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Sharing Your Story to Connect With Your Customers

2/10/2021

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People love stories. That’s why a lot of us read books, watch movies or binge watch a favorite TV series. It’s a way for all of us to connect. The emotions that come with shared experiences can be universal. Everyone wants to feel something. To feel connected. The power of storytelling is an engaging way to interact with and include your customer base.

As part of your social media presence, sharing your company’s personal stories and experiences, while asking others to engage with you, can be appealing to people. If the subject is relatable, they will want to reach out to feel like they are a part of something. You can connect with your audience by telling your story:
  • What motivates you?
  • Why did you pick this business?
  • How did you get started?
  • When you built your business, what were your challenges and successes? 

Find stories that will appeal to people who might actually use your products or services. Hearing personal stories like these, can inspire your customers. Pose a question to them at the end of your story to get them involved. For example, after a heart-felt story of what motivated you in your business, ask your followers what they are passionate about. 

People remember a company that has a personal story. On multiple occasions, I’ve heard others talk about how they bought something from a small company that makes their own t-shirts where the owner is a mother with a new small business, or this newlywed couple that started a company inviting other couples to design their own wedding rings with them in their own personal workshop. The story you tell doesn't have to be lengthy or overly complicated if that's not the real story. Just tell YOUR real story, and people will find they can connect with different aspects. Have a cat in the office? Talk about how the cat came to be in your office or home. Lots of people have pets and like hearing about our furry friends. Show that your company and employees are personable human beings, and that you’re not just a faceless, corporate entity. 

It's also important to talk about your employees (if you have employees) and what they provide for your business. Do you want them to gain experience? To have a friendly and fun work environment? People love to hear about good working environments. Try featuring your employees and their stories of working for your company. Maybe have them talk about what they have learned working for you, what projects they are doing, or why they picked that career.

You could also talk about where you are located and your presence in that community. If you have a cause you support, share that as well. People love to hear about what charities are being supported, and will be more likely to utilize your company, or even talk about your company with others about it.

Engaging customers with relatable stories allows them to feel like they have something to contribute, by sharing their own similar stories. And once you’ve got them interested in your story, you can use it to include your business services.  If you can resonate with your customers, the engagement will follow. 

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6 Tips To Keep Your Social Media Profiles Up To Date

3/18/2020

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When is the last time you got the opportunity to stop and think, "Are my social media platforms up to date?" Now is the perfect time to seize that moment.  Like most business owners you're focused on the daily grind, website content is usually the last thing on our minds, even for those of us who do it for a living. We thought we would take the time to remind you to GET YOUR PROFILES UP TO DATE now that the entire world is watching!

