How Can Pinterest Launch Your Nonprofit’s Success?

Posted on September 13, 2013 by admin

Pinterest 3Pinterest is no longer just for the crafty and creative. The former invite-only social media network has become one of the most popular tools for nonprofits and small businesses. The only catch is trying to work Pinterest to maximize their exposure.

Here are ways nonprofits can benefit from Pinterest:

· Show who you are by “repinning” images and ideas that reflect your nonprofit. Pinterest, like Instagram, is a unique platform that relies on imagery. This is a great opportunity to showcase your cause, your employees and your volunteers. Research shows that Pinterest generates more activity than Stumbleupon, Google+, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

· To drive website traffic, try to incorporate personality using images and pins to valuable information. Use Pinterest to pin items from particular areas of your site. For example, a nonprofit thrift store may create boards that will link to the donations portion of their website or volunteers sifting through donated items.

· No one knows more about your nonprofit than you. Pinterest is a great social tool to showcase your knowledge. For example, that same nonprofit thrift store may create boards with links on ways to de clutter your closets or repurpose vintage finds.

· Remember, Pinterest is fun! It’s a place for creativity and information sharing. Feel free to share that impromptu fashion show of disco donations that came in last week. You’d be surprised how many people will see those photos and laugh along with you.

· Don’t forget to connect with people. If someone has pinned one of your items, follow them. Pinners are a great way to find out what other nonprofits are doing on Pinterest to gain inspiration. You may even like some of those pins so always remember to repin.

· Did you know you could do fund raising on Pinterest? By adding a dollar amount to your pins you can hold an auction.

· Market Pinterest as you would other social networks. Use the Pinterst logo wherever you can and even consider embedding the entire Pinterest board to your website and blog.

Are you using Pinterest to its fullest potential? At Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions we can help you develop a strategy to increase your nonprofit’s website traffic and develop new relationships.

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Seven Successful Tips For Branding Ideas That Count

Posted on September 12, 2013 by admin

Branding Ideas 4Branding ideas don’t have to be hard-nosed tactics. In fact, they can be a plan that is based on having fun and engaging the people that will in turn, grow your business. Okay, so now that you know you can have fun you need to have a strategy.

There are a handful of people who have managed to use social media to its fullest potential. Here are some tips that will without a doubt grow your customer engagement and your customer reach.

Focus on the Task at Hand. You aren’t trying to please everyone. You are simply trying to connect with the ones that matter. Branding ideas need to be direct and defined to create an avenue for your target audience. Understand this particular group of people and provide valuable information using tone and proper messaging.

The Human Element. Twitter personalities need to be just that, personalities. Decide early on what persona you want to be most like and stick with it. You should select an image that will translate well to your target audience. As you begin to engage within a specific network you need to remain authentic and personable. Experts believe tweeting should sound natural, like between two friends. Followers will connect with this.

Find Your Groove. Your branding ideas should be unique. Find something that no one else is offering, especially in your industry. What makes you different than the other guy? Take advantage of analytics to gain some intel on what people are trending towards. Then focus on that and stick with what is working.

Choose Your Conversations Wisely. No one wants to get the marketing speech fresh out of the gate. Instead of jumping into social media with your sales pitch or cheesy gimmick, look for conversations about your products or services. That is the appropriate audience to engage at that moment. Otherwise, branding should be left to loyal audiences. Remember to provide valuable information, resources, and advice to establish relationships and build trust.

Start a Dialogue. Now that you have some followers you can strike up conversation with them. Ask sincere questions to not only solidify your brand with them but to get even more insight into that community. Be careful about who you engage. Reply to those who offer a genuine feedback and definitely retweet responses to other followers.

Utilize Your Tools. You should know when to manage your Twitter account. There is an abundance of tools to help you get organized, reach various communities, and prioritize relationships. Use a Twitter list to help you conquer.

Have a Game Plan. Don’t rely on just one platform. Twitter is not the Holy Grail by any means but neither is Facebook or Pinterest. Branding ideas will depend on a variety of avenues and you should keep abreast on the ones that fit your strategy.

You won’t know immediately which social media will take off so be patient and try a few. We know how to reach target audiences and can help develop some branding ideas to get you out there. The experts at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions can manage, prioritize and help you get established with your followers.

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Twitter and Customer Engagement

Posted on September 11, 2013 by admin

Customer Engagement 4Twitter has become an extremely powerful social media channel. More and more people are using it as a networking tool rather than the social aspect it was originally designed for. Businesses and organizations use Twitter to reach out and create an easy fan base. However, the missing ingredient is the understanding of how to create a quality relationship with your fans. This requires being social, creating customer engagement, which means conversations.

Here are some ways to start and maintain conversations on Twitter:

  1. Jump in on a conversation. Contribute to the conversation. Being meaningful and intentional with your comments is necessary to encourage customer engagement.
  2. Mention and Reply. There is a difference between mentioning and replying on Twitter. Mentioning is just a tweet with their Twitter handle. A reply is directly replying to the tweet. You can use mentions when starting a conversation that isn’t relevant to the more recent tweets. Replies are used when building engagement around a certain tweet.
  3. Ask questions. The only way to answer the question to tweet a reply. That can help begin a conversation, which is the goal!
  4. Six hours or less. The faster you reply, the better it looks. People like quick responses, whether they ask a question or just tweeted a statement. Once you’re past six hours, you are no longer a priority.
  5. Converse outside of Twitter. Find out if they have a blog, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Comment on their blog or Facebook posts. Repin some of their pins. Share their blog or pin on Twitter. This will spark some more customer engagement on your Twitter.
  6. Don’t end the conversation. If someone thanks you for a retweet or makes a statement on your Twitter, don’t just reply with a simple “You’re welcome.” Add a question to keep the conversation going. Even if they ignore your question, at least the ball wasn’t dropped on your end.

