. The difference between virtual and live events is that virtual is hosted online, while live events are held at a specific location. Still, both events can significantly impact the success of your small business growth by helping you to build rapport with new and existing customers.
5: Gift Guides
Another way to get your brand noticed is by creating a gift guide.
Whether creating your own or recommending products for another small business growth, you’ll want to ensure that your gift guide’s content is valuable and helpful to the reader. If they find what they’re looking for in your guide, they are more likely to check out other content on your site.
Gift guides can be created in any format—online only, print only, online, and print. Having both digital versions of gift guides available allows people who prefer one form over another access to all versions without needing additional tools to view them.
The holiday season is an excellent time for your small business growth to get noticed and grow.
Here are some of the reasons why:
It’s when people think about gift purchases, which means they’ll think about you and your brand.
The holidays are a great time to get creative with messaging, promotions, and marketing—which can lead to more word-of-mouth marketing opportunities for you. (That’s always good.)
Happy Holidays! We hope these tips will help you to grow your small business growth this holiday season.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Entrepreneurship is one of the most rewarding careers out there, but it can also be one of the most stressful. You’ll need to embrace your inner entrepreneur if you want to make it in this competitive industry, but taking that first step can be challenging. Being an entrepreneur is the first step toward financial independence, but many people are unaware of what entrepreneurship does for your health. It turns out that being an entrepreneur has positive effects on your mental and physical well-being. Here’s how entrepreneurship changes your life for the better.
1. You learn to let go of the word “busy.”
Becoming an entrepreneur will teach you that it’s okay to say no. You won’t have time for every event and social gathering, no matter how much fun they sound in the beginning. It also gives you more time to relax and enjoy life.
In addition to this, entrepreneurship forces you to make better use of your time so that even if all day long feels like busyness and chaos, at the end of each day or week, month or year, one can look back on what they’ve accomplished and realize how much they’ve really done instead of feeling like nothing got done because everything took so long.
2. They tend to spend more time with their families.
Entrepreneurs tend to spend more time with their families. Entrepreneurs are often thought of as workaholics because they’re always working on something and rarely take vacations. However, most entrepreneurs are not like that at all.
Entrepreneurs understand how to balance the demands of family and business. They may not have as much time for their friends or other interests, but since their work provides a way for them to provide for their family (and sometimes even friends), it doesn’t seem like a big sacrifice for them.
3. You get to see your own vision come to life.
Being an entrepreneur takes commitment and persistence. Well, most entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs because they want to make their own rules and do things differently. So, when you start your own business, you get to see your vision come to life. You get to be as creative as possible without having someone else tell you what works or doesn’t work for them. It’s liberating!
4. You see things from a different perspective.
You start to see things from a different perspective. You learn to see the big picture and what’s possible. You can spot potential in people and ideas that others might miss because you’ve become more aware of their perspective.
You also start to understand that sometimes you need the right tools or mindset to progress with your goals, so seeing things from another viewpoint helps give us insight into how we can reach them.
5. Entrepreneurs tend to be healthier than average.
You are more likely to be physically active as an entrepreneur. You’re also more likely to eat healthy, and less likely to smoke. In fact, you can generally expect higher self-esteem and satisfaction in your life as a result of being your own boss.
Entrepreneurs are also more likely to have strong support networks, which makes sense because they’re working hard at something they love. They have the opportunity to meet new people every day, and these relationships can contribute to better finances, too (such as through networking events).
If you’re considering entrepreneurship, we strongly recommend Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. It’s a practical guide to building positive habits and breaking negative ones. The book explains how small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements in your life and provides a step-by-step approach to making lasting changes.
7. You get to be your own boss.
Being your own boss means you get to make all the decisions. You decide when and where to work, what hours to keep, how much money you want to earn, and even how your business should operate.
This means that if you want a long weekend off or even a week-long vacation with no contact from anyone at all—you can do it! And that freedom is something many people dream about but never actually accomplish in their current jobs.
Unlike traditional employment, where there may be limits on when you can request days off, entrepreneurship allows you the freedom to self-manage.
There will be more ups and downs than you’d probably like, but you’ll learn how to appreciate each one for what it is.
When things are going well, you’ll have plenty of time to celebrate on your own terms—you won’t have to wait until your boss gets back from vacation or gives everyone Friday afternoon off because they’ve hit their sales goals for the quarter.
8. Your relationships become stronger and deeper.
Your relationships will be the first to change. Entrepreneurship is incredibly rewarding and exciting, but it also means that you will have less time for your loved ones.
Your friends might feel slightly neglected or even abandoned as you begin working full-time on your business. This can leave them feeling hurt or confused—and often leads people to question whether they should continue being friends with you.
But if you take things slow, be honest about what’s happening in your life, and communicate openly with them about it (not just when something comes up), there’s no reason why this shouldn’t be a positive experience for everyone involved.
In fact, many entrepreneurs report that their friendships become stronger and deeper once they work on their own businesses because they have more free time available to spend with those who matter most in their lives—people who aren’t necessarily interested in entrepreneurship themselves but still want to hang out with them anyways (and vice versa).
