Small Business Archives - Page 2 of 2

August 31, 2020August 30, 2020

Using Creativity to Keep Your Customers Engaged

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created an atmosphere of uncertainty and apprehension. We have all felt the effects. Using creativity in times like these is crucial.

Businesses have had to adjust to consumer demand. The result often leads to unemployment or uncertain employment futures. Unfortunately, this is likely to get even more prevalent as we head into the autumn: the beginning of flu season. It is not out of the realm of possibility to see a resurgence of businesses shutting down or cutting back.

Life is not as it was pre-COVID, and it is not likely to return any time soon. So, what do we do during this time? We have discussed some of the first steps in previous blogs. Those are logistical steps to turn our businesses in the right direction. So, what are some things that we can do to engage our customers, grow our businesses, improve our mental health, and have some fun too?

Creativity is paramount to engaging your audience, whomever they may be. In today’s changed world, we are turning to creative outlets more and more to spread word about our business. We use these outlets to reach those who would gain the most by it.

COVID-19 has given us all a major hit. We must turn to online ventures more to reach our customers, our clients…our audience. We need to reach them in a clear and engaging way, but what exactly does that entail?

One of the best ways to engage with people online is by using creativity and injecting that creativity into what you are doing. It isn’t enough anymore to only post random updates on social media. People want engaging content. They want something that will entertain them while also informing them.

Art for Healing and Business Growth

The healing powers of art are well documented. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “creating visual art can reduce stress and promote relaxation in people who are … home bound due to illness.” The article goes on to say that creative activities can improve communication and relieve stress. Moreover, the benefits come from the creative process.

This is important because many of us do not consider ourselves artists. The process of creating the art is one of the most beneficial aspects. Creative ways we use to remain clear headed will only help our mental capacities and business productivity.

Now is the time to think outside the box. Now is the time to start incorporating new modes of communication into your marketing strategy. So, let’s take a look at three ways to incorporate creative media into your marketing plan during COVID-19.

Using Video to Connect with Your Customers

Video is a very important tool to any business. A whole article (several even!) could be written on this subject. We will only scratch the surface here. Video is the perfect way to entertain while also informing. Keep the tone light, the camera moving, and have a story to tell.

For example, you may want to show what you’ve been up to during these uncertain times. This is a great medium for you to do that. And you can have fun with it! You want your audience to trust you. Talk to them as if they are your friend but be genuine! People will notice right away when you aren’t being genuine. This can only have negative consequences.

There are several types of video you can choose from. It doesn’t only have to be 30-second advertisements. Consider a “behind-the-scenes” video tour, or “live streamed events.” This last option is a great option during these times because it can also be a product.

Video is versatile. It’s posted on social media platforms (most platforms have video functionality). It’s used to “liven up” a website page. It’s implemented into blogs. The list goes on. Be sure to keep your videos on the shorter side. Less than two minutes, one minute would be best. This will help you to get the most engagement from your audience.

Using Your Creativity in Photography

Man taking picture with camera. — Photo by Vocne

In the same way video works, photography also helps brighten your business to customers.

If video is used in many places, photography is used in even more places. Think of all the places you use photography. Your website, your graphic designs, advertisements, signs, blogs, social media platforms, business cards, and so on.

The more visual content you can produce the better. Text is good, too, but you don’t want too much. You want to strike a good balance between the two.

And why not get even more creative? Consider merging your video and your photography into one? Slideshows are a great way to do this.

Graphic Art to Wow Your Customers

We live in a digital age. Art can come in many forms. The process of creating art is beneficial to our mental and emotional well-being. By using our creativity, we focus our imagination into the graphic art world we can play two important roles: it keep us engaged, and it keeps our customers engaged.

How do we increase traffic to our goods/services that result in sales? Let’s take the idea of running a promotion. Let’s say you have some aging inventory in your shop, and you want to move it before your seasonal goods come in. Promotions are great ways to drive traffic, volume, and clear inventory. Sure, we take a hit on margins, but if that is offset with enough volume, then it can be a good measure to take.

But only putting a sale on Facebook or Instagram will yield less-than-stellar results. Adding a new graphic design that is relevant to your sale and business can add a new level of uniqueness to the promotion. This new design can give a visual identity for a one-time promotion. It can also help a recurring promotion. You can also put a seasonal twist on your current logo (which already has an identity that is yours). There are limitless possibilities to get creative. You can make your promotion stand out from the crowd.

