Social Media Trends–Don’t Let Your Competitors Snatch Your Customers!

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SPECIAL GUEST POST!

I appreciate Dana allowing me the opportunity to do a guest post. I admire her enthusiasm and faith to let God build her business. I’ve learned a lot from her already. She’s talented and knowledgeable about business and branding.

To share a little bit about me, I’ve been married for 19 ½ years. I have three wonderful boys ages 12, 15, and 17. I graduated from Bible college in 1991.

I’ve been blogging, learning everything about WordPress (one of my passions), creating digital info products and content for about nine years. I love learning and sharing content about online marketing. My son and I have a little fascination for the “techy” side of business things. And truthfully, I hate paper work.

As I’ve seen an interest from my readers in learning more about social media marketing, I’ve selected a topic on this aspect to share with you today.

Warning: Social Media Trends Are Moving Forward. Your competitors are ready to snatch your customers.

Some people cringe at the mere thought of using social media for their business, while others simply dive in like it’s the best thing since the invention of the washing machine…cycle after cycle they love the evolving stimulation that social media brings. Social media can indeed wash up some good results for your business. The frustrating part can be that with the fast-changing technology, it’s hard to stay afloat on the “next best thing.”

It’s important for smart business owners to be aware of trends across social media in order to stay abreast of the best way to use social media to improve business. It can be hard to know what the next best thing is, but there’s trends happening now that you can keep a watchful eye on. This will help you to stay aware so that you take notice when change is coming and you’re not taken off guard by continuing with old methods that no longer work.

Here’s some noticeable trends happening right now:

Widespread Usage of Mobile Devices — People are using mobile devices more often for social media than in the past; therefore, most social media companies are designing for mobile first. That’s why it’s so important to be involved in “responsive” mobile design yourself for all your online real-estate. Have you checked what your site looks like on mobile devices? How convenient is it to navigate on your site with these devices? It’s now prime time to make it a priority for your business.

Don’t go overboard with automation –- There’s lots of “social media automation tools” to schedule tweets, posts, replies, automatic follows, etc. Be aware that social media is by its very nature supposed to be social. If you’re using too much automation, people will start to ignore you, and soon only the bots will be reading your tweets.Stay connected socially with your followers; use automation sparingly.

Close Interaction — Consumers want to feel important; mobile devices allow you to stay in constant contact with them. You can use a variety of methods (you don’t have to choose them all) to interact on a one-to-one basis with your clients, customers and potential clients. Facebook, FourSquare, Google+, Instagram, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter, and your blog, are a few select ways to stay in close connection. Which ones you choose will actually depend on where your targeted customers and clients might hang out the most.

A few other ways to take connect closely to your customers include:

Google’s hangouts –- The hangout feature provided by Google is becoming popular on a rapid rate. People love the interaction on such a personal level. It’s a tool where you can educate your customers, but also let them get to know you on a more personal level.

Skype –- Skype is another way to stay closely connected with customers.  And with the mobile features, it works great with smartphones and other mobile gadgets. If your business is growing at a fast past, you can dedicate a team to manage your customer service via Skype.

LiveProfile — http://www.liveprofile.com/ is a free messenger app.

Smart Group — https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smart-group-email-sms-text/id378476242?mt=8  “Smart Group helps you manage groups and smart groups directly from your iPhone. With just a ‘Tap’, you can send SMS / Email to all your group members at once. There is no need to type!”

Take Advantage of Apps — People are practically addicted to their mobile devices. Take advantage of this. Create an app for your business. There are templates you can use and brand for your market, or you can hire someone to create a specially branded app that your customers would like to use.

Smart Search Alert — People are getting much wiser at filtering out content they don’t want to see, and they know how to keep in view the content they want to see the most. Social media has actually been playing a role of doing that for you for quite some time.

For better or worse, organic search doesn’t necessarily work the same as it used to.Although this can be difficult for marketers, it’s great for consumers. Business owners just need to stay up with the popular trends to take advantage of the possibilities.

Content Curation — Great content has always been and still is king, but it’s even more important now than in past years.Content curation is sorting through a vast amount of content for the purpose of gathering and sharing the best content on a related topic or niche.

No one “knows it all”… and your customers and followers appreciate you even more when you have their best interest at hand. You show you care by sharing related content that can help them.

Side Note: Realize that content is not just text. It’s pictures, graphics, videos, audio, conversing with others, and any other form of sharing communication.

Sharing content is basically all of the things you do on social media. Your followers, who are interested in your niche, want to see your content, easily access and consume your content, and share your content. It shouldn’t look like a newspaper or magazine advertisement. Remember, consumers will resist being sold to in such a way.

