blogging-and-social-media

Blogging Tips

by BlogCommunications

Part of marketing success comes from the ability to stay abreast of upcoming trends while using the latest platform to stay in touch with your customers. For many small businesses, you know all too well that your time is limited, as is your budget.

Blogging and giving your social media marketing a personal touch are a great place to start. By keeping your social media up to date with fun posts, while still being informative, can keep your followers engaged.

Company blogs have become an ever increasing trend throughout the business market. While keeping a blog can seem like an overwhelming process, it will help to generate revenue as your audience begins to view you as an expert in the field.

While blogging is time consuming, it is a method to drive traffic to your website and social media page. Research shows that over 50% of companies that blog have gained customers due to the blogging. Many businesses feel that their blog is crucial to the success of the company. Blogging can help to boost search engine rankings, keep your company in the public’s eye and be an industry leader sharing important information.

Target your market with your best content and don’t be afraid to bring in guests for interviews and/or a guest blog. It will add variety to your content and expand external links when posting on your website. Write in-depth, tantalizing tutorials to give away your most valuable ideas — because that’s how you gain leads and win clients.

Social media has become a very popular platform for advertising and reaching your consumers. You cannot afford to become complacent in your efforts on social media. An easy place to start is with Facebook. They offer advertising that can target a specified demographic. This can help you to target your advertising to a specific audience, age range or area where you are most likely to see results. Facebook is always changing their algorithms, so it’s important to create engagement and not just a push of information on your channel.

Depending on the type of business you have, Pinterest and Instagram work well for image heavy products or services. Twitter will work for many different types of businesses and LinkedIn is more focused on business-to-business. Each channel you work with will require you to build your followers. If you’re just starting out, pick one or two channels to start and stay active.

Create a blog and social media schedule and follow the plan. Be different, be opinionated, but most importantly be yourself.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

small-business-marketing

The Strike Zone

by BlogCommunications

The baseball season is fast approaching. Batters know when the ball comes into the strike zone and they take a swing. Home runs happen when there is a connection between the bat and ball. The strike zone never changes – it remains constant. What does change is the pitch. Does it hit the corner of the plate, slide to the outside or come right down the middle.

You may be wondering… what does that have to do with business? When applied in the business application, the strike zone is what causes your customers to open their wallets and purchase. What has changed is how you pitch your services that causes them to take action. Buyers have changed their habits. Look at online shopping versus going to a brick and mortar store.

With the market shifting from more brick and mortar to more of an online presence, it may be time to rethink your pitch. Consumers are becoming more educated than ever when it comes to purchasing new goods or services. Part of your new pitch should include a strong online presence that could also include blogging.

As new generations emerge and the baby boomers become outnumbered in the workforce, it may be time to change your approach as to how you sell business. In today’s economy, many consumers look to the web.

They do this for multiple reasons:

  • Feedback/Reviews. They are looking to see how people have responded to your goods or services. Did they like what they purchased from you or do they feel shortchanged? It’s important to address any negative feedback and attempt to satisfy the customer’s expectations. Acknowledge the issue, show empathy, apologize and then take the problem off-line to provide the customer with a solution.
  • Price Comparison. Many consumers in today’s market will use the internet to price compare. They are looking for product and service reviews along with pricing. Your company may or may not have the lowest price, but you won’t even be in the running if you don’t show up to the race.
  • Convenience. More people are doing the majority of their shopping, even grocery shopping, on sites like Amazon. Many grocery chains now offer online ordering that all a customer needs to do is show up to pick up their goods.

How the game was played a few years ago is different than it is now. If you ask any millennial, they will tell you that they heard about a product, or purchased something online in the last month. As new generations emerge as buyers, in order to stay in the game, it is important to be sure that you are throwing the right pitch to land in their strike zone.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

setting-goals

Are Your Ear Muffs On?

by BlogCommunications

setting-goalsHow well do you hear when your ears are covered? As we endure these cold winter days – are you listening or are you intent in trudging along with status quo? Perhaps you wear hearing aids and realize how much conversation you miss when you don’t have them in. The same is true with your customers. Are you really listening to what makes them buy from you? Do they have wants or needs that you could adjust your business services to meet? It is less costly to nurture your existing customer base rather than go out and find new customers.