Entrepreneurship has been shown by researchers like Dan Pink at Stanford University School of Medicine as well as other business experts like Simon Sinek or Jack Ma himself (founder of Alibaba) that it improves empathy levels among entrepreneurs due to increased self-awareness which makes one more aware of how others feel around them too.
9. You’ll inspire others to pursue their dreams.
When you start your own business, you’ll inspire others to pursue their dreams and show them that there is a path to success. When someone asks how you made it, it will be easy to share with them the steps that got you there—and why they, too, can follow in your footsteps.
Not only will entrepreneurship make people feel inspired, but it can also bring happiness into their lives as well. It doesn’t matter if they don’t have any money or experience; entrepreneurs begin with nothing but an idea and end up becoming successful because of their determination and drive. They’ve seen what people thought was impossible become possible through hard work and perseverance.
Being an entrepreneur can change your life by making you happier and healthier while working on your own terms.
If you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, we highly recommend it. Even if you aren’t sure which path to take or what kind of business to start, it’s never too soon to start planning out your future! Entrepreneurship has been shown again and again to change people’s lives for the better. So give it a shot: we’re confident this article will help inspire some plans for you.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you want to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
The US market is flooded with their startups. As such, enterprising entrepreneurs are looking to overseas markets to make their millions. Many have set their sights on Israel. Below, we explore why that is and point out five common mistakes that US startups should avoid when entering the Israeli market.
Statistics and Facts of New Businesses in the US 2022
There are more than 70,000 active startups in the US in 2022. This proliferation of new business has its roots in former President Barack Obama’s “Startup America” program, launched in 2011. Through the Small Business Administration, the program administrated $2 billion worth of funding to promote high-growth entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurs looking to swerve this market saturation are increasingly turning to dynamic markets in other countries. One that is capturing many startup founders’ attention is Israel.
Why Israel Is the Best Country to Expand Your Business (Common Mistakes)
Israel offers economic strength, a skilled, creative workforce, and a welcoming environment for US businesses. Its gross domestic product grew by 8.1% in 2021 and its fiscal policies support growth. Thanks to Israel’s startup culture, the country already has many ties with US companies, with US firms accounting for almost two-thirds of the 300+ research and development centers that multinational companies have established in Israel.
Environments don’t get much more welcoming. That said, expanding into a new market always has pitfalls, even for businesses with robust business growth strategies. With that in mind, here are five common mistakes to avoid when entering the Israeli startup scene.
1. Failing to Do Research on the Israeli Market
Common Mistakes: Market research is fundamental to any new venture, whether it’s launching a new product in your domestic market or a whole new venture overseas. The Israeli market differs from the US market, so you need to undertake market research to understand your target customers, their shopping habits, their appetite for your products, and the landscape in terms of competition. Fail to undertake appropriate market research and you’re setting yourself up to fail.
2. Not Translating Your Online Presence in the Hebrew Language
Common Mistakes: Launching your startup in Israel means you will need a Hebrew translation company on your side. Engaging a high-quality Hebrew translation service will provide you with the skills to connect online with your target audience.
When you translate a document from English to Hebrew, it’s about more than language. It’s also about respecting cultural nuances, delivering linguistic quirks such as jokes and idioms correctly, and taking care of practical details such as currency and date format conversion.
Professional Hebrew translation services can help with all of this, supporting you to deliver an online presence that’s an immediate winner in the eyes of your new potential customers. We’ve seen examples of this time and again, where firms have used translation well to get ahead.
3. Having No Multilingual SEO Strategy
Common Mistakes: Hebrew translation services aren’t only useful for website translation. They can also support you with developing a multilingual SEO strategy. Doing so is another essential step in successfully engaging with the Israeli marketplace.
Like it or not, SEO can make or break your brand when it comes to launching in a new country. Simply using a Hebrew translation company to convert keyword research you’ve undertaken for the US market isn’t enough – you need to use Hebrew translation services or native Israeli SEO specialists to help you undertake SEO research specific to that target market.
4. Forgetting to Create a CX Mapping
Common Mistakes: Another common mistake that US startups make when entering the Israeli market not creating a CX mapping. Mapping the CX journey means walking in the customer’s shoes as they engage with the various touch points your business provides, whether online, offline, or omnichannel. Again, undertaking this in only the US isn’t sufficient – you need to do it for each market you enter.
5. No Strategy for Your Target Market’s Cultural Preferences
Common Mistakes: Entrepreneurs need a keen sense of cultural understanding if they want to succeed overseas. As such, you’ll need a strategy in place for understanding Israeli customers’ cultural preferences and expectations when you launch your startup in Israel. From which holidays it would be crass to discount goods to those where offers are expected (along with a whole range of other cultural preferences), you will again need to undertake thorough research if you want to maximize your chances of success.
Final Thoughts – Common Mistakes
Scaling a business is about far more than simply finding funding for your startup, then adding staff and opening offices overseas. As we’ve shown above, it’s about developing a keen cultural understanding, paying attention to the linguistic landscape, and undertaking thorough research, from your target market to your keywords. By avoiding the common mistakes above, you will find yourself in a stronger position when it comes to establishing your US startup in Israel.
Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!