Your content should look and feel like important, useful, interactive, valuable information that’s also visually appealing and tells a story.

Here’s the facts: Consumers hate being sold to — they want to be engaged!  Trust me; this is going to bring about a whole new level of excellence to social media.

So what to do to take action:

Focus on keeping the quality of your content high. If you don’t your competition will win their hearts.

Create a relationship with your customers. Truly care for them. Respond to them. Ask them what they need and want.

Stay up on trends. People are using mobile devices. Again, your competition will cater to their needs and win their hearts if you don’t.

Stay consistent. Social media isn’t a one-off event. It’s a compilation of many small steps, possibly hundreds, that finally result in close interaction and relationship building with your customers and clients.

Rhonda White loves Jesus – She’s a Christian wife, mom of three boys -– a  solopreneur, blogger, information publisher, WordPress fan; Loves the “Techy” side of business. Join her FREE Membership at http://herchristianbusiness.com for more great information on growing your Christian Business.

What is Branding? And Why You Need It to Succeed!

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What is branding?

Many small business owners and entrepreneurs ask that question. And some don’t even know to ask that question in the first place!

Sometimes in business, it’s good to get back to the basics. And the most basic question of all is, “What is branding?”

It’s amazing how many small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs do not know the answer to this question. In fact, they don’t even know to ask the question!

Yet, corporations spend thousands upon thousands on what they see as their most important asset–their branding.

Why is it important and what is branding anyway?

A brand is an identifying mark that conveys ownership of a business or organization. Primarily a logo mark, it is consistently and strategically applied across all marketing mediums. This assists a target market in identifying the brand and distinguishes it from the competition.

But a brand is much more than an image. It’s the connection, an emotion, that the brand has with an intended audience.

A brand speaks of value and over time, it gains name recognition. A brand builds trust and credibility. But if the brand does not meet the expectations of consumers, the brand becomes associated with negative feelings, which can hurt the business.

A brand encompasses how a prospect is treated from the first point of contact to how repeat customers are treated. It includes the personality of the business. It speaks to the essence of who the company is, why it exists, and to whom it serves.

It speaks to products and services offered by a business. A good brand brings satisfaction and familiarity. A good brand consists of a well-constructed logo, excellent customer service, and a seamless integration of visuals that attract the customer and keeps them coming back.

Without a brand, and without that brand encapsulated into a logo, a business will not be able to distinguish their products or services from other businesses. A lack of a brand or inconsistent images will confuse prospects. It will scare them away.

A solid brand that includes a well-constructed logo is important because it communicates immediately to a prospect the value of the business and attracts customers like a magnet.

That means more leads, conversions, sales, and profits!

And that means you have a brand that sizzles and a future that dazzles!

Would you like more information on what a brand is and how to build a successful business? Register today for my free 5-day course, 5 Secrets to a Wildly Successful Home Business!

Why You Should Never Quit and the Secret to Being Wildly Successful Instead!

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It seems like in today’s world, we are all looking for that magic pill.

That one program that will make us automatically rich at the touch of a button. Or that diet that will easily make us super-model thin. Or the exercise video that will give us rock-hard abs in only minutes a day. Or that curriculum that will easily make our children advance two grade levels.

The problem is, these are delusions.

I know, we all want to avoid the pain. We all want it to be effortless.

But anything worth having is worth fighting for. It’s worth the pain. In fact, without going through the pain, we will not truly come to appreciate our successes!

Believe me, I’ve wanted to quit time after time. Perceived failures led me to want to throw in the towel sometimes and just walk away.

Some days I have cried in agony and could only sit before my Heavenly Father, soaking up His presence.

But then, a little sunshine breaks through and I get a fresh perspective. God keeps encouraging me onward and upward!

I heard it said once that, “It took me 10 years to be an overnight success.”

Everyday my job is to plant seeds and trust that God is going to bring the harvest in His time. It really is as simple as living out what He has called me to do on a daily basis.

It’s a journey of faith. You see, even last fall I was not confident enough to call myself an entrepreneur. I didn’t think that I was worthy of the title. How could God use me? After all, I’m just a homeschooling mother!

But something changed inside me. I began to cast aside the lies that were holding me back. I began to step out in faith like never before. I embraced God’s calling on my life, to be an entrepreneur. I have something of value to share with the world and what I do can make a real difference in the lives of thousands of families. I am invigorated by that vision!

And I discovered that what God’s really after is a change of my heart before He will change my pocketbook!

But how did I keep this mindset amidst what seemed like fruitless effort at the time?

I always keep my “why” before me. This is the secret to great success as an entrepreneur!

And it’s not just to make money. Yes, that certainly is a goal, but there’s a reason WHY I want to make the money!