With January marking the start of a new business year, there is never a better time to set goals for you and/or your company during the upcoming year. With new goals in mind, talk to your customers. Every business owner should have goals set in order to achieve success.

Setting goals can follow any number of different processes, however it is important to have short term and long-term goals, along with a path of how you plan on getting there. Not only is it important to look at your processes and internal operations, but also forecast sales, how to grow your current customer base and develop new business. Remember that the biggest part of arriving at your destination is knowing which roads to travel to take you there.

Identify your goals. These should be long term, as well as short term goals. Create a project timeline and assign tasks with outcomes and responsible staff. You may have a new service to offer current customers, but don’t have a way to reach out. Create a plan to accomplish that process and forecast sales expectations to go with the plan.

Write down your goals. Putting pen to paper, or marker to the white board makes it real for all to see. If employees are part of the vision for growth, they have more of a buy in to help you achieve the goal. Regular progress updates allow everyone to share in the success of the group effort. Be sure to include both short-term and long-term goals and by all means, cross them off when you accomplish them!

This process demonstrates success and will help the team to feel the sense of accomplishment with the overall company direction. Ultimately the workplace success and team buy in helps to make for a pleasant work environment.

Track your success. As you reach your goals don’t be afraid to celebrate. It can be something as simple as a free lunch, a hand written thank you, a gift card or maybe an extra bonus in the next month’s check. It is important for your employees to see that not only is what they are doing making a difference in the company, but that they will be rewarded when the company succeeds as a whole. By tracking the goal, it becomes more exciting to see that goals are being met.

So TAKE the earmuffs off and put your hearing aids in. LISTEN to your customers and your employees. HEAR what they are telling you. ACT when possible to adjust services to meet their needs. MAKE your company a place where employees want to come to work. ACHIEVE sales success through expanding your offerings to current customers and REACH new markets. BE REALISTIC in setting goals and CELEBRATE success.

We offer a business evaluation and recommendation package. To learn more, email us or call 724-612-0755. Wishing you the best in 2018!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

business-networking

Network In The New Year

by BlogCommunications

As another year has come and gone it is time reflect and improve upon what you did as a business person this past year and set new goals for 2018. These goals should include steps to learning new things to improve services or personal skills. Networking is an area that is easy to overlook. There are so many events out there – you can network till the cows come home, but are you being effective? Are you involved in groups or events where your referral sources or potential clients may also be? Your sales reach expands by having a well-established network of referral sources both professionally and personally.

Have you ever needed a plumber, electrician, or even a carpenter? When you are in a pinch and don’t know a service provider yourself, who do you ask or what do you do? For most people, the answer is your friends, family, colleagues or more often I see this on social media. How often do you look at Google Reviews or Yelp before buying? Having a solid network of referral sources will help to ensure that you are the person they recommend for the job when the time arises.

Let’s be honest: networking isn’t always at the top of our priority list. Networking is WORK and at times can be awkward, time consuming and usually the last thing you may want to do after you finish up work for the week. In today’s world, third party validation is more valuable than you telling others what you do. When someone else shouts your praises buyers listen.

Millennials have grown up with the internet being just a click away and a cell phone in their hand. Socialization, whether online or in person is more common and easier than ever before. You need to take the time to connect with others, be outspoken about your interests and career goals and build relationships with people you might not otherwise have even met.

There are several things you can do to help make your next networking event a success.

  • Break the ice. It can often be stressful and overwhelming to walk up to stranger and introduce yourself. Have a line ready such as, “What brings you to this event” or “What do you do?” Can help to break the ice and make conversation easier. Truly listen to what they are saying. The initial introduction isn’t the time to “Sell Your Services.” Get to know a bit more about the person and if you think you might be a fit – set up a time to get together for coffee or lunch.
  • Have a purpose. You want to avoid simply collecting business cards. Set a goal for yourself and find a networking event that meets that goal. Perhaps an association or nonprofit event will put you in touch with potential clients or business contacts.
  • Share your goals. This allows you to connect with others who share the same ideas or thoughts as you. Working together with those who share the same goals allows you to benefit from each other, expand your network and reach. I’m certain a colleague will know people you don’t. I belong to a networking group and when someone posts a LinkedIn article, they ask others in the group to share their post. This expands the reach and views of the post.
  • Follow through. If you find that you have clicked with someone at a social networking event be sure to get their contact information and follow up. It never hurts to mention something specific you enjoyed about your encounter with them. I have a process with my digital marketing program that adds these new contacts to my newsletter list. I then touch them once a month with our newsletter.

