Hello Friends!
Our Founder and CEO, Tisha Holman was featured in VoyageDallas Magazine! VoyageDallas thinks if people knew more about the lives, journeys, struggles, values and background stories of the local business owners, artists, etc they would be more engaged with them, more likely to do business with them and support them in other ways. They believe the best way to do that is to help get the stories of local hidden gems out there, because once people get to know each other at a deeper level they are confident our communities will become even closer and more supportive.
Take a look at the article!
Click Here to Read the Voyage Dallas Article
Hello Friends!
You may have heard us mention CoSchedule in our Vlog from our Founder and CEO Tisha Holman, called Tisha’s Favorite Things. We thought we would share a few more deets as to why this is a GREAT add to your toolset for your business.
Let’s get into it!
Eliminate the endless email threads, piles of sticky notes, and the dozen and half moving pieces. Focus on the real work of writing top-notch content AND growing your audience. Your goal as a business owner should be to ensure your day-to-day operations are efficient and scalable….this helps you accomplish that goal!
Sync all your favorite tools and social platforms into one place, so you can focus on driving traffic to your blog (not jumping from one tool to the next). CoSchedule integrates with tools such as WordPress, Google Analytics, Evernote, Google Docs, MailChimp, Zapier, and more! And you’ll soon see that CoSchedule will help you erase the need for some of these tools….it really is a one-stop shop!
Oh! By the way….we had a chance to interview Chris Paul, Head of Customer Success at CoSchedule on our Podcast….LISTEN HERE.
If you are familiar with Mind Your Business, you know we are BIG on data-driven strategy…..
CoSchedule makes building Social Media Campaigns easy as pie…this tool is really a time-saver!…and it is scalable! It’s a great option for the small business and the enterprise level user!
Seen enough to spark the joy needed to improve your team’s effectiveness? Click HERE to get started!
Until next time….keep minding your business
Hello Friends!
Are you wondering how to create a great brand presence for your organization? Branding your business is more than just a snazzy logo or a pretty color palette.
The digital marketplace is an easy way to market your brand. When it comes to branding, consistency builds credibility! Are you a credible brand? Having a strong brand helps develop customer loyalty, which in turns creates Brand Ambassadors. Is your brand in demand?
Let’s get in to it!
Here are five things great brands do well…how do you measure up?
Any seasoned entrepreneur or C-level executive will tell you that great businesses solve problems for their customers. If you want to create a brand that withstands the test of time, don’t just start a business – Create a product, or offer an exemplary service that is the clear answer to someone’s problem. Will you be the next Amazon or Google?
Everything connected with your brand has to have a distinct purpose behind it. Time is our most valuable commodity –once it is gone, we cannot recoup it. With that being said, do not spend time engaging in activity, investing in resources or hanging on to people that do not help move your business forward. There should be measurable purpose in all that you do.
The only constant is change. Particularly in the digital space, your brand has to move and groove with new trends and technologies. Your assessment of the problem you solve for customers must be dynamic and continuous. The way you solve their problem today may not be the same way you solve it five years from now. Adapt!
Great brands are deeply authentic and transparent in every touchpoint with their constituents. Customers need to trust the brand, not just the product or service you offer. How do you respond to Public Relations conundrums? Are you socially responsible? Is your executive leadership visible and relatable?
The world of entrepreneurship is very competitive! It is not enough for you to be simply good at what you do, you must be great. Your product or service has to be the best option for your customer. Figure out your value proposition, leverage it, and be great.
Until next time…keep minding your business!
Hello Friends!
Instagram TV (IGTV) was first introduced in June 2018 and is seeing rapid growth on the platform. We already that vertical video is the trend for how users will consume content on social media, and IGTV is the ideal playground! IGTV is actually a long form video app much like YouTube, but it is accessible within Instagram. These videos are full screen, vertical videos with a time duration of up to an hour. Due to its growth and popularity across many areas of interest, brands are leveraging this platform to make more meaningful connections with their audiences. It is important to build IGTV into your digital strategy as there is much opportunity in this space.
