communication-crisis-planning

Communication Crisis Planning

by BlogEdmiston Group

During 2020, businesses were thrust into pandemic mode in communicating with staff, clients, vendors, and their customers. The fluid changes in operations were dictated by the government’s mandates of the current pandemic situation.

According to HubSpot, when a business goes into crisis, it generally falls into one of five categories:
  • Financial – Financial loss such as announcing a bankruptcy or store closures.
  • Personnel – Changes to staff that may affect operations or reputation such as employee furloughs or layoffs.
  • Organizational – An apology for misconduct or wrongdoing as a result of organizational practices.
  • Technological – Technological failure that results in outages causing reduced functionality or functionality loss.
  • Natural – Natural crisis that necessitates an announcement or change of procedure. For example, defining safety precautions in the midst of a health crisis.

By preparing to address how each of these areas will affect your business operations, business owners will be able to quickly to execute a crisis communication plan. Lack of planning for a given situation will leave a business owner trying to figure out in those first critical moments who to notify, what information is needed, how the business will rebound and what long-term effects the crisis has.

For example, because of the pandemic, Christopher & Banks decided to close their brick-and-mortar stores and shift to online operations. Many big box chains reacted similarly. They notified customers via email and other sources of store closings.

Personnel crisis communication occurs when a person affiliated with the company makes statements or takes actions that don’t align with the company’s brand. An organizational crisis occurs when operational procedures aren’t followed. Ellen DeGeneres faced crisis from both personnel and operational fronts in 2020 amidst revelations of a toxic workplace culture and sexual harassment issues regarding senior executives.

How many times does technology and ransomware attacks hit the news? Most recently Microsoft faced backlash for its lack of transparency in a recent hack into their exchange networks exposing millions of businesses to hackers.

We have seen countless news reports over the past year on COVID-related policy changes.

What does this have to do with your business? You may think you’re a small business and these major things won’t happen to you, but in some form or another, they can and often do. As a business owner, preparing for these types of situations will give you the framework to structure your efforts and prepare your contingency plans accordingly. Building a plan that includes communicating with stakeholders, informing employees, and creating adaptive solutions once the crisis has happened will enable you to react quickly.

Being prepared today will enable you to react to adapt and remain open for business tomorrow.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

strategy-planning-sessions

Q2 Spring Planning

by BlogEdmiston Group
strategy-planning-sessions

The first quarter of 2021 is over, and many businesses are recovering from 2020 one of the most challenging years in business. Some business owners were devastated and were not able to shift thoughts and processes to stay open or adjust to a new way of doing business. They closed their doors for good.

Not all is lost. These businesses and many more have gone outside the box to create opportunities to grow by creating new ways of thinking and delivering business. As businesses start to return to some sense of normal, some of these business strategies will continue. These new services will increase revenue and market share.

Event planners, keynote speakers, and conference centers no longer had events that drew in crowds. Some keynote speakers became certified virtual speakers and conference planners figured out how to how to prepare for virtual and hybrid events. Conference centers adjusted their space planning and technology to host hybrid events featuring in-person and virtual opportunities.

Restaurants pivoted and began offering curbside pickup, bundled meals for special occasions and more. A local winery increased its wholesale business by expanding its reach into multiple Giant Eagle and Walmart locations. This action allowed them to stay afloat during mandated restaurant closure.

A furniture company created an office in a box as many people shifted to home offices. They developed products that shipped easily keeping in mind what someone would need for a home office setup.

Regular networking groups offered zoom and hybrid meeting options to keep members engaged and referrals flowing. As a result of more remote office work, people are picking up the phone more to make a connection.

National Small Business Week is May 2-8, 2021. Are you planning to highlight the event through customer loyalty programs, special sales, employee recognition, aligning with other small businesses and more?

Perhaps you’re stuck in a rut and need a strategy session to get you going strong again. As you move into the 2nd quarter of 2021, how is your business positioned to continue to recover, adapt and be innovated to grow in 2021?

