Business

10 Ways to Maximize On Your Social Media Messaging

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2019

Figuring out what you really want to do with life and share with others is not easy. There are so many options nowadays, and if there isn’t something out there that you want to do, you can create the opportunity. After deciding on your social media messaging strategy, these steps below will help you maximize your reach and spread your message through social skills and social media.

Have a clear message

When it comes to your social media messaging strategy, have a clear message that is short, to the point and simple to understand. Someone who is viewing your content for the first time should be able to know what you are providing them in a couple of seconds. Don’t lose a potential client/follower because they did not know what you are marketing.Hook your audience in three seconds and keep their attention. People scroll through social media feeds very quickly. Your content needs to stop them in their tracks then have them scroll back to see what you posted. It can be an attention grabbing title, a stunning location they would want to visit, an adrenaline pumping video or an abstract photo that gets them confused and wanting to figure out what is going on.Once you’ve hooked them, they will now want to check out the rest of your content. Stay constant with your message throughout your content. Focus on one message at a time. What is your core value and the first thing you want your audience to know? Once you have grown your first message then you can expand and pick up another message to share.

Provide value with your content

Now that you have a clear message with what you are marketing, how will it provide value to your audience? Whether you are selling a product or a service, how does it make your user’s life easier? A value doesn't have to be something monetary or physical. Provide social media messaging that can inspire your audience. Something to motivate them to get up and do something. Believe it or not, envy is also a good motivation. That’s why social media influencers have the job they do. They market their content in a why that makes you want to be in their shoes.Everyone who is following you is doing so for the same reason, they like whatever you are offering them. That is at least one thing they all have in common. Build a community where they can connect with you and each other on a more personal level than just commenting on each other’s post. Give them somewhere to go to talk about and share similar ideas.

Understanding and responding to your audience

Understand what excites your audience. Understand what made them follow you in the first place. If you can find out what gets them excited and wanting to share your product, you will have them doing half of the marketing for you. Take the Starbucks social media messaging strategy for example. People like personalized things. Something as simple as writing their name on a cup will have them taking a picture of it and sharing it on social media and with friends. Free publicity for Starbucks. Add some hearts or funny misspellings and you’ve got yourself a winning cup.When you are provided feedback, listen to them. Gather what your friends, family and audience has said and respond if the request or advise is reasonable and in good taste. They will feel like they are a part of your journey and appreciate it. Surround yourself with positive people who want to see you succeed. You don't have to remove anyone from your life, they just don't have to be a part of your growing process. There is a difference between people who are shut down every idea you have and people who critique your work. Find people who will provide honest feedback to better yourself and your work. That can be people in your circle, in your interested community, Reddit or Facebook groups. Believe in yourself and your work. Also, you are your hardest critic. So don't forget to celebrate how far you are come. And don’t forget to celebrate with your audience. They are part of the reason you are where you are. Create milestones and little celebrations.

Making connections

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Sadly, that cannot be true enough. Yes, you still need solid skills and products but the first step is to get in and get noticed. This is why people collaborate. In order to reach the audience of the other group. If you notice, social media influencers, Youtube especially, collaborate with each other through a combined social media messaging strategy. They understand that the audience of the person they are collaborating with are all potential new audience for themselves. When you see a new person mentioned in your favorite YouTuber’s video, you go and check out what they have to offer as well.Collaboration and networking is very important. It can also be very annoying. If you are an introvert, networking is actually one of the most dreaded task. But not all networking has to be in a conference room. When you chatting and connecting with someone, whether it is your neighbor or the barista, that is networking. Those are the kind of networking that will last longer. They are more genuine. Neither side went hoping to get something out of the situation.

Understanding the different social media platforms and which ones work for you

Anyone who wants to get their message across needs to be on social media. Word of mouth is great but that can only spread so far. Being active on social media will draw in clients from all around the globe. But it’s not good enough to just be on every social platform. You need to be constantly active on each one with a clear social media messaging strategy catered to individual platforms. And learn all the ins-and-outs of what makes each platform unique. That can be very overwhelming. Pick one or two platforms to focus on first. Grow a real following with an active community and get in the swing of things before moving on to the next.