Since many of us are working from home over the next few weeks with the recommendation  of "social distancing" on our minds, our time on the internet is skyrocketing. If someone goes to your Facebook page and it's the information isn't current or you haven't posted in awhile, they may think the temporary closure is permanent and move on to your competition. So how do you get things up to date and what's important? We're glad you asked. Here are 6 things to help bring those social media profiles into the current:
  1. Update your business information: Double check everything from your phone number to the address. Make sure your message is consistent across the board starting with your description and ending with your about me. Your followers like to see the same BRANDED content and consistency. For those of you thinking you don't need to add information to the "Our story" feature on Facebook, you should think again. Now more than ever, potential clients are reading into the backstories of the people they are supporting, make your story known, and get it up-to-date NOW!
  2. Update cover photos and profile pictures: Nothing says your business is still thriving like updating your photo content.  There are several apps that can generate a custom design or you can google the proper dimension so it represents your brands. Remember, each profile should look similar, so people know they are visiting YOUR company.  Pro-tip: The cover photo for Facebook desktop and mobile can look different, so be sure to design your photo so it showcases well on both. 
  3. Update your content calendar: Whether your content calendar is a simple spreadsheet with a few links, or 3 months of content planned out, it's important to have ideas and goals to keep your customer-base engaged. There are days when we post something off the cuff to our followers, but most of the time, we should have our content planned out. Having an idea of what to post on a given day makes all the difference between being scrolled past, or sparking interest in a new client. If you aren't sure where to begin, we can help. You can even check out one of our previous posts on content calendars by clicking here. 
  4. Keep posting: Consistent posting is key in keeping people hooked to your business online. Let's face it, right now...everyone is online. We will refer to number 3 for the content calendar, but most importantly, find a schedule and stick with it. If you want to post 3 days a week, do it! If you want to post 5 days a week, do it- BUT STICK WITH IT! 
  5. Clean out your social media inboxes: One thing that often gets put by the wayside is checking in on your social media inbox. We're not just talking about messaging people back (which should be done with the same haste as your emails), but you also need to comment back and interact with your followers. We know, it's hard to keep track, but now is the perfect time to comment on those posts from last week or reply to a customer. Your response doesn't have to be lengthy, but you do need to take the time to engage your customer. 
  6. Make sure your website contact information is up to date and working: A lot of times we don't remember to update our website with a new phone number, policy, or address if we've changed suits. Now is a great time to thoroughly read your own content, and make sure you stand by every word on your platform. This includes going through the pages of your website to make sure everything is running properly, this is typically an afterthought and shouldn't be. If it isn't, update your information. A contact form that isn't working is costing you customers!

All in all, these are pretty simple steps to get you updated, but we get it. There's only so much time in the day. Our goal at Spotlight is to do the dirty work for you. If you simply don't have time, or even better, just plain old don't want to, get into touch with us and we will gladly take the tedious tasks off your hands! It's time to turn the Spotlight to your business, and generate a solid social media following now!
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Sick of Posting on Social Media and Coming Up With Your Own Photos?

2/22/2020

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PicturePhoto courtesy of Angela Divine Photography.
Angela Divine Photography and Spotlight Business Solutions have paired up to help YOU take social media off your plate for 6 months!  Angela is a local Twin Cities photographer who specializes in offer custom brand photography and we will take care of the social media strategy and posting for you so you can focus on the other aspects of your business! 
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This is for you if:⁠
✅Don't know what to post or when to post.⁠
✅ You are spending hours and hours planning your social content every week.⁠
✅You are using stock photos or that 2 year old head shot⁠
✅You are too busy to post consistently.⁠
✅You spend more time on your screen then with the ones you love.⁠
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We are only taking 3 clients and at a very special price, so if you want in, you better hurry.  Send us a message if you're interested! We'd love to hear from you. 

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Social Media Calendars

11/2/2019

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Are you creating a Social Media Calendar for your business?

You are a champion when it comes to your business! You schedule your work hours throughout the week. You never miss a coffee date with a new client. You are always on point when it comes to communicating with your clients. You color coordinate your calendars and have your life and business organized!

What about your social media accounts?

Here are 3 tips that will help you create your own social media calendar:
  1. Schedule time each week to plan your social posts for the week. Pick a time that works best for you and repeat that each week. Think about what you want your clients to know, what questions your clients are asking, and how you can bring your personality to your business page.
  2. Now that you have an idea for the week - schedule your posts! Scheduling your posts at the beginning of the week (Ex: Sunday Night) will save you time and energy! Pick the day and time you want your post to hit your Facebook Business Page and enjoy when it hits your timeline!
  3. Stock pile your ideas! As you scroll through your timelines and newsfeeds, save the posts that inspire you! Start FOLLOWING people of like business on Instagram, LIKE similar businesses on Facebook, and get CONNECTED with people on LinkedIn - you never know who may inspire your posts for next week. (Don't forget to give credit where credit is due!)

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    Author

    Amy Lauria, the president of Spotlight Business Solutions, has been working as a social media marketing and website ninja since 2005.

    This blog features local businesses, fun things to do in the Twin Cities, and informational posts.
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    We hope you enjoy.

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