Archives for April 2014

April 30, 2014 By Dawn Walnoha Leave a Comment

What Will Answering These Four Questions Reveal About Your Business?

Say you’re a small- to medium-sized business owner who’s looking to grow your company. You’d do well to ask yourself four key questions before moving forward, says former big-brand marketing executive-turned-writer Gerry O’Brion. These questions have to do with positioning your company in such a way that it is distinct from your competitors.

Indeed, all successful businesses have this in common: They have found a way to be different from their competition in a way customers value, O’Brion notes. And because our lives are packed with choices, he says, “it’s more important than ever to give customers a reason to choose you.”

That’s where the four questions come into play. O’Brion suggests reviewing your answers annually, though we here at Brandsplat think anytime you’re dreaming up a new service or product is a good time to check in and ask them again.

Question #1: Who is your target?

Sorry, but “everyone” is the wrong answer. Your target audience should be made up of your most profitable customers, those who purchase from you most frequently and those whom you enjoy serving. This group also likely comprises those customers who readily recommend you to others and tend to be underserved by your competition, he notes.

Question #2: What does your target need or want?

Remember, you’re marketing a solution to your target audience’s needs. Sometimes, those needs are easy to understand and define: My feet are cold on winter mornings. I need slippers. The most important aspect of the slippers I’m looking to purchase is that they keep my feet warm. Other times, they’re less so: I suspect I’ve been the target of investment fraud but I’m not sure, and I don’t know where to turn for help. The most important aspect of the service I’m looking to purchase could be knowledge, empathy or even direction. By understanding your target audience’s needs and wants and matching them to your offerings while keeping an eye on what you deliver better than your competition, you can further drill down into the matching game that is marketing. That brings us to the next question…

Question #3: What is your unique benefit?

O’Brion suggests that companies create a list of the benefits they provide for their customers. Start by listing which needs and wants you fulfill for your customers, and then narrow it to which of these are things that you provide but your competition doesn’t. “Many times, companies are providing unique benefits that they’re not even telling the customers about,” O’Brion says. “The best companies choose just one thing that sets them apart from competition. Then they focus solely on that message.”

Question #4: Why should they believe you?

Finally, you must give your audience a reason to choose you over your competitors, O’Brion says. If they’re switching products, give them permission to change their habits by reinforcing why your product is a better choice for them. If they’re choosing your service over another, give them a reason to feel confident that they’re making the best choice. He points to Papa John’s promise of “better pizza” because they use “better ingredients” and Progressive’s promise of low prices because they present competitor quotes right on their site and let you compare.

Once you’ve answered these four questions, you essentially have your marketing message. Now it’s time to let us use it! We’re professional content strategists who can handle the blogging and social media promotion your business needs to grow. Sure, there are lots of content marketers out there. But our unique benefit comes from our knowledge of what works on the ground when it comes to content strategy. We know it’s different for every client, and we know it changes over time. That’s why we pay close attention to getting you the results you need rather than employing a one-strategy-fits-all method. So when you’re ready to have YOUR business promoted to YOUR target audience in a way which emphasizes YOUR unique value proposition, drop us a line.

_________________________________________________

April 25, 2014 By Benjamin Porter Leave a Comment

Just When IS the Best Time to Post on Facebook?

Because we’re social media marketing gurus, we get this question all the time: When is the best time to post on Facebook?

It started back in 2012, when a terrifying statistic made its way around business circles: Facebook posts acquire half of their reach within 30 minutes of posting. While marketers had long observed this phenomenon and adjusted their plans accordingly, suddenly their non-marketing-department colleagues or even bosses wanted to know what they were doing about it. Hence today, the number of studies attempting to answer this very question is greater than all the cute puppy pic Likes put together.

We here at Brandsplat occasionally read such a study, snorting derisively at its conclusions: “First thing in the morning!” “Saturday, around noon Pacific.” “Right before the competition!” (How would that last one even work?)

We’re going to let you in on a little secret: The best time to post on Facebook is “it depends.”

Just like all aspects of your business’s marketing campaign, the right time to connect with your audience via Facebook depends largely on two things: who they are and what they want. Using Facebook’s analytics, look at the age, gender and location of your visitors. Then imagine what their day-to-day life is like. Are they mostly women, aged 45-64, in North America? Many of these women may be stay-at-home mothers or caregivers to elderly parents who are Facebooking for a break from the action. Check on visitor trends with your Facebook Insights tool to see when they post pictures, comment or share. That’s their down time — it’s when they’re at their most relaxed and interested in engaging with you. Find out when that is and hire us to camp out online and really be there with them.

But remember: If you’re a national or international company, there will be many more opportunities to engage, but the windows will be more narrow, thanks to differing time zones. All the more reason to have someone else handle the task.

April 18, 2014 By Benjamin Porter Leave a Comment

Top Three Things to Look for in a Social Media Manager (and They’re Not What You Think)

As we like to say at Brandsplat, admitting you need a Social Media Manager is the first step on the road to recovery… as in recovering your time, recovering your ability to do big-picture thinking, recovering your sense of dignity once you’re no longer haunted by thoughts like, “Did I really just retweet Khloe Kardashian?”