Have a unique offering

What makes what you are offering better than what is already out there? Like Apple, you do not have to be the first at something but you have to be better. Whether you are marketing a lifestyle or material goods, add your personal touches to it. People get tired of seeing the same things over and over. That makes social media messaging boring for you and your audience. Everybody is unique and different. And people get bored of the same old thing. So if you add a bit of your personality and style into your work, that will shine brighter and market better than if you were to stick with the standard.But be ready. Have something to showcase your work whether it is a website or a media kit. You don’t want to throw something together last minute. The quality of a last minute project will never be as great as something well prepared and thought out. And make sure to keep it up to date. When the opportunity arises, you have to be prepared.

Quality over quantity

People like high quality things. This is why new models come out every year and video quality keeps getting higher. The quality of your content needs to be your best work. Make sure the photos you are sharing vibrant, your videos at the highest quality. Make people want to share your content on their site or tag a friend. Give them a story they want to be a part of.Keep an idea or inspiration board to pull from for days you need a little motivation. Also, think about what made you inspired by their content. Did it invoke a feeling? Was it something you always wanted to do? What was it about the photo that made you want to save it? Keep those things in mind and think about how you can bring those feelings to your work.

Make it searchable

If you were to Google something related to what you are marketing, what phrases would you search? When creating social media messaging content, keep in mind the phrases or words you yourself would search for. Have a good caption or description. Use keywords. There are tons of resources online that provide you with a list of words to make your content more searchable. A good course to learn more about this is the Google Adword course. You can read more about that course here.

Spend money to make money (not just literally)

Invest in yourself. Invest in your hobby and your passion. More importantly, invest in your business. Investments are not just material goods but also skills as well and marketing social media messaging tactics that will help maximize your reach and impact.Yes, you still need to have proper gear whether it is a tripod if you are a photographer, software or hardware if you are a designer, a good blender if you are a chef. Do your research based on your budget and availability.If you are providing a skilled based service, take classes and attend workshops. You can practice, network and get fresh perspective from people in your class. Sometimes, the newbie asking the “dumb” questions will actually be the one with the most out-of-the-box brilliant ideas. They are not used to what the “standard” is so they will have a different frame of mind than what you are so used to.Once you have some solid content, you are ready to start marketing. Along with marketing through social media, friends, family and your network, look into paid marketing. Think about how much big companies pay for ads. They would not be spending that kind of money if it did not work. You probably don’t need a big billboard on the side of the highway but you will benefit from ads and marketing on social media. Do your research on what social media platforms your target audience would most likely be on, what time of day they are most active, what other things do they follow.

Timing

Time your content to coincide with special events or holidays. Is there a random holiday that you can work your content around? National llama day is coming up, December 9th. If the holiday is big enough or silly enough, social media accounts have special features on them. Work your content around those holidays to get your content featured on the main page.Keep an ear out for what is trending at the moment? Get into high school gossip mode! What are people talking about? Whether it is good or bad, how does your content apply? Get creative but always make sure you are true to your message.

Related Topics:featured growth hacking marketing social media

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Business

Tips On Tracking Business Miles

Published

4 hours ago

August 17, 2019

Yvonette Sanchez

Are you one of those people who scramble around for auto deductions every time tax season comes along or do you avoid auto deductions because you think they are not worth the hassle?

Believe it or not, many businesses miss significant tax deductions simply because they do not keep up with tracking business miles. The good news is that tracking business miles is not a big chore. You just need a good system in place and tracking business miles is easy. Here are some tips to consider.

Use An App

Most businessmen use a smartphone and they have apps you can download to keep track of business miles. MileIQ, TripLog and TrackMyDrive are available for iOS and Android. Every time you take a trip, the app records the miles using GPS tracking and then allows you to classify the trips as business, personal, medical and other custom categories. You can also add additional details or purpose for the trips.

Daily Log

You can also use the old paper and pencil method by using a daily log you can keep in your glove compartment. The IRS wants detailed documentation so your logs need to contain date of travel, purpose (client name, meeting with supplier, banking, meeting with accountant, etc) and starting point and destination of every trip. You can also record the actual mileage if you want by taking note of the odometer meeting from the starting point to the end point.If you are only using 1 car for business and personal use, record the odometer reading at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year so that you can compute business use percentage.

Sampling Method

This method assumes that you travel almost the same amount for business every year. It also entails the use of detailed appointment books. Under this method, you keep track of your business mileage using a sample figure for a period and then use it to extrapolate your mileage for the whole year. You must keep a record of your mileage for the first three months for example and back it up with appointment books. You don’t have to use three months. You can use 1 week, 2 months or any time duration you think that best represents your business mileage for the year.