As you take time to set new goals for the New Year, be sure to set a goal to network in the right venues. Be where potential clients hang out. Gain new referral partners. People do business with those they know, like and trust. Let that person be you!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

managing-business-growth

Seasons of Growth

by BlogCommunications

managing-business-growthAs spring changes to summer one of the biggest things you may notice is how all of the plants that were coming to life in April and May have reached their climax. The spring flowers have bloomed, then fallen, the plant has survived and stabilizing itself for the summer. As a business owner, I appreciate this process and feel as though it relates to not only my business, but to businesses everywhere.

The first few years as a business owner are usually pretty rough, struggling to turn a profit and build a client base. Once you do have the base, the flowers fall off and you’ve become stable, knowing that you made it. In my 10 years in business I can fully assure you that this is one of the most gratifying feelings you will experience as a business owner. But now knowing your roots are firmly planted in the ground and you are stable, has it become time to grow?

Every season your business grows or changes you will feel the excitement that you felt as a new business owner. You will realize and appreciate the process of getting through the spring season without getting nipped by the frost and coming out the other side bigger and better than you were prior to growth. Before making the decision to grow, you need to answer a few important questions and set a business plan in place.

This process is similar to how you trim back your bushes each year and let them grow in the areas you want to expand.

  1. Plan. What is the worst thing that could happen in growing the business, whether your growth involves a new employee, expanding your office or a whole new location all-together? Having a back-up plan for the “what if” is important to planning your growth.
  2. Expectations. What are your expectations for the growth you have planned? Be sure to lay out short-range, mid-range, and long-range goals.
  3. Outcomes. You need to be optimistic. Plan for how you will handle the potential growth and what you will do to keep up with growing business. Adding a new location is not the only part of growing business, you need to have a plan on how to keep your reputation up and handle the growth.

Building your team and getting them on board is the next step. Having the right staff on board will determine the level of your success. Share your growth plans with your team so they understand your dream, and have their buy in for helping you achieve your goals.

Planning for the growth both financially and by building the right team will help to ensure your success through your next seasons of business!

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

Edmiston Group

Planning Your Vacation

by BlogCommunications

Edmiston GroupSummer time is quickly approaching, and the kids will soon be done with school. This means that it is time for your family vacation right? As many small business owners know this is easier said than done.

As a business owner myself, I find it challenging to go away on vacation and not be constantly checking my phone, or my email to make sure there are no emergencies. But, I have a good team and I have found with proper planning, you too can learn to enjoy your vacation away from work.

Preparing for your vacation well in advance is one the biggest steps to enjoying your vacation this summer. If you are like many small business owners with less than 10 employees, your absence may feel like an emergency is just around the corner. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Create a set of contingencies and give your staff the power to handle what comes up.

Prepare and train your employees.

One thing is always certain when it comes to emergencies, they will happen at the most inopportune moments, like… when you are away on vacation. These emergencies can be handled by your employees if they are trained and have all the information they need to know on how to handle the situation. The following information will help them to handle the emergency and prevent it from making its way into your vacation.

From A Physical Plant Perspective.
  • List of all contractors you use for plumbing, electrical, computer, internet, or other services that are pertinent to your business.
  • At what level of emergency do you wish to be notified? Simple problems such as a leaky sink are not an issue, however a major fire is something that you should be called over.
  • Name and number of your business insurance provider.

Empowering your employees to make not only simple decisions, but larger ones as well, will better allow them to handle an emergency when it arises.

Client Management.

Another step to being able to enjoy your vacation, is to notify your clients well in advance as to when you will be out of town. If you are your only employee they will need to know that you will be unreachable and how long you will be out of town.