Need some inspiration? Our strategy sessions are designed to guide you to new ways of thinking and business growth. Email us to schedule your session today.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

focus red word and conceptual target

FOCUSED THINKING BRINGS ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH

by BlogCommunicationsEdmiston Group

The past few months have been challenging for business owners, yet some are thriving while others have given up.  What takes a business to a new level or a pivot in a business operation?  FOCUS and the ability to PIVOT your thinking to a new way of doing business.

Many businesses and organizations have shifted to virtual meetings, working remotely, and bringing about operational changes.  While one vertical line of business may not be as strong right now, other product lines are flourishing.

Manufacturing companies that have shifted to make protective equipment, are working multiple shifts to meet demand.  Distilleries and breweries that have pivoted their thought process to online sales and curbside pickups are busy.  Construction product suppliers that have picked up a PPE product line have an additional product to sell.  Clothing companies that shifted to making masks and fashion masks have developed new product lines.  The list goes on.

What do these types of businesses have in common?  They are open to new ideas and ways to grow.  By FOCUSING on the assets they have and PIVOTING their operations to utilize those assets to expand their services.   Those business owners are moving forward with renewed energy and resolve.

This challenging time has been compared to the Great Depression.  According to the Advertising Specialty Institute, those companies that continue to advertise when everyone else stops marketing are more likely to be noticed.  WHY?  Because there are fewer ads in the market.  “Firms that advertised during the recession increased in value and got more marketing bang for their buck…in some cases for up to three years after the recession had ended”.

Pulling financial support for your company’s brand can undermine revenue goals.  The better strategy is to go all in to understand customer needs and respond accordingly with tailored messaging across channels.  How do you do that?

Here are 5 tips to keep business growing:

  1. ASK

Layer these insights and information gained with the human element to get a deeper understanding of how target audiences will respond.  What is the value your company brings to the table to alleviate the pain point?  Do you even know where those pain points are?

  1. REDISCOVER YOUR BRAND

How are you different than the competition?  What new services can you offer or how can you shift your message based on the information you learn from your customers?  How can you position your brand to provide a sense of community while offering reassuring messages that demonstrate empathy?

  1. DEVELOP LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Reward consumers who purchase frequently and send targeted messaging to thank them for being a loyal customer.

  1. CONTINUE TO SHIFT AND INNOVATE

Embrace technology and commit to working ON your business instead of IN your business.  At a recent class I took, I was challenged to commit the first 30 minutes to 1 hour a day working on strategies to grow my business instead of working on other people’s businesses in their growth.  By blocking the time, I’m fresh in the morning to focus on how to grow my own business.

  1. MEASURE YOUR OUTCOMES

If you’re not measuring, you’re not marketing.  Know how people find you.  Advertise and be present where your potential customers are.  Be vigilant in your metrics tracking and reporting. Stay agile so you can adapt plans to reflect what you’re seeing. From there, brands can make messaging personal.

Keep a level head and commit to a long-term marketing strategy can help you flourish in the down cycle and be fully prepared to capitalize on the upswing.  Give people good things to talk about by continuing to have good products and great communication.

To quote Henry Ford…“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.”

Let the Edmiston Group help you strategize how you can PIVOT and GROW your business.  Call 724-612-0755 or email Autumn Edmiston for a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Businessman thinks of a new creative idea

NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL – COPING WITH COVID-19

by BlogCommunications

New Ways to Do Business Post COVID-19

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of business. For retail establishments, many doors are closed to customers. Restaurants have shifted to take out. Essential businesses are operating in an adjusted work environment. Business operations have shifted online and business development personnel are reaching out through phone, LinkedIn, video and voice conferencing, and email. Health care personnel and first responders are on the front lines of the pandemic and are stretched beyond belief.

What does all of this boil down to? Do you wonder if life ever goes back to the way it was? Fear of what is happening and what may be yet to come fills your mind. Will you be able to pay your bills? Will your family be safe? Will kids ever go back to school? Will you have a job? The changes all amount to loss and the grief you feel about things lost.

I have also read positive things with social distancing. Families are once again gathering around the table, life is existing at a slower pace, families are hiking, businesses are helping each other by supporting one another through online gift cards, and manufacturers are shifting operations to provide health-related products and sanitizer.