Always Be Looking Toward the Future

No matter what type of creativity you use, always be looking toward the future. That is key to success. It is easy to get bogged down in the failures of yesterday, but they don’t have to dictate the successes of tomorrow.

By creating content that is creative, you will engage your customers. During difficult times such as these, this is crucial. Remember: your customers are also at home right now. Reach them in their homes and keep them wanting to click on your name before someone else’s.

August 17, 2020August 17, 2020

Restarting Your Business in Times of Uncertainty

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of stress for business of any size. It has always forced us to make difficult decisions that we weren’t prepared for. In times of uncertainty it is more crucial than ever before. Yet, making tough decisions are a part of the “process” of running a business. They are another cog in the machinery of business. We may not like these decisions, but they are necessary.

They don’t have to weigh you down. These decisions can be an empowering part of the reconstruction of your business. They are the spark that sets everything else in motion. They will send you toward your reopening and your “new beginning.”

Taking the First Steps to Move Forward

Coffee being scooped into brewer. — Photo by Vocne

Grab a cup of coffee and sit in your favorite, comfortable chair. Create an environment where you feel at ease. The workspace in which you do your tasks is important, even if it is at your home. A comfortable atmosphere will yield positive results because you’ll be in a positive frame of mind. A chaotic atmosphere will yield chaotic results.

Start by doing an audit of your company. Go through all your assets. These assets should include, but is not limited to, the following: revenue, costs, products, online content, and so on. Get a list of everything you have about your company. It is impossible to know what you need if you don’t know what you already have.

Once you know what you have to work with you’ll be able to create a plan to move forward. You’ll be able to see the whole picture of your business. This is important in your reconstruction phase.

Creating Goals: What Do You Want to Achieve?

Next, determine what you’d like to achieve. You may have determined (and everyone’s situation is undoubtedly unique) that the business environment right now is not going to generate the revenue levels that it did before. It can be helpful to make some decisions regarding goals or objectives that are realistic, but still ambitious.

Maybe this means generating enough revenue to cover operating expenses, to ensure all employees remain on payroll, and to provide the necessary needs for you and your family. This may mean that you want to do is adjust your earnings projections by 10%. You get the point.

Each situation will be unique. Once you have audited your situation and determined what you have and where you want to go, you will be in a clearer position to move forward. You will notice the uncertainty beginning to clear up.

Identify Obstacles so You May Overcome Them

Man writing notes with pen. — Photo by Scott Graham

Identify the obstacles that stand in the way of you and your objectives. What things will present a challenge to achieving your predetermined objectives? Is it the lower consumer confidence as a result of COVID-19?

If you are in the restaurant business, with the current capacity requirements for social distancing, the revenue would be too restrictive to reach your objectives. The obstacles could be few or they could be many. But knowing what they are with a good degree of certainty will help you tackle each with a strategy.

Build and implement your strategy to overcome the obstacles. As the heading suggests, now is the time to build a plan to reach your objectives. By breaking down the problems into smaller pieces, it makes the challenge easier to reach. It makes it more specific to each situation.

Even the Big Companies Have to Make Adjustments

As an example, in early June, Starbucks announced the closing of nearly 400 of its company-owned stores in 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation.

Starbucks is making adjustments based on their projected loss of revenue. They realize that with the uncertainty of the future they needed to make changes. It will be a while before people can feel safe to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in one of their restaurants.

One way to adjust to this reality is to convert or open more drive-through and curb-side pickup locations. This allows the company to serve consumers, likely cut overhead with stores with smaller footprints, and use fewer employees. We realize that we all don’t have the flexibility and leverage that Starbucks has. Yet they can serve as a reminder that we all have our unique challenges. We can be creative on how we can overcome them.

How to Tell if Your Strategy is Working

Measure the efficacy of your results and adjust your strategy if needed. After all this work toward identifying all our challenges, developing a strategy, and implementing that strategy, how do we tell if the strategy is working? Sure, we can see how much money is coming in and how much we are spending on our expense lines, but how do we see if we are making the right moves?

Monitoring sales coming in is a strong indicator, but there are so many metrics to look at. These metrics will be specific to our situations. The important point is to track these metrics because it is important for us to know if changes to our strategy need to happen.