The next part of managing your clients while you are out of town is to work ahead. Complete any work that can be accomplished in advance. This will help to reduce catch up when you get back to the office.

If you have a client that typically works with you over other employees, take time to assign an employee who you feel will work well with them and give the proper introductions to the employee. Also be sure the client knows when you will be gone, and that your employee is more than capable of completing the tasks you normally preform.

Lastly, always give yourself a few extra days after you get back. Having a day or two in the office while everyone still thinks your out will give you time to get caught up without the distraction of the phone ringing or your email pinging.

As a business owner it is important to take your time to recharge your batteries and unwind. Proper planning with not only your employees but also with your clients will help to make this possible.

It’s almost time for me to stick my toes in the sand! But don’t worry, I have things covered.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

restaurant-advertising

Cost of a Placemat

by BlogCommunicationsGuest Blogs
restaurant-advertisingW.G. Barrett, Restaurant Consultant & Guest Blogger

Holidays represent a time of year where restaurants, as well as retail establishments, can realize a spike in sales. Each year as seasons come and go many companies must determine what extra money they will spend on specific holiday advertising. For many restaurant owners, there is a constant battle of how they can lower their operating costs all while keeping the tables full day after day. Restaurant Consultant, Gordon Barrett has spent his career in the restaurant industry. Below I share my experience of how one restaurant owner learned the true cost of ‘saving’ money the hard way

The Cost of ‘Saving’ Money – One Business Owner’s Story

While advertising for holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or even the Christmas season may cost you a little more, the reward may far out weight your investment. Be careful where you choose to cut your spending when it comes to advertising. Cutting advertising that costs a few extra dollars could wind up costing you much more in the long run.

Every year approaching the holidays, this client, let’s call him Joe, would order disposable placemats for his restaurant that advertised “Ask Your Server About Gift Cards” written in large print in the center of the mat. Joe knew he would gain about $7,000-10,000 in revenue from total gift card sales over the holiday season. The placemats with the gift card advertisements cost roughly an extra $14 a case, with 1,000 placemats in a case. Joe would typically order 6 cases for the holiday season.

This past year, Joe decided that he wanted to save on his holiday spending and cut back on ordering the placemats. He realized a savings in advertising on the placemats of $85 for the holiday season. Joe made this choice knowing he was a well-established restaurant with vast number of regular customers. He didn’t think it was necessary to spend $85 for advertising “Ask Your Server About Gift Cards” for the holidays. The result… without the gift card ad, he was shocked to learn that gift card sales dropped to nearly $2,500 in sales. Saving a little on advertising cost him thousands of dollars in lost gift card sales.

Now here is some additional food for thought. Not only did Joe lose out on gift card sales, but consider these additional scenarios: 1) some gift cards would never be redeemed providing him free income, 2) loss of gift cards to generate new customers that had never been to his restaurant and 3) loss of additional money spent by loyal customers buying more food than the gift card is worth.

While it is impossible to determine these questions without more input from his customers, Joe knows one thing, he lost out on thousands of dollars in revenue to save just $85. He has made me promise him to never let him skip out on the advertised placemats in future years.

Measure Your Marketing

  • Data Collection. Start with collecting data from your consumers. Create a simple survey or ask how customers heard about your business. This will help you to target the advertising which works best for you.
  • Small steps. Consider advertising through social media. This allows you to invest modest amounts of money to gain new targeted customers.
  • Follow up! Make sure that your customers are satisfied and ask for testimonials.

Remember that in business it takes money to make money. Cutting back on marketing is the first thing that comes to mind when owners think about reducing costs. There are many places to put your advertising dollars, but it’s important to track the results. Code coupons in different publications and monitor where those coupons come from. Invest in social media and watch your audience grow. Lastly, advertise in small ways, such as on placemats and table tents. Ask Joe…he’ll tell you about the $85 he has budgeted for placemat advertising for this year.

Want to learn more about how to increase profits, attend the Restaurant Reality Check Seminar on May 3rd.  Register here.

w-g-barrett

Blog by W.G. Barrett, Restaurant Consultant & Guest Blogger.