Many business owners are pivoting and thinking outside the box to stay top of mind or to prepare for opening their doors again when the time is right. They are part of a solution to a problem. A supply company instituted an online order system that not only will work during this challenging time but can also be utilized as a sales tool for their salesforce moving forward. A consulting company set up call times for monthly lead exchange meetings. A construction company is leveraging this time to update records and connect via LinkedIn. A construction labor force company is taking this opportunity to update their website and set up processes for a newsletter.

These businesses and many others are looking at the situation as an opportunity to continue to reach out, or prepare for a major push once we are able to be “open for business” again.

As you look at your current situation, is the glass half empty or half full. Here are some tips to make the most of your new norm.

  • Review your goals – we’re still in the first quarter of 2020. Did you set goals for the New Year such as developing a vision board, writing a blog, or taking a class? If you haven’t set goals with target dates, perhaps now is the time to do so.
  • Learn something new – a new platform for online meetings such as Zoom or how to create branded images using Canva.
  • Read – books, online publications, and a little fiction just for fun. The most successful entrepreneurs are avid readers.
  • Listen – to podcasts from thought leaders and business coaches.
  • Join – Ted Recommends and receive TED programs and initiatives sent to your inbox.

I challenge you to step up and try something new. If your business has been stuck for a while, perhaps a business strategy session is in order. Maybe your website needs a refresh or marketing materials that need updating. Pick up the phone and give me a call at 724-612-0755.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Editorial Calendar

Utilizing Editorial Calendars to Help Guide Your Marketing Strategy

by BlogCommunications

Editorial CalendarIt’s a new year and often business owners take this time to reflect and set new marketing strategy goals for the upcoming year.  An often overlooked tool in business growth is an editorial calendar.  Not only can it set the path for blogging, but it can also be the guide for social media as well as other marketing activities.

Editorial calendars mean a couple of things to a business owner.  But first, you must identify exactly who your ideal customer is.  Why is this important?  Because it also determines where to put advertising dollars.

The owner of a construction company I work with asked about advertising in a high-end community magazine.  The magazine went into an upscale neighborhood, but this client doesn’t build high-end homes, rather they build manufacturing facilities, strip malls and office complexes.  Although someone in the neighborhood might hold a decision making position, we determined it wasn’t the best use of his advertising dollars.   However, advertising in a different publication that targets property managers, land developers and commercial real estate professionals was a good fit.

Another client is a B to C.  We advertise in a digital publication that also allows us to publish monthly articles along with our advertising.  This publication is sent to thousands of potential customers that are his target market.  By utilizing an editorial calendar, we know when certain things happen during the year and target ads, as well as articles to that topic.

Monthly magazines and business publications have an editorial focus such as Real Estate, Summer Camps, Women in Business, Weddings, etc.  Knowing what is being published helps to plan your advertising budget and/or pitch a story to the editor.  It’s important to note that these publications work 4-8 weeks ahead, particularly for feature stores.   For example, as of this writing, all ads for February have already been submitted.

There are certain appreciation days and awareness months throughout the year.  Understanding when these times occur allows you to plan special events around those times.  Did you know that May 4 – May 8, 2020, is Teacher Appreciation Week?  If your business served teachers, what could you plan special for them?  Perhaps if they come to your business they receive a free gift or a percent off their service.  This works particularly well in the B to C market.

There are National Fun Days throughout the month.  Having a calendar with those days noted will enable you to plan and preschedule some of your social media posts.

What if you are a B to B business?  You still can partner with a cause.  The Southwestern Pennsylvania United Way sponsors a Day of Caring on September 13, 2020.  Can your businesses partner with that cause?  Perhaps you can participate in a build with Habitat for Humanity.  Consider a care box drive for the troops.  There are over 4,000 nonprofit organizations in Pittsburgh.  Be a business that gives back.