Once you’ve come to terms with the fact that you need someone to handle your social media presence, the next question seems like a big hurdle: What do I look for in a Social Media Manager? After all, this person will have a direct line to both your current and potential customers. They will have to handle questions and complaints for you. They’ll need to know what kind of online partnerships (in the form of retweets, Likes and other reputation currency) to form, and what ones NOT to form. In short, they’ll need to have your brand’s best interests at heart.

While we can’t help you with your Kardashian retweet guilt, we can help you find a good social media management fit for your business.

Here are three things you should look for in a Social Media Manager:

1. Brains — The Social Media Manager should be one of the smartest people you employ. We’ll say it again: HIRE THE SMARTY. This role requires the manager to use creative flair at the same time as employing analytic awareness. She must be able to think about your goals — both long- and short-term — and understand your customers’ needs and wants. She is tasked with performing public relations, brand management and customer service at once, all while watching out for potential pitfalls. Anybody can haphazardly post something to Facebook; only elite communicators can do so with a plan in place and a goal in mind, adjusting as they go. Don’t kid yourself: This is not a role for the intern or new hire.

2. Heart — Your Social Media Manager needs to care about your company and its customers. If she doesn’t, the posts and interactions will suffer. Having a true believer in this role is crucial, so look for someone who gets excited about one or more aspects of your business. And by all means, steer clear of the jaded social media managers out there — followers can sense that lack of enthusiasm immediately and will immediately associate it with you and your company.

3. Time — If you find someone who has the first two, ask a final, supremely important question: Does he or she have time to take you on? Chances are, she’s already attracted a wide array of clients who are so impressed by her abilities that they ask her to do more and more for their organization. So does she really have time for you? Does she have a hole in her schedule currently, or will she be letting go of a client or two in order to accommodate your needs? (Hint: You’re looking for someone who has been through a time when she bit off more work than she could handle and learned how not to do that again.)

Bottom line: Great social media managers are worth their weight in gold. So don’t just let your nephew who’s home from college for the summer handle your social media presence. Hire a professional.

April 4, 2014 By Dawn Walnoha Leave a Comment

Good Writers Hire Ghostwriters, Too

Here’s something that surprises our clients: You don’t have to be a bad writer to hire a ghostwriter.

“Sure,” they say after a moment. “Even good writers run out of time to write.”

Indeed. But being overcommitted isn’t the reason good writers hire ghostwriters, either. At least, it isn’t the only reason.

“Well,” they say, “maybe some good writers don’t like to write.”

That’s also true — and also not why good writers hire us.

Here are 8 reasons good writers hire Brandsplat to ghostwrite for them:

1. We give you a fresh look at your products and services.

Face it — you’re too wrapped up in your business to look at it objectively. That’s where we come into play. We can tell you what translates, what doesn’t and how to make your message ring true.

2. We improve your sales.

Sales require leads, and leads require traffic. Traffic requires content — lots and lots of content. Even good writers who like to write AND have the time to do so get sick of it or run out of ideas eventually. Our team of experienced content strategists takes that fresh look at your company and gets down to work.

3. We save your company money.

Good writers know that their time is worth much more to their company than the going hourly ghostwriter’s rate. And outsourcing is smart, because it avoids all the overhead associated with benefits and talent scouting. We’ve already assembled the Dream Team — pass us the ball.

4. We provide a professional image for your company.

Some good writers can string together stirring content but can’t edit worth a darn. Others are great at research and ferreting out typos but not at the big picture type of writing needed to really make a point. With Brandsplat, you get all of the above.

5. We keep up with trends so you don’t have to.

We know what the most recent Google algorithm changes mean for SEO, and we know when to use Vine vs. Instagram Video. Unless you really dig reading about all that, farm it out.

6. We measure and demonstrate our effectiveness.

True, not every aspect of effective blogging and social media can be measured with data. But there should be a positive trend line. When you hire Brandsplat writers to boost your marketing efforts, we show you the effect we’ve had so you can feel good about your decision.

7. We keep you out of trouble.

You know the intern who turned out great blogs all summer? Did you double check the source of the content? Yeah, might want to do that next time. Even without your company having to face legal action over “repurposed” content, your Google page rank will take a hit if Google senses you’re not writing your own stuff. Keep your company out of hot water with Brandsplat.

8. We partner with you to overcome challenges.

When we work with you, we become personally invested in your success. We think about content strategy for your business even when we’re not clocked in. We can’t help it. So when you hire Brandsplat, you don’t get a few blogs written. You get a team of engaged, enthusiastic writers who geek out over spreading the word about your company. While we’re not karma experts, we’ve got to believe that’s a good thing.

Archives for April 2014

What Will Answering These Four Questions Reveal About Your Business?

Follow Us

What Will Answering These Four Questions Reveal About Your Business?

Question #1: Who is your target?

Question #2: What does your target need or want?

Question #3: What is your unique benefit?

Question #4: Why should they believe you?

Just When IS the Best Time to Post on Facebook?

Follow Us

Good Writers Hire Ghostwriters, Too

Follow Us

Good Writers Hire Ghostwriters, Too

1. We give you a fresh look at your products and services.

2. We improve your sales.

3. We save your company money.

4. We provide a professional image for your company.

5. We keep up with trends so you don’t have to.

6. We measure and demonstrate our effectiveness.

7. We keep you out of trouble.

8. We partner with you to overcome challenges.