This is essential even in “normal” times. It is even more important when navigating through times of uncertainty like we are seeing with COVID-19. We are likely going to need to be creative on how we manage our businesses. We will need to know the health of our businesses in real time, which will allow us to be proactive when possible and reactive when necessary.

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020

Navigating Uncertainty in Business

Boxing Gloves — Photo by Bogdan Yukhymchuk

In times of uncertainty, it is easy to lose sight of what is important. We get bogged down with worries and apprehensions. Our minds are racing in darkness, and we feel as if we can’t stop it. Simple tasks get thrown to the wayside. Complicated tasks get put to the forefront because we think we need to “go all in” in order to break out on the other side. All we end up doing is pushing ourselves deeper into the mire of uncertainty.

“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
-Rocky Balboa

If there is anyone who knows how to take a punch or two, it is the fictional character Rocky Balboa. As some of our favorite movies growing up, there is something inspirational about a down-and-out character. A character with the odds stacked against him. A character who is presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a name for himself and who defies the odds and exceeds all expectations placed before him.

The basic premise that life will throw figurative punches at us is a powerful statement that can be applied to many areas of our lives. Now, this blog is not about Rocky, or boxing, or taking punches to the chin. It is about the punches that life can throw us (and there will be many). It is about how we can process our situations while remaining focused.

An Ever-changing Landscape Amid COVID-19

Business is Closed Sign — Photo by Tim Mossholder

COVID-19, the subsequent closing of our consumer-based economy, and the redefinition of life as we know it, has thrown a considerable “punch” to business as usual.

Many businesses have been hurt by the coronavirus situation in 2020. Small businesses have been especially hard hit. These feelings of despair are a natural phenomenon in difficult times where everything seems questionable.

You are probably asking yourself, “How am I going to bounce back from this?” or “What is the first thing I should do?”

The first thing to do is this: Take a deep breath and realize you are not alone. Across the country, and across the world, there are a plenitude just like you: small business owners wondering what the next first step is.

It is easy to imagine yourself all alone stranded on some island. Our minds tend to drift to those extremes. It is a daunting task to bounce back from a major hit like the coronavirus pandemic, but it can be done. The first step is clearing your mind of what you think you can’t do and realize all that you can do.

The pandemic has presented considerable and unprecedented challenges to how we do business and live our lives. So many things that we did in person have now moved to digital formats. Uncertainty and change have led to widespread bouts of anxiety. It can be difficult to sort through the barrage of information to determine what is relevant to us.

Persevering Through Adversity

You may be just like us: Trying to figure out what the future holds and how to navigate the uncertainty. How do we maintain our businesses and help foster growth when what we are experiencing in the world is changing by the hour?

The answers are not easy, and it can’t be answered with a single blog post. What can be addressed is that regardless of our circumstance and despite this rather large “punch,” there will always be a foe at the other end of the ring. What gives us solace is that navigating the uncertainty that we face today will prepare us for a similar strategy for the next punch: using each other to support and work together.

We are all experts in our fields and each of us bring some unique experience or talent to the table. That’s why we develop teams of people and work together to leverage these talents toward particular goals. This is why we sometimes employ other experts outside of our organization to look at our issues from a different lens.

Perhaps most important of all is having character traits to remain calm, steadfast, adaptable, persistent and resilient. This helps bring clarity to the uncertainty. Sometimes it is the “Rocky mentality” that can help with the array of “punches” that come our way through life.

December 5, 2019August 2, 2020

Why Copywriting and Copy Editing are Key to Success for Businesses

Every business relies on copywriting and copy editing in order to navigate the online market landscape. It is an essential element in telling your story, growing your brand, and making potential customers become actual customers. However, despite its importance, it is an easy element to overlook when drafting your business plan.

What is Copywriting? Copy Editing?

We should differentiate between “copywriting” and “copy editing,” both of which are important to your business.

Copywriting is writing with the sole purpose of advertising and marketing. I.E., to write catchy copy that will “sell.” This is different than “Content Writing,” which is more about “telling” instead of “selling.” Both are important, but we’ll focus on copywriting for now.
Copy Editing is editing the written content for readability, for punctuation, and for purpose. A copy editor might change a word so that it has a greater impact. They may also rewrite clunky sentences to read easier, thereby ensuring audience engagement

As you can see, both elements are very important and complimentary to each other. But how (and why) should you focus your attention on these elements? Let’s take a look.