What does this all boil down to?  PLANNING.  If you’d like a copy of our 2020 planning calendar email Autumn Edmiston or call 724-612-0755.  Don’t know where to start?  The Edmiston Group can customize a yearly calendar specific to 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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Man turning knob with different stages of sales process to convert strangers into promoters. Successful inbound marketing campaign concept.

ARE YOU WINNING THE 4TH QUARTER

by ArticlesCommunications

Winning Customers

The Christmas creep is once again upon us and Pumpkin everything is being taken over by early Black Friday sales. Businesses are keying in on how to drive sales, increase consumer interest and create limited-time offers. Where in the mix is Thanksgiving?

If your company is looking to take advantage of seasonal marketing ideas, it’s best to look at some of the biggest brands in your space to see what they do to drive sales and pique consumer interest in your own business. Small businesses can compete by delivering unique products, outstanding customer service and using hashtags in posts that will pop up in social media when consumers are searching.

1. Look for easy seasonal hype
One of the easiest ways to jump into seasonal sales around the holidays is to prepare for and participate in Black Friday sales and holiday shopping days such as Small Business Saturday, which encourages people to shop locally. These days are already ingrained into people’s minds as shopping events, so it’s an easy way to jump on the bandwagon. When plugging into the seasonal sales events be sure to hashtag your social media postings.

We recently worked with a hair salon to help them plan the remainder of the 4th quarter. This included a food drive collection, special pricing on gift cards, bundling of unique products for sale on Small Business Saturday, and posting holiday hours well in advance to ensure clients were able to get their services done. Branded social media images can help increase awareness days and prescheduling posts can save time and eliminate the pressure of last-minute planning.

2. Develop an annual marketing plan
How are you incorporating monthly awareness events and fun days into your social media plan? For example, we worked with a mobile dog groomer and in her social media plan, incorporated “National Cat Day”. Restaurants have “National Taco Day”, “Chocolate Day”, etc. Think about how you can align your business. Did you know in November that it’s Military Family Appreciation Month, Men’s Health Awareness, National Hospice Month, National Literacy Month to name a few? December brings about Cat lovers month, Write a Business Plan Month.

If you are a B to B or a B to C – aligning with some of these causes and adding hashtags will help to increase your brand awareness.

3. Capture Emails and Go from Seasonal to Subscription or stay in touch with news updates
By increasing your email list, you can touch your “fan base” with news, offers, and discounts. Use the list to create a subscription service. For example, restaurants may have a VIP wine club that members pay a fee to belong. What does that get them?  Perhaps access to specialty wines nonmembers can’t experience, wine pairing events, as well as other perks.

If you are a B to B, we utilize a given process to increase your newsletter subscribers. Why is that important? It keeps your company top of mind to supporters and people who you want to do business with. For our construction clients, we share news on new projects, project updates and community involvement.

4. Plan your own seasonal sale
It’s planning ahead to take advantage of one-off discount days. Where I see businesses fall short is they lack the advanced time to promote and plan. Think about your celebration and consider offering this on an annual or quarterly basis.

We work with an eye doctor and they have an annual back to school sale. Every year in August and September they promote this sale. Their customers know it is coming and they are booked solid. They don’t discount prices throughout the year, only at this event.

The holidays may be right around the corner, but by planning ahead, your business can create its unique holiday promotions that will help you increase sales, grow brand awareness and connect with customers. Need help in pulling a plan together? Email us or call 724-612-0755 and ask about our Business Marketing Planning Package.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Save time and energy with these productivity strategies

Business Productivity Hacks

by BlogCommunications

Save time and energy with these productivity hacks.

How productive and focused are you in your day-to-day activity – at work and at home? Are you a night owl whose energy kicks in after 9 pm or an early bird who rises at the crack of dawn? Regardless of how your internal clock functions, you can always be busy, but not necessarily productive.

Does being busy equate with being productive? If you ask anyone what is the biggest challenge they face in trying to be productive, a likely response will involve something about a “lack of willpower”, or perhaps a difficulty staying focused.

If you think about it there are so many shiny objects that pop up to distract you throughout the day. Social media, email, phone, and personal issues. Any of these distractions can lead to lost productivity.

