2019… the year of the Pig
In Chinese culture, 2019 is the year of the pig, a year of wealth and good fortune. For small business owners, this probably seems fitting. “A year of wealth and good fortune for my company? Yes, please!” But like most things, positive results not only take a little bit of luck… they take a lot of effort as well.
Great results take personal and financial sacrifice; saying no; saying yes; learning new things; wearing a baseball cap one minute and then a fedora the next, when you’re hat of choice is actually to have a good hair day for once. Small business is not for the faint of heart, y’all.
This is the year for your small business
2019 is not only the year of wealth and good fortune. It is the year small business owners get out their pens and paper, or their tablets, and write down their business goals and plan of action to ensure “wealth and good fortune” happen for their business in this new year.
For us, helping small businesses succeed is what we are all about. We love to see the visionaries and those committed to what they are passionate about grow! And we do that through strategic branding and marketing.
So, as you write and rewrite your plan for this year, here are a few marketing and branding tips to add to the list:
1. Streamline your brand
Your brand is more than your logo. It is the feeling that your company brings to the table, and using the right colors and words to help communicate that feeling helps to streamline your brand.
The best way to tell whether your brand is streamlined or not is if it’s recognizable on all platforms. From your logo to the tone of your writing, your brand should look and feel consistently like you!
2. Up your social media game
As a small business owner, managing your social media among the other million things you are doing is no easy task. There are resources out there to help you schedule your posts – things like Hootsuite or Sprout Social, to name a few. But as far as creating content to post, that is more time consuming.
Social media is more than just for generating leads… it’s a tool that allows you stay in touch with your prospects, current clients, employees and even potential employees. So, when creating content for your social platforms, remember to keep your audience in mind and to think about the purpose of why you want social media for your company.
It is also a huge credibility building tool. Oftentimes, when you’re talking to a prospect about doing business with them, the first thing they will do is go to your website. The second thing they will do is go to your social media. First impressions are important – in person and online. So, if your social media does not match your business properly or match your website, you’ve lost credibility.
3. Let your website do some talking
Your website should be a tool that best represents you. If your company has grown over the last few years, for example, but your website still looks like you are a small company, you will need to revisit it.
How do you know if your website no longer represents who you are today? Outside help. Business owners are intimately involved in the growth of their business so much so that it may be hard to make sure your online presence is keeping up.
Also, be realistic with your expectations. If your company is established or growing fast, you probably won’t have any time to think about your website. This is why hiring an expert to come and do it all for you is key.
A great marketing company will be intentional about understanding what makes you different. They will get to know your industry, your team, your products or services, and most importantly your customers. This knowledge will allow them to do it all for you, from the content strategy to the implementation, creating a beautiful website that represents the heart of your company.
4. Speaking of talk, how’s your audio search doing?
Audio search is on the rise, which means more and more people are asking Siri (Alexa and many others – we see you too) all sorts of questions. It is expected that 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020.
And keep in mind that these searches are often done in more conversational language compared to the choppy language commonly used when using Google. This means you will need to add more text to your SEO since voice searches tend to be longer. So, is your SEO keeping up?
5. Video is still very in!
According to WordStream, one-third of online activity is spent watching video. Video still causes people to pause and watch, which means this is a great way to get the message of your business out there.
Also, remember that when creating video for your business, it is best make sure the length of your video is less than 90 seconds. The shorter the better, it seems. So, make video for your business a priority. Start the year with videos that connect and engage prospective clients.
A year of wealth and good fortune – that’s what 2019 is going to be for your business, with a little bit of branding and marketing help. As for us at Bold Entity, helping small businesses succeed through marketing and branding is what we are all about. We love to see the visionaries and those committed to what they are passionate about grow. So, as they say in Chinese… 加油! Keep it up!