It’s difficult to forget an encounter with Emida Roller. She’s fearless about approaching people with her warm smile and shining personality that draws you right in. Before long, you’ll find yourself asking about her passion and what she does for a living (only to discover the two are one and the same). The genius behind Emida Roller Productions, she’s turned her love of art into a thriving small business. It’s not an exaggeration to say she’s mastered the art of the deal. Luckily, she’s willing to share her must-have marketing tips to boost your brand’s visibility. Conquering the fear of connectingTerrifying is a word some entrepreneurs and small business owners use to describe marketing themselves to others. If in-person networking events are part of the process, you can kick that terror up a notch. Approaching perfect strangers and striking up a conversation doesn’t come naturally to many people. That’s OK, said Emida. “You start small, you get more comfortable, and then you push yourself,” she said. Emida recommends an effective strategy for coping with the anxiety that comes with convincing yourself to put yourself out there. Pretend you’re an actor on stage. The networking event is a production and you’re the star. “You have to switch it on,” she said. “If you do it enough, you’ll get more comfortable.” Another coping mechanism is to find yourself a networking buddy. Her daughter is a wonderful artist. However, Emida said she struggles with the networking part of marketing. To quell her fears and give her a confidence boost, Emida goes to networking events with her daughter to serve as her personal cheerleader. “Go with somebody,” she said. “You get that moral support and you’ll be less anxious if you’re talking in a group.” If you’re new to in-person networking, Emida has one more trick up her sleeve. She suggests starting with a smaller event to break yourself in. Once you build up your confidence, then you can attend larger events more comfortably. Networking strategies that stickEvery small business is different. Marketing strategies that produce sustainable growth for one brand might fall flat for another. However, learning about different approaches can help you decide which approach resonates with your ideal customer to give you a starting point. “Find people who are doing similar things – someone who is doing it better – and find out how they’re marketing and putting their names out there,” said Emida. “Most people want to share their techniques and help you if you just ask.” When you go to community events or other in-person networking opportunities, go the extra mile to stand out in the crowd. One of Emida’s best ideas for an upcoming conference she plans to attend in March is to make a jean jacket with a scannable QR code about her business on the back. Doing so shows off her artistic skills and makes learning about her business easy and entertaining. “Sometimes, networking and promoting yourself is boring,” she said. “You have to find a way to make it fun.” Besides in-person networking events and community gatherings where she can introduce herself and spread the word about her services, Emida has found success in making valuable connections on Alignable. An online referral network for small businesses, Alignable boasts more than 8 million small business and micro small business owners as members. Think of it as a virtual Chamber of Commerce. Its targeted approach and community-focused features help small business owners forge meaningful connections in their local or niche markets. “Joining Alignable has been a great way to find people who need my services and whose services I can use,” she said. “One good thing about Alignable for me is there are a lot of marketing people there. I can tell my story better than anybody else, but there comes a point where I know I need help, and (Alignable) is a good place to get it.” Solving setbacks and other growth challengesWhen Emida first started out, her business was called Wall Designs by Emida. She concentrated on creating unique wall art in the interior of homes and businesses. To promote her work, she sent letters to local building contractors introducing herself and offering to personalize the interior walls of their model homes with her unique designs. “I was surprised because four of them took me up on my offer right away,” she said. It turned out to be a good marketing move. “You have 10,000 people walking through those homes in a 2-week period and that’s great exposure for my art.” Eventually, she started getting enough work to keep her going as an independent artist. She also began doing outdoor murals, which required figuring out many things – including how to set up a scaffolding by herself. “When you work by yourself, you have to tackle many challenges,” she said. Emida became so proficient at setting up a scaffolding alone that she had her daughter film the process. “Then, I uploaded it to my YouTube channel and shared how to do it with other people. I showed all the tricks I use by myself. Those videos have more views than the ones of my actual art stuff,” she said, laughing. Today, her business name has evolved to reflect the full experience customers can expect from working with her. “I’d been thinking about a name that encompasses everything I do. I don’t just show up and paint a mural and go home. Now, I have a conversation about the theme, get ideas from the community on what should be in the mural, and involve them in the whole process,” she said. “My big thing is how I engage with the community. That’s part of my branding. I’m not just an artist. I’m a community engager.” Her unique approach to community involvement earned Emida a lot of free press. Reporters would give her their numbers and ask her to call when she started her next project. Starting over again (and again)One of the challenges Emida has faced with marketing her business involves her and her husband’s shared passion for moving to new places. The couple recently moved to Georgia after spending about 3 years in Connecticut. Every time they move, Emida starts over