Build up good work habits for saving time and effort and alleviate some stress. Here are some productivity hacks to help you understand how to work smarter, improve the quality of your work life, and build habits that will save you time, energy, and mental strain in the long-term.

Productivity Begins With Your Goals…Focus On What’s Important To You
Where do you want to be 3 months from now? What about 1 year, or 5 years out? Not just your business but your personal life too. Aligning your work goals with what’s important to you is crucial in creating the motivation required to stay focused. Writing down your goals on a vision board will keep them top of mind.
It’s not by chance that I’m starting with this one. Understanding what’s important to you, not only in terms of your immediate work goals but also looking at the bigger picture. This can help you to focus and set the stage for how you approach wor

Routines Count – Develop Them
Build out a routine, and stick with it. Get into the habit of working at specific times (this is especially true if you work remotely) and you’ll find yourself wasting less energy on figuring out what to do next. Making a To-Do List for the next day allows you to focus on specific tasks and prioritize your time. There are various apps and scheduling tools for you to utilize. Personally – I use Asana, but some of my colleagues like Monday.com.
Monthly routines and processes can be documented and put into these programs. By creating the process, as your business grows or staffing changes, you can easily transition the steps to another individual.

Engineer Fake Pressure
How often have you told someone they will have a report you haven’t yet started by the end of the day? For some people, pressure can help to kick-start them into work mode and perform to a higher level of productivity. If you’re one of those people who finds that the pressure of a deadline or review helps you get more work done, consider engineering some fake pressure into your routine.

Email Check
Just like notifications, sometimes you can’t just ignore your inbox. This is one I struggle with – especially if I’m waiting for proofs from my graphic design team or feedback from a client. The trick is to set a time every day, where you check-in and clean up to inbox zero. The more consistent you can be with this task, the weaker the urge will become to randomly check your emails, and by sticking to the same time each day, you’re building good habits around self-discipline.

Record Each And Every Task
Following on from the to-do list, you can optimize this kind of task-based productivity approach by making sure you clearly and attentively record each task that is important to you. By keeping an up-to-date list of tasks, you can be sure you’re not overlooking certain factors when deciding on priorities and planning your workload. You could use a good old pen and paper to record your tasks and to-do-lists; many people work like this, and it’s perfectly suitable for personal jotting and keeping track of small-scale projects and priorities. This also allows you to track the amount of time spent on a given task. Having this information helps you price services accordingly.

Set Deadlines
Deadlines help you to get work done. This allows you and your team to measure and stay abreast of milestones needing to be met in completing a complex project.

Eat Your Frogs
We all have unpleasant tasks to deal with daily. “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” – Mark Twain. By completing difficult tasks first thing in the morning, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and other things will feel easy in comparison.

Stop Wasting Time In Meetings
Do you start a meeting with a purpose, goals and an agenda? Often, meetings are scheduled according to some arbitrary value like 30 or 60 minutes, and the structure is an afterthought. Define the purpose and outcomes of the meeting before the meeting. Some managers have a stand-up meeting that doesn’t allow for meaningless time spent. Objectives, assigned tasks, and outcomes are to the point.

Time Blocking – Stop multitasking
Focus on one task at a time and set a block of time to complete the task. This goes back to scheduling, prioritizing your TO DO LIST. Instead of trying to split your brain between multiple tasks, rapidly switching between activities and working on each of them simultaneously, you’re better off committing your focus to a single task at hand. Work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break and get up and stretch and you may find your brain remains better focused.

Consider some of these tips as you form new work habits. You may find yourself being more focused, able to better prioritize and execute your tasks at hand. We’d love to hear your success. Share your most successful habit on our Facebook page.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, 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-lessons

Lessons Learned

by BlogCommunications

business-lessonsAs a business owner, you wear a lot of hats. When you opened your business chances are you were the bookkeeper, marketer, as well as the person who worked in your business. You opened your business with a strong vision but the road to success isn’t always easy. You go to battle every day against:

  • Tough competition
  • Evolving markets
  • New technology
  • Employee turnover

The good news is you don’t have to find ways to grow your business and find balance all on your own. Instead, you can find a business mentor or even look for advice from industry titans that came before you. There are a myriad of options through webinars, podcasts, Ted Talks, and books for you to gain knowledge from the titans of business. You may find value in their words of wisdom that will bring new passion and growth to your business.