About the author:  Gordon Barrett is the owner of W.G. Barrett Consulting, specializing in restaurant consulting, rescue and rebranding.  With decades of experience, he helps restaurant owners understand the value of strong operational restaurant management, but also how to adapt to changes through web presence, social media and online marketing.   Using a Restaurant Reality Check approach, Gordon has helped dozens of restaurants improve their profitability.

becoming-an-expert, Edmiston-Group

From Yeah But… To Because: Becoming an Expert

by BlogCommunications

becoming-an-expert, Edmiston-Group What draws people to you or your company? What sets you apart from other companies that offer similar goods or services? Being able to turn the, yeah I could do that but, to we are the best at what we do because, will make you not only a more positive person but a stronger business owner.

Knowing your BECAUSE is why people buy from you. If you don’t know why people come into your business, or purchase your product, it’s time to find out. That’s what makes you different than the business owner down the street.

Being a business owner in what we can refer to as my more seasoned years, I have learned that it is important to be able to move past the yeah but. Yeah but.. people won’t support my cause or yeah but.. it’s overwhelming to learn. The But’s stop you in your tracks and the fear or complacency of moving beyond the Yeah but…keeps your business stagnant. These are phrases that you have to replace with, I can do this because.

Whether you are a business owner, a manager, or an employee, you have more than likely been faced with having to learn a task or start something new and wanted to respond with the, yeah I would do it but…. The ‘yeah but’ is your resistance to change. It allows you to justify a reason as to why you cannot complete a task.

Over the course of the past ten years, my business has evolved. Like anyone else in business, if you don’t evolve, you just stay stuck. For me this task was digital marketing – social media, email marketing and websites. It seemed such an overwhelming task and I had no idea where to start. I didn’t know how to # a twitter feed, nor did I really understand what twitter really was, or how to follow a group on Facebook, nor how to put together a website site map. That was back in 2007, and let’s just say I have come a long way since then and even manage to show my own kids new features from time to time on these social media platforms and in the digital marketing arena. How you may ask? I turned the yeah but… into the because.

People didn’t turn to me to help manage their digital marketing programs when I was still floundering myself. They did however turn to me when I learned it, attended webinars, watched YouTube videos on how to increase followings and yes even took a few classes. People came to me for help BECAUSE I made myself a well-educated expert in this field as I knew that it would be part of my key to success.

Since my first webinar I have learned many more tricks of the trade that allow me to be a successful blogger and manager of social media. There have been many hours spent on training. I turned my yeah but, into my, because. People turn to me for help because I have become educated in my field. The Edmiston Group stays up on the social media trends and integrates digital marketing into an overall marketing strategy.

There will always be lessons to learn and people that are more talented than I am to learn them from. However, I am a lifelong learner and will always find new things to learn. You can bet a few years down the road the Edmiston Group will continue to evolve and find new technologies and services to offer our clients. After all….isn’t that how we bring fresh ideas to grow your business?

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.

newsletter

IS YOUR NEWSLETTER HELPING YOUR BUSINESS GROW?

by Blog
Company Newsletters Help to Create an Effective Brand

Company newsletters can be an effective marketing tool for businesses and non-profit organizations. Some small business owners launch a newsletter with good intentions, but fail to execute as the months roll on. Having a social media marketing calendar can help keep you on track or allow employees to follow a pre-set guide to execute your message.

Newsletters are one of the most effective marketing tools available, but the key to growing your readership is to create content that offers value, link to additional sources and offer teasers to keep readers wanting more. The following are some of the benefits of a customer newsletter.

Newsletters will increase brand awareness by:
Linking content in your newsletter to outside source, increases your company’s exposure
Helping to build relationships with customers and potential customers.
Creating an effective method to introduce new products or services.
Establishing you and your company as an expert.
Leveling the playing field when competing with larger companies.

I hope that if you are still on the fence about doing a newsletter, or about how often you should publish your newsletter, this blog has given you something to think about – a way to protect and grow your most valuable asset – your business brand. Newsletters can be outsourced if you don’t have the time or resources to execute in-house. For questions on various newsletter services, call the Edmiston Group at 724-612-0755 and sign up to receive a copy of The Edmiston Group’s Seeds for Success Newsletter.

About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group ~ bringing corporate level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.