again with marketing her brand. Instead of getting frustrated, she finds ways to connect with her new community to spread the word about her business. She attended a town meeting and contributed to a discussion about creative ways to get people involved. In the process, she naturally worked in how her business brings communities together on an art project. “Marketing is like a boulder rolling down a mossy hill,” she said. “The more you do, the more the ball rolls and gathers moss.” Even though her challenge is unique, the lessons about how to solve it apply to any small business struggling to market itself. Emida recommends looking for different places to spread your work and to do a good job when hired so those customers will keep recommending you to others. “Every 6 months, reach out to former clients to thank them again and remind them you’re still doing the work if they know anyone who needs your services,” she said. Keeping the pace (and peace)One of the lessons Emida learned early on in her business was the value of having a solid contract before beginning work with a new client. “I started out without (contracts), and I had problems,” she said. “Having a signed contract eliminates a lot of problems.” Another struggle she encountered in the early days was second-guessing herself through the slow times. “I would wonder if I could sustain myself with my business model,” she said. “But I found ways to keep the flow by spreading out the work.” Instead of trying to do 2 to 3 projects simultaneously, Emida staggered the start dates and rotated between large and small jobs to give herself breaks as needed. Final words of marketing wisdomRunning a small business comes with a steep learning curve. Generating enough leads to turn a profit is one of the many lessons you’ll either pass or fail. Learning to embrace the challenges as opportunities and stepping outside your comfort zone to build a strong network are surefire methods that have helped Emida survive and thrive. “Be prepared,” she said. “Know what you bring to the table and be willing to give a bit more than expected to leave a lasting impression. Be assertive, and you’ll close the deals.” About the Author - Shari Berg
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An effective small business content marketing strategy is an essential tool for growth. Without it, you’re flying blind without a clear destination. Many entrepreneurs and small business owners struggle to effectively convert curious prospects into brand loyalists. Embracing the transformative power of marketing funnels turns stagnant traffic into engaged leads and one-time buyers into repeat customers. Understanding and leveraging the power of content marketing funnels gets your brand in front of your ideal customer to build trust and establish authority in your niche or industry. Constructing a conversion-focused funnel allows you to map out an optimized path that aligns with your marketing objectives. Cracking the marketing funnel code unleashes your brand’s potential. Here’s how. Marketing funnels and their importanceA marketing funnel is a strategy that takes prospects through a series of touchpoints, moving them closer to becoming customers. The funnel method attracts a wide pool of prospects, and then narrows it down to the most qualified leads as they progress through each stage. Think of it like a master fisherman at work. First, they cast a wide net into the open waters, gathering an abundance of fish in their initial haul. But not all the fish match the kind the fisherman’s customers prefer. To sort their catch more efficiently, they feed the fish through a funnel that separates the keepers from the toss-backs. Only the prime, healthy fish that meet their standards move into the live well to go to market. A marketing funnel works the same way. Some content is designed to capture initial attention and traffic. Once you have interest, the next step is to turn that traffic into viable leads with more targeted content that educates, entertains, and solves the problems of your ideal customer. They continue to move through your small business content marketing funnel to become loyal customers, while lower-quality leads are tossed back out into the digital sea. Why marketing funnels are importantMarketing funnels are important for improving conversions and maximizing the ROI for marketing initiatives. They provide extra benefits to entrepreneurs and small businesses by:
Understanding the pitfalls of stagnant trafficStagnant traffic refers to website visitors who enter at the top of the marketing funnel but fail to move through the subsequent stages to become loyal customers. Your small business content marketing funnel is negatively impacted in several ways when traffic becomes stagnant:
Common stages of a small business marketing funnelThe stages of an effective marketing funnel vary depending on your specific business goals. While customization is possible along the journey, most small business content marketing funnels follow a similar underlying structure. Stage 1: AwarenessThe initial phase focuses on introducing your brand to potential customers and getting on their radar. Entrepreneurs and small businesses must prioritize awareness in their content marketing strategies if they hope to survive and thrive. Some of the most useful types of content for awareness include:
Stage 2: ConsiderationAfter prospects have regularly consumed your content, they start considering their options. This is where targeted content comes in handy to help them decide what to do next. Some of the content types that fit nicely with this stage of the funnel include:
Stage 3: DecisionOnce prospects know your brand exists and have explored some of the benefits of your products and services, they’ve reached the critical juncture where they decide to buy from you or shop elsewhere. Here’s where a little creativity goes a long way. Produce content that offers the following:
Stage 4: RetentionYour work is far from over once you convert a casual visitor into a first-time customer. This is where so many entrepreneurs and small businesses fall short in their marketing strategy. In this final stage of the funnel, the focus is on keeping existing customers engaged, satisfied, and loyal to your brand. Ideal content for this phase includes:
3 keys to implementing marketing funnelsWhile the stages and methodology behind marketing funnels provide a solid foundation, executing an effective funnel strategy requires honing in on some key elements. Three core focal points small businesses must concentrate on to put impactful marketing funnels into practice include:
Taking a strategic approach with your small business content marketing strategy centered around moving prospects through the funnel transforms how you acquire and retain customers. Common challenges in funnel implementationCreating and implementing a marketing funnel isn’t without its challenges. Understanding and addressing these roadblocks head-on enhances your ability to seamlessly convert stagnant traffic into valuable leads. Two of the most common obstacles include:
Quality content’s role in traffic activationHigh-quality content plays a pivotal role in activating marketing funnel traffic. It serves as the catalyst for capturing the attention of potential customers, engaging them, and seamlessly guiding them through each stage. Key roles include:
Crafting an irresistible lead magnetNo marketing funnel is complete without an irresistible lead magnet. It serves as an initial point of engagement and plays a pivotal role in shaping the prospect’s journey. Do it well, and a lead magnet kickstarts the customer journey, fosters trust, establishes authority, and sets the stage for successful marketing funnel progression by:
Kick your small business content marketing into high gearA strategic marketing funnel is the fuel that accelerates your small business content marketing efforts toward reaching your business goals. Marketing funnels convert passive traffic to engaged customers. Constructing your funnel with conversion-focused content tailored to each stage of the process empowers you to attract ideal leads. Consistently analyzing your funnel metrics enables you to identify and eliminate weak points that are costing you leads. The power of marketing funnels is yours to harness. About the Author - Shari BergBusiness owners must do more to help their brands stand the test of time. Gone are the days of developing a useful product and providing excellent customer service as the only components of longevity. Case in point: visual branding. If you’re wondering what the heck visual branding is and why you need to add it to your business model, you’re in luck. I sat down with visual branding guru Tina Wolfe of Tina Wolfe Creative Business Solutions recently to talk about all things visual branding. Tina provided some valuable insights any size business can use to influence how their brand shows up in the marketplace. Check out her tips then reach out to her for any projects that require her expertise. What the heck is visual branding?I know what you must be thinking. So many marketing terms, so little time. Why must you throw one more at us, Shari? If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you already know I’m not a fan of jargon. All industries have unique lingo that drives the common folk mad. Since I’m all about providing useful information my readers can understand and apply to everyday situations, I avoid jargon like most people avoid meetings that could have been an email. Visual branding – sometimes called visual identity – is simply the fancy way of describing how you build your brand’s presence through visual imagery. There are four key elements of visual branding:
Now that you know what visual branding is, let’s break down how to do it the right way with some handy tips from Tina. Branding vs. visual identity: what’s the difference?Sometimes marketing professionals use these terms interchangeably. That’s a big no-no and can be confusing for the uninitiated. Branding and visual identity are two different things. Creating a strong, positive perception of a company’s products or services is branding. It includes communication strategies, brand archetypes, and values. Think of it as that one thing that sets your business apart from every other business out there. Visual branding promotes consistency of your brand through visual elements like colors, fonts, images, and logos. Plating these visual clues in every piece of content produced helps customers quickly and easily identify it with your brand. Here’s a simpler way to describe the difference between the two. If branding is the bridge to your ultimate customer, then think of visual branding as the paint for that bridge. “Visual branding is really just an extension of branding,” said Wolfe. “It takes it one step further and lets you do so much more with your ultimate customer.” How is a visual identity used?Before you can create a visual identity, you must familiarize yourself with all the ways it can be used across different platforms. Among the most common places businesses use visual branding include:
How do brands create a visual identity?When working with clients, Wolfe uses a questionnaire to help identify the core values that define all aspects of a business. “How do you, as a company, want to show up in the world? What is the most important thing to your business? Is your business service-minded? All these things come into play when you’re looking at crafting both written messages and the visual around those messages to attract your ultimate customer,” Wolfe said. “It’s just such a simple thing. It tells your audience that you care about how you run your business because you’re putting that attention to detail in all aspects of your business.” Identifying the ideal customerShe also takes her clients through the customer identification process. Some marketing professionals use what’s known as an ideal customer avatar. Wolfe said she dislikes using that terminology because customers are real people that are best served when businesses keep that in mind during the visual branding process. Regardless