IGTV is giving brands a new opportunity to maximize how they share their ideas, products and services on social media.
The Instagram algorithm automatically targets specific posts for specific users based on the content they liked or previously watched.
IGTV is an incredible platform for brands to elevate and amplify their message on social media. Video content is about to eclipse the digital arena…develop a plan for IGTV and stay competitive in your industry!
Until next time…keep minding your business!
Hello Friends!
I am very excited about the launch of my new book, Go Ye Into All The World Wide Web. In the book, I discuss the idea of churches, pastors and leaders approaching their efforts to build their digital footprint from a different perspective. Instead of digital marketing, it is Social Ministry.
To me, Social Ministry goes beyond social media – it encompasses a ministry’s entire digital presence: website, email, apps, podcasts and social media.
Here is an excerpt from Go Ye Into All The World Wide Web where I delve into this concept a bit deeper:
We are living in different times. In order to reach the next generation and keep your members engaged, your ministry has to have a solid presence in the digital marketplace. “Going into all the world” has taken on a new connotation: a strong digital presence allows your ministry to impact the world beyond the pews. Do you have a plan in place that positions your ministry to operate with a spirit of excellence? Is your team (both staff and volunteers) equipped with the skills, tools, and resources needed to support the ministry online?
I have worked with many organizations, large and small, that see the value of digital marketing and social media in today’s competitive marketplace. I have sat at conference tables with some of the most talented marketing professionals developing robust strategies to accomplish the goals of the organization in a variety of industry verticals. While I am a staunch advocate for this process, I think it should be approached differently in the church. When it comes to impacting lives for the kingdom of God, the bottom line should be souls, not traditional marketing deliverables. Now don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a business side to churches venturing into the digital arena. Inherently, having an online presence comes with additional operational costs and a skilled staff to make things happen. However, it is my position that in the midst of the operational costs, staffing needs and the monetization possibility of this work, the main thing needs to stay the main thing: The Great Commission.
So, let’s define social ministry. Social ministry is the untapped, often underestimated opportunity the local church has to disciple and change lives through its online platforms. The task is great, but the plan is simple. The following pages will give you the framework you need to develop a solid plan for your ministry in the digital arena. The plan will give you insights from two perspectives: practical tactics, concepts and mechanics, and the more God-inspired impact you can have through social ministry. You need the information that defines the practical needs to implement the principles I will explain. However, with that comes how things can be implemented in a way that still allows you to approach the work in alignment with what God has called you to do.
Your church’s social ministry should ultimately be an extension of everything that is going on within the four walls of your building. Advancements in modern technology have given you the power to reach far beyond the pews! Once you have a strong foundation laid, build upon it by developing ministry-centric campaigns that have a primary objective to touch souls and enrich the lives of the people you serve. Prepare to mind God’s business in the digital space.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to go into all the world and spread the gospel. Do not lose sight of that and I surmise you will stand in awe of the ways God will enlarge your territory, just as he did Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.
Order your copy of the book today by visiting the “Shop” tab.
Until next time…keep minding GOD’s business as you build your Social Ministry!
Tisha
Hello Friends!
It’s my Birthday today and I thought this would be a great time to share some of my absolute favorite things related to the wonderful world of digital marketing with you to celebrate!
Let’s get into it!
Until next time…keep minding your business!
Hello Friends!
We are excited to share that we have just launched a podcast called, You Need To Mind Your Business!
You Need To Mind Your Business is a weekly podcast that gives entrepreneurs tips, tools, and resources they can use to elevate their business in the areas of: Digital Marketing, Social Media and Branding.
Expect insights on best practices, the insider scoop on emerging trends, new applications, and more!
Look forward to engaging conversations with expert guests, and other surprises along the way! The podcast is LIVE – get caught up on the episodes you missed and subscribe!
For your listening pleasure, simply click the link below to catch the podcast on your favorite platform!