To have economic freedom! To be completely independent. Able to do what we need to do for our family.

Especially when it comes to our Asperger son. He is my “why.” I can’t just “go out and get a job.” I am my son’s teacher and primary caregiver! He is counting on me to be at home teaching him. Besides, there’s very few jobs to find anyway!

Failure is not an option! I realized a few years ago it’s either be wildly successful or file for bankruptcy and give up our house and send our son to school. That is how serious things had gotten for us. I will not go there!

Because so often it is the fear of loss that motivates us rather than the hope of gain. We want to stay in our comfort zones where it’s safe. We are willing to just survive because it seems far more safe than risking it all in order to thrive.

But anything worth having is worth the risk!

So I keep pushing, I keep praying, I keep learning, and I keep getting my name out there, my brand, over and over again. Maybe people are sick of hearing about me, but I’ve got to get my brand out even more! To do that, I have to make a plan to get it out and I have to build a team!

A few years ago, I made a plan and I set an intention, a desire–to be a wildly successful entrepreneur. God has assured me every step of the way, mostly through a daily reading of the Psalms. It truly is a journey of faith as He reminds me that He is going to do it, not me, and that everything is going to work out. I can be confident in Him and that as my CEO, He is going to prove trustworthy.

He reminded me the other day that I am beautifully, fearfully, and wonderfully made. I need to step into His plan for my life and not look back!

What about you?

Think about Thomas Edison. He failed time and time again to get the light bulb working. But he never quit and think how he changed the world!

As I saw on one of my friend’s Facebook status awhile back, “Failure is simply feedback. Notice, learn and try again.”

It reminds me of my experience last fall. I had tried an online writing program for my son, thinking it would free up some of my time. But it actually took more of my time and my son was so frustrated he couldn’t even get past the first assignment. I told him that he was not a failure, we just needed to try something different. So I stepped up and did what I knew I needed to do all along–create a writing exercise based on visual learning using magnets and my freezer! The lesson went so much better and I can see that this method is going to be successful!

Never quit! Allow these times of frustration to be times where you build perseverance into your soul. Cultivate patience. I think we as the microwave generation could use a whole lot more of it!

If you have this attitude, then your brand will sizzle and your future will dazzle! And you WILL be wildly successful!

Do you want to create a wildly successful business? Sign up for my free 5-day ecourse and discover how you can build a lasting business and be freed from economic hardship.

Photo by Sam Beasley

Brand Image–The Best Components for Your Brand

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You have decided to create a new brand image for your company. But what are the most important components of your brand?

Here are some ideas so that you will have an effective brand image that gets results:

1) Your company name

You want your name to mean something visually. Not just Helvetica in black type.

There is so much more to your name than your name! After all, as Shakespeare said, “What is in a name?”

Think visually. What word associations does your name bring up? If you have more than one word in your name, what does each individual name mean?

Designing your name into a work of art is going to set you apart from your competition. Don’t forget this very important component of your brand.

2) A logomark

Logomarks are symbols that communicate your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). They can be illustrations, photographs, paintings, computer art…

But make sure the symbol truly does incapsulate what you are about!

Also, a logo mark as a symbol is usually not detailed. Keep it simple!

3) A slogan

This is a short, pithy statement that gets people talking, that makes your audience want to hear more about what you do. The more memorable the better.

It also serves to show your prospects your USP.

There are many ways to come up with your slogan. Keyword research, a thesaurus, and condensing an elevator pitch are just some of the ways that come to mind.

Whatever components you choose to use, make sure they reflect who you are and what you do! That will mean you have a more effective brand image! And that will help you have the dazzling future you have been dreaming about!

Would you like more ideas on how to create an effective brand and build a wildly successful business in the process? Take my free 5-day mini course by clicking here!

The Christian Entrepreneur–3 Steps to a Dazzling Future!

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So I have a question for the Christian entrepreneur–how do you go about fulfilling the promise that God gave in Jeremiah 29:11?

In the video below, I share 3 ways that you can embrace this promise, to have a dazzling future.

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Want more ways you can embrace your dazzling future?

Take my free mini-course on how you can be wildly successful.

Watch my free video series on how you can create a brand image that will make a sizzling difference in your business.

 

Together may we reach new heights in our businesses and beyond!

Graphic Design Artist–A Capabilities Portfolio Showcasing 17 years of Work!

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Graphic Design Artist. That’s what I’ve been these past 17 years. And I have repeatedly showed my acumen for creativity and excellence in my designs.

And I’m pleased to announce that I’ve encapsulated a small portion of that body of work into a new capabilities portfolio video!

It represents work I’ve done for the last 17 years, as a graphic design artist for The Navigators, a freelance designer, volunteer designer, joint venture project designer, and as owner of my publishing company, AngelArts.