GPS Mileage Tracker

There are tracking devices you can install in your car so that it can keep track of business and personal miles. Using a Wifi system, the GPS device records driving and then uploads it to the internet so that mileage logs are created automatically. Some of them have business buttons you can push so that trips are set automatically to business. The IRS trusts GPS mileage trackers because they are usually tamper proof and backed up so that they can protect information in the case of an audit.Keep good records to maximize tax deductions that you are entitled to with the IRS. This way, you won't pay more than you owe and won’t get slaughtered by the IRS auditor.

Business

Sleep Better With Tomorrow Sleep To Improve Work Performance

Published

18 hours ago

August 16, 2019

Ginny Nguyen

Our working life consists of long office hours to various days of sleepless nights. Tomorrow Sleep is a hybrid between traditional mattresses and new modern technology to help you through those rough nights. Tomorrow products are designed to help improve your wellness by fulfilling your sleeping experience. To ensure comfort and support, Tomorrow has enabled a combination between the temperature regulating memory foam with a stabilizing coil system to enhance your night’s sleep. With the additional sleep reports, bed warmer, smart alarm, and more, this mattress company has changed the sleeping industry for the better.

During busy hours, hard workers tend to forget about their well being once their mind is set to work. That alone may be desirable to entrepreneurs since it can boost productivity, however, it can be counted as the negative opposite. Sleep deprivation undergo all of these unhealthy habits. The average amount of sleep hours an adult needs in a day is in close proximity to 8 hours a night. The cost of poor sleep is not in the increase of productivity, but in the lack of quality. A lost in sleep reduces brain function, leaving you unable to produce decent work. The effects of lack of sleep on productivity is well recorded, negatively affecting work performance - productivity and quality. Without proper sleep, you will have more issues in concentrating, learning, and communicating. This can result in slower reaction times on problem solving due to memory lapses, or more noticeably, the moody and intolerant behavior. In an interview with Bryan Murphy, Founder and President of Tomorrow Sleep, he explains how with Tomorrow Sleep, the smart mattress can properly get you the sleep you need in order to be productive the next day.

What is Tomorrow Sleep?

Tomorrow, which launched in June, is a new sleep company that combines a direct-to-consumer ethos with 100 years of American manufacturing expertise. Leveraging the knowledge and research of industry leader Serta Simmons Bedding, Tomorrow created the first truly connected sleep system with smart technology designed to help you transform your sleep and achieve your deepest, most restorative rest, offered at an incredible value that wouldn’t be possible in traditional brick and mortar stores.

What is the company passionate about?

Tomorrow was founded on the principles of a well-balanced, healthy life. We believe overall wellness requires truly restorative sleep, and having the right tools makes all the difference and that sleep is a fundamental pillar of wellness. We’re dedicated to offering our customers a better tomorrow and our mission is to provide a holistic system of products that allows people to achieve their best sleep night after night, so they can be anything they want to be in the morning.

How is Tomorrow Sleep different from other mattresses?

It really boils down to experience, control and scale. We have over a century of experience designing and engineering sleep products. Our own manufacturing, supply and quality operations here in the US produce millions of beds per year. Having this experience, control and scale allows us to invest in cutting edge, premium materials that deliver real benefits directly to our customer at a great price. As a result, we offer a premium hybrid mattress that’s designed with temperature regulating memory foam and a gently stabilizing, wrapped coil system, available at a direct to consumer price.

What started Tomorrow Sleep?

We saw that people are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of sleep as a cornerstone of wellness, however there wasn't a great solution to address that need in the direct-to-consumer space. We set out to solve two problems. First, by and large, most direct-to-consumer mattresses are made up of all foam and as such people complain that they lack support and sleep hot. Second, the bedding microclimate largely governs your ability to fall asleep quickly and stay in deep sleep. So, we set out to design a truly integrated sleep system that would help keep you comfortable, and give you the most restorative sleep possible. We then paired that system with smart technology that allows you to learn how you sleep and help improve it.

What kind of special features are included to the products?

Tomorrow provides a totally new kind of hybrid mattress, combining premium temperature regulating memory foam with a gently stabilizing, wrapped coil system that offers the perfect balance of comfort and support. Our mattress has been expertly designed and tirelessly tested to ensure every coil in our mattress flexes separately to give you unparalleled head-to-toe support and the freedom to move, while our patented ventilated rail system helps maintain a well-balanced climate all night long.Additionally, our holistic system - which includes pillows, sheet set, comforter, mattress protector and Sleeptracker® monitor - was designed to work together with the Tomorrow mattress in order to help our customers go from restless to ready for a better tomorrow. Our sleep products are made from premium materials to create the ideal sleep environment.