Share this with a friend!
Until next time…keep minding your business!
Hello Friends!
Today, personalization is the key to marketing. According to research, 2/3 of millennials expect marketing to be personalized to them and will unfollow a brand if they feel it lacks authenticity. So, how do we create messaging that doesn’t feel packaged, but rather personalized to who our customers are and what they want?
One way to do that is to create a buyer persona.
A Guide to Buyer Personas
What is a Buyer Persona?
A buyer persona is a fictional representation of who your customer is. The intelligent understanding of your customer base is essential for creating effective marketing, sales, and branding plans. Without an accurate understanding of your buyer’s demographic info, how they buy products, and common pain points, it is impossible to develop the right product with the right messaging.
Once we have an understanding of who our buyer is and what they want, we can create content that adds value, develop products, and create a sales funnel that will lead to conversions.
How it Works
How do you create a buyer persona that accurately captures your idealized customer?
It all comes down to research. The easiest pool of data is your current customers. Can you identify any patterns in your customer base? Are they based in one region or one type of region? Are they of a certain age group? Do men prefer your product to women?
By asking these questions, we can begin to create a fictionalized persona that includes the gender, location, income level, education, family situation, and hobbies and interests of our customers.
Another tool that we can use is Facebook Audience Insights. This is a very powerful and underutilized pool of extremely helpful data. By using this tool and others like it, we can see who our customers are, the pages they like, where they tend to live and work, and what they like to do. We can even see who is liking our competitors’ page and the things they like as well.
The other thing that we want to do is gather real-time analysis from your customer base. Reach out to your customers about their experience, and even reach out to those who decided not to become customers and find out why. That way you can include real quotes and common obstacles in your buyer persona.
We also want to understand what your customers’ goals are. These can be related to your product, but also don’t have to be. Understanding the goals and aspirations of your customers is a great way to add depth to your persona and is essential for creating effective and personalized marketing. Remember, great brands are the solution to someones’ problem.
After we have gathered all of the relevant information the last step is to create a name for our buyer persona. If your product is a hiking equipment company, you may want to name your persona Hiker John. Then you can list his relevant demographic information.
He lives in Boulder, CO
He is 30 years old
He works at a technology company and makes a salary of 100,000/year
He is married and has two dogs
Once we understand who John is and what he wants, it becomes much easier to ask questions like What does John want and how can we give it to him? What are his dreams and aspirations?
This fictionalized persona can be one of many. Sometimes, our customers can be divided into groups based on gender, income, or location.
Utilizing buyer personas is a powerful marketing and sales tool for organizations building data-driven digital marketing strategies. Knowing both your core and target audience well help you communicate with them in more effective, authentic ways. Do not miss this integral part of your digital strategy.
Until next time…keep minding your business.
What happens when people click the links on your social media pages? Do you have all of your businesses contact information listed? According to Google, 61% of users are unlikely to return to a website they had trouble accessing and 40% of those people will visit a competitors website instead. Don’t let business opportunities pass you by because your website (or any of your company’s Digital Properties) has dead links, bad or missing contact information.
I was inspired to share on this topic because of an experience I had trying to make an appointment at a Hair Salon. The Stylist I was trying to make an appointment with came highly recommended and I loved the pictures I saw of her work, but the only method of contact she had was an email address. It took her almost a week to answer my email – Needless to say, by the time she responded, I had found another Stylist and my hair was cut, colored and coiffed to perfection!
As Business Owners, you cannot let even one potential client slip through the cracks because of something like a lack of contact information on your Digital Properties. Don’t get so caught up in daily operations that you miss the fundamentals of Entrepreneurship! Take the time to develop and implement Systems that allow your business to run like a well-oiled machine. If you find yourself too busy to respond to client inquiries in a timely fashion, it may be time to hire help! The “pain spots” in your business may be telling you it’s time for growth! Don’t be afraid of growth, in fact you should be planning and projecting for it!
Mind Your Business!