of what you call it, the process is the same. It creates a deep dive into the person behind a brand’s ideal customer to identify all the characteristics that make someone an ideal customer. “Who is your customer? Who are you serving? What’s important to them? Why do they want your product? Why do they need your product?” are some of the questions Wolfe said she asks her clients during the visual branding process. The answer to these questions helps Wolfe craft a visual representation of a client’s brand. Problem-solving with visual brandingVisual branding works best when it solves a problem, Wolfe said. Coca-Cola is an example of a company that has nailed the problem-solving aspect of its visual identities. You can find the company’s logo, color palette, signature font and imagery in every piece of content it produces. Moreover, Coca-Cola creates marketing campaigns that are pure visual identity genius, featuring their products as the solution to everyday problems. Take this ad produced for the 2021 holiday season. It takes problem-solving to a whole new level. The ad is chock full of visual identity, including a Coca-Cola box that puts the finishing touch on a community effort featured in the ad. “Every time you see the Coca-Cola symbol or a bear at Christmas time, you know that’s a Coca-Cola commercial,” Wolfe said. “You automatically identify it.” What visual elements make a brand stand out online?As previously mentioned, there are four key elements of visual branding. Let’s break each of them down and talk about their importance to a well-rounded visual identity. Color paletteColors evoke emotional responses. Warm colors like red can represent anger or hostility, while cooler tones like blue and green promote feelings of calm and relaxation. Before you choose a color palette to represent your brand, you must decide what emotions you want to provoke in your target audience. Once you decide on colors, you must be consistent with their use in all digital and printed materials for your brand. Logos, advertisements, and website banners must all incorporate your colors. Most people choose one main color, then form the rest of the palette around it. You can do this by choosing darker or lighter shades of the same color or complementary colors. Fonts and typographyFonts and typography are important components of your visual identity. Any graphic designer worth their salt explains this to their clients before they create a logo or a banner for a website. Big, block lettering exudes stability and strength. Swirly scripts tend to denote elegance and tradition. Headers should be distinguished from body copy in digital and print media. The key is to choose fonts and typography that bring a balanced look and feel to your brand. Graphic design and imageryGraphic design elements like icons, patterns, shapes, and textures can add dimension to your visual branding. They can be used on websites, social media platforms, and even printed marketing materials. Be sure to use your color palette and fonts and typography in any design elements for consistency. Illustrations and photos are part of this category. Custom graphics and photos must represent your brand voice. Custom illustrations should use your color palette when possible. A well-placed logo within an illustration also is advisable. When choosing photos, make sure the objects, people, and places within the photo communicate the right message. Marketing pros call this “on-brand” visual messaging. For instance, if you’re a travel agent focused on exotic locations, choosing imagery that clearly illustrates some of the cool places you can send your clients would be on brand. LogoLogos are arguably the most important visual branding item in your toolkit. All other elements should be shaped around your logo. Wolfe said one of her first clients – a chamber of commerce – had a logo but nothing else. While the logo was recognizable by everyone in the community it served, most people couldn’t explain the purpose of the organization. She took that logo and created a visual branding package around it by adding a color palette, fonts, a stylebook, and a visual branding guide for their logo. “Everything we put out was then consistent with their mission statement and brand. When people saw a billboard, they knew that it was the chamber of commerce. When people saw a flyer, it was designed in such a way that it was obvious that the chamber was behind it.” How does visual branding enhance the customer experience?Every company strives to build trust with its target audience. After all, loyal customers refer your products and services to others, helping to grow your base. Some of the other ways visual identity improves the customer experience include:
Tools for creating your own visual branding“Canva is a great tool for business owners with small budgets who want to incorporate visual branding,” said Wolfe. “When you’re a small business owner, you’re wearing all the hats. Canva can help with creating basic visuals for all your marketing campaigns.” Businesses can choose between a Canva free or pro account. User-friendly tools like a drag-and-drop editor and access to more than a million free graphics and images can make visual branding affordable. Another tool Wolfe recommends is Buffer for social media management. Like Canva, it has a basic free option, plus three other plans at increasing price ranges. Businesses can prepare and schedule social media posts consistent with their visual branding to maintain consistency. Use Canva to create the graphics, then schedule them in Buffer. Need more help with visual branding? Reach out to Wolfe today to schedule a hassle-free consultation. AuthorShari Berg has known she wanted to be a writer since she was old enough to hold a pencil in her hand. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and it’s her job to discover it. Shari owns The Write Reflection, a Pittsburgh-based copywriting and content writing company that empowers small business owners to wield the power of words. |
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