I have designed logos/brands, signage, conference brochures, notebooks, event printed materials, brochures, magazines, advertisements, promotional products, t-shirts, identity collateral, newsletters, flyers, posters, cards, and web banners and graphics. Pretty much everything you can think of.

This video by no means represents everything I’ve done. That would be a REALLY long video!

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Want to know more about how YOU can have sizzling brands that will propel your business to new heights? Take Dana’s free mini video course at http://www.MakeYourBrandSizzle.com

Business Success Secrets–Your Second Way to Soar Like Never Before!

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Business Success Secrets.

Everyone wants to know that magic formula that will propel them to a six figure income. Or even better yet, a seven figure one!

But how do you get there?

In the next few posts, I will be describing ways you can gain clarity for your business and experience amazing success!

In the last post, I talked about letting go of the expectation that all it takes is a magic pill, that perfect program, that system, or that formula that will skyrocket you to wealth beyond your wildest dreams.

Today, I will talk about what you need to replace that expectation with. You need to shift your mindset to one of a magic pill to realizing that being an entrepreneur is a journey of faith.

Because that’s what Business Success Secrets is. It’s a journey of faith.

You see, even last fall I was not confident enough to call myself an entrepreneur. I didn’t think that I was worthy of the title. How could God use me? After all, I’m just a homeschooling mother!

But something changed inside me. I began to cast aside the lies that were holding me back. I began to step out in faith like never before. I embraced God’s calling on my life, to be an entrepreneur. I have something of value to share with the world and what I do can make a real difference in the lives of thousands of families. I am invigorated by that vision!

And I discovered that what God’s really after is a change of my heart before He will change my pocketbook!

It is not an easy process. I have had to face deep-seated fears. Fears that I don’t matter, that God is going to abandon me, that nothing will ever change.

While all around me, needs scream out to me in desperation. I am forced to be utterly, completely, absolutely dependent on Him.

I have to come to a place where I am an entrepreneur so I can serve others, not out of desperation. My efforts always fall flat when this is my primary motivation. It is hard, especially when finances get tight. Believe me, I’ve been there.

Because when you see your prospects not as dollar signs but as people who could truly benefit from what you have to offer, it’s not about what you can get, but about what you can give. And because you value yourself more with this mindset, you will charge what you are worth.

And that will help your success soar! And you will have a sizzling brand and dazzling future!

Are you ready to take that next step? Are you ready to soar? Then take my 3-month Brand Identity Quest course. You will learn step by step guidance on how to build your brand as you build your business in weekly downloadable lessons and actionable assignments. Get started right away by clicking here.

Photograph © Sam Beasley

Business Success Secrets–Practical Ways to Become Wildly Successful

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Business Success Secrets. How do you bridge that gap from failure to becoming a wildly successful entrepreneur? How do you go from frustration to soaring and excelling?

In the next few days I will be sharing with you Practical Ways to Become Wildly Successful!

Here is my first one:

1) Let go of the idea that all it will take a magic pill.

It seems like in today’s world, we are all looking for that magic pill.

That one program that will make us automatically rich at the touch of a button. Or that diet that will easily make us super-model thin. Or the exercise video that will give us rock-hard abs in only minutes a day. Or that curriculum that will easily make our children advance two grade levels.

The problem is, these are delusions.

I know, we all want to avoid the pain. We all want it to be effortless.

But anything worth having is worth fighting for. It’s worth the pain. In fact, without going through the pain, we will not truly come to appreciate our successes!

Believe me, I’ve wanted to quit time after time. Perceived failures have led me to want to throw in the towel sometimes and just walk away, even recently.

Some days I have cried in agony and could only sit before my Heavenly Father, soaking up His presence.

But then, a little sunshine breaks through and I get a fresh perspective. God keeps encouraging me onward and upward!

I heard it said once that, “It took me 10 years to be an overnight success.”

Everyday my job is to plant seeds and trust that God is going to bring the harvest in His time. It really is as simple as living out what He has called me to do on a daily basis.

And when it comes to your branding, there is no magic formua. It takes work, thought and preparation. You will not be able to find a cheap and free logo that fits your business message perfectly and connects to your target audience. There is no magic pill in graphic design or marketing, either!

Because truthfully, you get what you pay for. If you expect your prospects to invest in your business as customers, then you need to invest in your brand. And that’s going to raise the value of your products or services, which will positively impact your bottom line.

Are you ready to invest a little time in learning how you can make an effective brand? Then sign up for my free video marketing course. It will only take minutes of your time and you will gain an understanding of how the process works. Just click here to get started immediately!

Photo © Sam Beasley

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