Successful business people may sell different products, but they often follow some of the same advice. Common pieces of advice successful business titans swear by include:

Work-life Balance is key to burnout prevention

Work hard and play hard – it’s important to set space in your schedule to do both.

If Something Isn’t Working – Make a change

Technology and trends are in a constant state of flux. Unless you are willing to take a risk with the changes and pivot, you may find yourself lagging behind.

Value and Inspire Employees

Employees are the lifeblood of your company. Think about it, they interface with customers that choose to spend money with you versus a competitor. Attracting and retaining top talent is a challenge in today’s market. Building relationships and a sense of community helps employees feel appreciated, builds morale and increases productivity.

Learn From Others

Embrace lifelong learning through online classes, webinars, workshops, or a mastermind group. It doesn’t matter if you sign up for a new class or learn new ideas from others. You never know when a new skill can help your business.

Experience Growth Through Failure

Lessons are learned by failure and are an important part of success for businesses. Each time you fail at something you learn and grow. Perseverance is the difference between failure and success.

Trust Yourself

Trust your instincts and have faith in yourself. Make sound decisions based on knowledge and move forward.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

We all have things that are uncomfortable but stepping outside your comfort zone leads to growth. Many successful business people emphasize pushing past what makes them comfortable. Are you willing to take the risk at something greater?

Small Opportunities Can Lead to New Business Growth

Saying yes to small opportunities along the way can eventually lead to greater opportunities. For instance, you may say yes to a dinner invite where you make a business contact that helps you grow your business later on.

Customers Come First

Are you listing to your customers? A customer complaint no matter how harsh they seem can help you improve your products and services. We aren’t perfect and sometimes mistakes are made but acknowledging the complaint tells your customers that you’re listening.

Don’t Sacrifice Quality

Customer satisfaction is key to raving reviews both online and word of mouth. You want to produce products and services that people are truly satisfied with. This can help your business build a stronger reputation.

If your business isn’t growing and you’re feeling stuck, it may be time to take a risk. Stepping out of your comfort zone through innovation is one of the most important things you can do – and that’s according to who succeeded before you. Are you ready to take the next move? We’re here to walk with you on that journey give us a call 724-612-0755 or email us for a 30-minute complimentary phone consultation.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

crowded-market

Stand Out In a Crowded Market

by BlogCommunications

crowded-marketBusiness owners often find frustration in being found in a crowded market. There will always be someone with a larger budget and more resources. Think of how Amazon and Walmart are going head to head. Who will come up with the most unique strategy? A national eye care company such as Pearl Vision or America’s Best compete against an independent optometry office. Making a dent to gain market share is never easy but using a blend of strategy, tenacity, and innovation is the key to winning.

The Pricing Race to the Bottom

Business owners often feel they need to try and compete on price. Crowded spaces often result in a race to the lowest price. Because market leaders can survive the deepest cuts, smaller players need a different strategy of cooperation if they want to compete.

Cooperation can set you apart. What do we mean by cooperation? Take two complimenting businesses who serve similar types of customers and create a joint marketing program. How can you differentiate your combined services? For example… a marketing company may partner with an event planning company. The event planning company may handle the logistics, equipment rental, be the event’s project manager, but they still need the support of social media, graphic design and perhaps marketing strategy. Together the two companies are stronger and each has their client base that they can market expanded services to. So, in essence, you’ve doubled down on your client base by marketing each other.

Create Your Own Raving Fans

Not many big companies retain a reputation for stellar customer service. Industry giants have time and money on their side, but growth often comes with a price.

Smaller businesses can set themselves apart by delivering outstanding customer service. That could be in the form of birthday acknowledgement, personal phone contact, surveys, and a philosophy of customer service as part of your company’s DNA. Everyone involved with that customer from the receptionist to the CEO should play a role in helping their customers.