Is Tomorrow Sleep trying to improve? If so, how?

We’re the first sleep company to combine a holistic approach with over 100 years of sleep experience, so we’re doing things differently from the start. We’re working to improve the mattress market as a whole by offering innovative products designed to help customers transform their sleep and achieve their deepest, most restorative rest.

How is Tomorrow Sleep supporting their customers?

Customer first is a core value. We’re giving our customers the tools to transform their sleep and achieve their deepest, most restorative rest. Having a direct and personal relationship to our customer through our direct-to-consumer model allows us to make sure they are happy with our products and helps us to innovate better and more quickly.

What should people look forward to when buying your products?

With Tomorrow’s products, customers will have everything they need to sleep to their full potential.

How important is sleep?

We believe that sleep is an essential and critical component of overall wellness, just as important as nutrition, exercise and mindfulness. Sleep has unparalleled restorative powers and when we get a quality night’s rest with the proper climate and conditions, we’re able to perform better.

Why do others need to be more aware about how they sleep?

Sleep keeps our daily performance at peak condition, and we feel it’s important to enlighten consumers on the benefits of getting truly restorative rest. The more aware people are of how they’re sleeping, the easier it is to improve and achieve the best sleep possible. Our Tomorrow Sleeptracker® monitor uses bio sensors to peacefully monitor and record sleep cycles, body movements and heart rate, and delivers personalized suggestions for better sleep. Whether you’re in light sleep, deep sleep or REM, our Sleeptracker® monitor knows how much time you spend in each stage and offers feedback and tips to help you understand and directly improve your sleep.

What message are you trying to pass with your company?

Our goal for Tomorrow is to educate people on sleep’s role in overall wellness, and provide people with a holistic system of tools designed to help them live a better life, which we believe starts with a good night’s rest.

Business

How to Build Your Own Startup

Published

1 day ago

August 16, 2019

Yvonette Sanchez

Ever wonder how to build your own startup? The startup world is full of entrepreneurs who want to take their dream business from Point A to point B. Getting your business off its feet can be hard because many people are not equipped with basic business skills. In the startup culture, getting your idea to become profitable is the dream, and it's always a race to set it up. If you're thinking about starting a business, here are some tips to consider to get yourself going.

Network to build your own startup

Look for people who have "been there and done that". These people know what they are doing and can provide you with practical tips and advice on how to start. Also ask about mistakes to avoid and things to watch out for so you don’t have to learn the hard way.

Research Your Market

Market research can tell you if your idea is worth pursuing. Start your research by stating the problem and see if your business idea is the solution. Figure out how many people have this problem, and talk to them to see what they can say through a survey. Check out the competition to see how you are different and figure out how you can beat them.

Find A Mentor to help build your own startup

One of the best ways to start a startup is by finding a mentor that can guide you along the way. Your mentor can be somebody whom you can bounce ideas off of. Mentors are some of the most important and valuable resource you can tap into. They can help you take your business from idea to success through their guidance and coaching.

Brand Your Business

Branding is not only about choosing a name for your business. It is about your business identity. Choose a name that conveys the idea of your startup or the problem it solves. By this time you should also have a domain name and have marketing materials ready.

Business Plan

A business plan is like a blueprint for your business that tells you what you are going to do and how you’re going to do it. Your business plan should also have an "attack" on how you can "battle" the competition. Determine what you want to accomplish with your business and steps on how you can get there.

Your Workplace

Where you decide to work has an impact on your startup. Some people choose to work at home to save money, while others rent space or share an office with other businesses. Don’t be afraid to experiment on locations for your workplace.

Accelerator Program to help build your own startup

Think about applying for an accelerator program. These are programs that provide startups with coaching, network or small investment to help the business take off quickly. Take accelerator programs with a grain of salt, because some of them will require you to part with equity.

Raise Capital

Capital for startups usually comes from the founders. Other startups get capital from venture capitalists, angel investors or loans. These investments can be a big help to startups. However, you should only take capital from sources that they understand. If you are raising capital from outside sources, figure out how much you need to raise and how it will affect your business.Having an idea for a start up is easy. The hard part is in-between the idea and success. For startups, it is crucial that their idea become reality as quickly as possible, since delays can kill the idea. While there is no wrong or right way to start a startup, following the above steps can help save time.