You Want Audience Engagement

Audience engagement is all about keeping your readers reading. The second they click away you have lost a potential client. This rings true no matter what medium you are displaying your text, whether it is a blog article, an advertisement, a social media post, or even white page and eBooks. The ultimate point is clarity and engagement.

This is where having a creative spin on your copy is important. Boring and overly technical copy will coax your readers to yawn and turn away. Of course, there are times when this sort of writing is necessary, but when it comes to advertising and growth, even just a little creativity can carry you a long way.

You also want to make sure that what you are presenting is not overly complex, especially with sentence structure. As with anything, there is a time and a place for complex writing, but first impressions are huge, so it is best to keep it simple and easy to read. The easier it is to read the more likely your readers will read everything. This is where a copy editor is crucial because they will know exactly how to edit the content for your purposes.

Quality Over Quantity

Now, it is very easy to want to put out as much content as possible, but is this advisable? Most likely: no, it is not advisable. But why? If you are generating a lot of content (i.e., quantity) then it is safe to assume that the content is being generated quickly. Each individual piece of copy is not getting the attention it deserves and therefore will suffer.

It is far better to make sure your content is perfect (i.e., quality) so that when it goes out into the world you will know, for a fact, that it is good copy that will engage your audience and drive traffic to your business.

When you take care of these elements yourself it is far more likely that the copy itself will suffer. This isn’t because you’re necessarily a bad writer or editor, but because you have so many other things that need your attention that you don’t put the energy into the writing that it deserves. Remember when Old Navy forgot an apostrophe on one of their t-shirts? They had to reprint all their shirts because they wrote “Lets Go” instead of “Let’s Go.” That one apostrophe completely changes the meaning of the phrase in question.

Professional writers will know exactly what to do to tell your story. They will work with you to create a product you will be happy with. A potential customer could come down to a single word choice or a piece of misplaced punctuation. Little errors like these will create an unsophisticated appearance, which is never a good thing.

So the next time you’re thinking about writing an ad, or any copy at all, consider a copywriter to write it for you, or a copy editor to look at what you have written and polish it into something special. Remember, the editing tools that come with word processors (such as autocorrect or those blue lines indicating grammar) can only take you so far. These tools cannot know your intent, they can only know what you write. And even then they can get it wrong. It’s better for a person to look at it physically because they will be able to add intuition to the process.

November 14, 2019August 2, 2020

A Helping Hand is a Far Better Thing…

The way a small business runs is always evolving, and the marketplace is always transforming as well. With these changes comes added responsibilities. Each new method of telling your story, advertising your brand, and growing your business creates layers to your base of operations. In short, there will always be roadblocks. There will always be challenges facing the small business owner. At a glance, that is what Vocne is all about: to lessen the burden of having to deal with so many elements by yourself. Acquiring a helping hand is a far better thing than trying to do it all yourself and coming up short.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

It is easy to believe that you can take on everything while running your small business. The prospect of saving money is always an enticing one. Yet, in the end you may end up sacrificing quality for quantity. There is that old cliché “jack of all trades” that applies to this idea. The more jobs you take on the greater chance that you will come up short in what you are trying to achieve.

A lot of times a small business owner will feel overwhelmed. We are here to help lighten the load. Many of us have felt that the standard operating procedures of large companies are cumbersome and restrictive. However, each step is a necessary part of the entire process.

Every Step is a Necessary One

Take one example of a design process that may seem familiar. At a large company a new advertisement is needed for a local publication. A request is submitted with some basic details to an in-house design team. Sometimes the design team sends a counter-request for more details on the project. This goes back and forth like this as the advertisement evolves from a draft to a final product. Afterward, the advertisement still needs to pass through the copy editor and the in-house legal team before they release it.

This process is time consuming and often expensive, but it is necessary to ensure a perfect final product. Large companies can afford to hire entire teams to complete each of these steps. We know from experience that a lot of smaller companies cannot. This is part of Vocne’s specialty. We help lighten the load at an affordable price. We make sure your requests are well-done, completed in a timely fashion, and effective.

Don’t be afraid to get help for one or more elements you struggle with. Your ROI (Return on Investment) will be far greater when the job gets the attention it deserves. Getting help will also allow you time to focus on other elements of your business that deserve your sole attention. A helping hand is always a far better thing than doing it alone and coming up short.