Find a Pain Point and Create a Solution

Agility is a key component of this concept and starts with active listening. Smaller companies can make their brand heard by improving on something people didn’t realize companies could fix. Get to the root of a problem by saving people time, money or hassle, and you could quickly gain ground while established players scramble to keep up.

Think about a recent invention you saw and said to yourself, “I wished I thought of that!” Those people are often seen on Shark Tank. They have found a pain point and developed a solution to solve the problem.

People deal with thousands of inconveniences they would love to ditch if they had better options. Provide those options in an easy, non-interruptive way, and the masses will toss aside existing solutions in favor of your smarter method.

Find Your Edge and Keep Sharpening the Blade

To maintain a competitive edge, smaller companies need to bring something special to the table. What’s not always easy, however, is figuring out what that something special should be.

Limit your focus and efforts to one innovation at a time. Set some time parameters as to how long you will focus on a given effort and measure the results. When I worked in commercial sales, we would take a given vertical and work that vertical for a quarter focusing on new business efforts in only that space. For example, one quarter would be hotels, another quarter restaurants, another quarter retail, etc.

When that innovation doesn’t take off, make a note of the experiment and move on to the next. When something works, invest a little more money and keep sharpening your tactics. If the extra budget doesn’t produce extra results, pull back, but if you see more success, keep sharpening the blade. You may be surprised by how much people like what you create.

In today’s crowded market space, it is possible to have a voice and be recognized. If taking on big businesses and winning were easy, everyone would do it. Successful startups earn their reputations because they achieve the improbable. You can overcome the odds and establish your business in the face of stiff competition. To do so, however, you need innovative tenacity and an idea worth your unconditional commitment.

Struggling with your differentiators or how to compete for market share, give us a call 724-612-0755 or email us for a 30-minute complimentary phone consultation.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.

Content-Marketing

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

by BlogCommunications

Content-MarketingWe create original articles for a number of our clients to help them keep their name in front of potential referral sources, current customers and potential customers. Working in tandem with business development staff, we have helped businesses systematically grow their email lists in given market segments.

Content marketing with a targeted message can help you stand out, but are you solving a problem or pushing your own agenda?

Are you asking the right questions to identify the problem and offer a solution? If you are not listening to your customer, then how can you identify what they need? Here are some things to think about.

Are you original? There is certainly a place for stock photography, but customers want to know the person behind the business. When we share staff birthday photos or photos of the owner’s children – it puts human elements into the business. Many of our construction clients share job photos that depict their work. Show what you do and be proud of your work. Share reviews others leave. There is nothing better than a third-party telling others how great of a job you’ve done.

What Do You Know? Sharing knowledge helps to set you apart as an expert. Sure you may share tips that others could use, but how often will people go to the extent of replicating your process when you’ve already figured it out. The exposure of this process and your expertise will help grow your business.

Who Are Your Customers? Know who your ideal customer is. I challenge you to write down your top 3 customers and then list why they are your best customer. Once you know your ideal customer ask them what keeps them up at night. Offer a solution to their nighttime worries and don’t be afraid to give away some of your secret sauce. Some of the most successful business consultancies in the world give their entire process away in book form or an e-book.

Is your Content Meaningful and Engaging? By allowing your potential clients and referral sources to know you as a person and your company’s brand, it makes you reachable. Keep your audience engaged, curious and wanting to learn more.

How Are Your Providing Value? Content strategy is important in providing value to the consumer. Are you communicating in a clear and concise manner without utilizing terminology that your audience may not understand? Does your message offer insight into what, why and how? Does it represent your brand message?

Not only is content important, but the importance of regularly touching an audience with valuable information keeps you and your business top of mind. By housing your blogs on your website, it also prevents your website from becoming a static site and when done correctly is beneficial for SEO.

Regular content, relevant information offering solutions to what keeps your BEST customer up at night is key to an effective content marketing program. Need help developing a strategy, give us a call 724-612-0755.

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 strategies, website creation and management, social media management, marketing, strategic planning, and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business.