Building and maintaining customer engagement on Twitter can be time consuming, but it is definitely worth the time. Susan J. Campbell is always here and ready to help build your customer engagement through a variety of social media channels.

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The Do’s and Dont’s of Content Marketing

Posted on September 10, 2013 by admin

Content Marketing Strategy 3By now you are well aware of the value content marketing strategies have on your business. In order to have a successful online presence, you need to have a well-structured plan that is decisive and executed effectively.

Many companies make mistakes in their content marketing but there are solutions to help you be successful. A recent report by IMN illustrates the way content marketing is changing online. One-third of U.S. Companies are working to develop a formal content marketing strategy. But those that already have established content marketing plans increased from 28 percent in 2012 to 49 percent this year.

So what can you do as a small to medium-sized business? Create and curate content. Blog content. It is so important to stress the importance of a regular blog post. This means you should not only be active with your blogs but incorporate quality content that engages your target audience and offers some insight into your business.

Video. Believe it or not, video is now commonplace. Anyone with a smart phone not only has the ability to shoot video but to watch videos too. A good content marketing plan should include up to three video posts each week. Try to incorporate similar content as your blogs, making you an expert by adding information on your products and services.

Graphics and Photos. This is probably one of the most popular content types as far as social media goes. Infographics and excellent photos lend themselves well to developing followers and are shared and viewed more than others.

Curation. The largest percent of your content marketing strategy should be content curation within social media. Look for relevant and valuable content that will be helpful and interesting to your audience and post it.

So what are some common content marketing mistakes? Lack of Understanding. You cannot implement or even create a good content marketing plan without understanding your intended audience.

Forgetting Value. Instead of looking for that marketing message, plan on giving followers a selfless piece of you and your company. Always provide quality with content.

Consistency. Every day of every week of every month you must be consistent. No matter which channel you are involved in you need to deliver quality content.

Manage. You have someone that manages your day-to-day operations, right? The same can be said for your content marketing plan. You need to have the tools in hand to manage your plan including ways to track, share, and schedule content.

Do you think you are on the right track with your content marketing plan? Your brands change and companies often switch focus so contact us to get you on the right track and establish objectives and obtainable goals.

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Monday Morning Coffee with Pony Espresso

Posted on September 9, 2013 by admin

poetrThis morning, beat the “daily grind” of your Monday with an experience at a true local coffeehouse, Cafe Pony Espresso, located in downtown, St. Joseph, Mo.

Walking in, you’ll likely get a nod and a greeting from the locals and hear a bit of area politics. For many, Cafe Pony Espresso is like a classic “Cheers” scene. The regular crowd shuffles in daily, and the barista knows your name — and most likely, what you want to order.

Nancy Goode, the owner at Cafe Pony Espresso since 2012, enjoys getting her customers’ drinks started as soon as they saunter in and before they reach the counter. She rewards repeat customers with an index card file, earning a free beverage for a certain number of purchases. The walls are adorned with bright and brilliant art pieces from local creative minds, with a fresh exhibit almost every month. Quaint artistic pieces of various mediums are scattered across community bookshelves, and there’s even an exhibit of archaeological finds from Missouri River banks nearby.

If it sounds like Cafe Pony Espresso cares about a genuine customer experience, you’re right. They also care about keeping their brand in front of current and new customers in an authentic way, an approach that Nancy says may have worked almost too well.

“I thought I’d have more time away from serving coffee to work on my own art pieces to display in the shop,” she says with a grin. “But we’ve been too busy serving our customers.” logope

Cafe Pony Espresso opens its doors often for sharing in a sense of community, with participation in events ranging from Better Block to a recent shoe-cutting event for Sole Hope. The Final Friday trivia nights  have been popular, as well as poetry nights. Nancy and her team are bringing even more of a good thing to the local arts community, serving a signature coffee drink to go along Performing Arts Association shows at the historic Missouri Theater. (Check out the current “Dream Lover” beverage, themed after the Ricky Nelson show. There’s some serious chalk board talent going on to display this beverage.) Cross-marketing with other organizations by sharing information by email and on Facebook is also a helpful tactic Pony Espresso uses to build its brand.

“I love being downtown and working alongside the community here, as well as other merchants,” says Nancy. “I also really enjoy getting to know my ‘regulars,’ and meeting new ones.”

Seeing an opportunity for fresh, nutritious food downtown, Nancy prepares homemade soups and sandwiches to extend the menu. Local baked goods are offered daily, and a community bulletin board entices guests to browse art and theater events, yoga classes and many more bits of news while they wait. Even the name of the shop, of course, reflects a unique side of St. Joseph’s history in a clever way. The irony here is notable: guests can send email messages from Cafe Pony Espresso in rapid-fire speed, while the business name and logo pay homage to a historical journey to share a message that would have taken weeks.

Today, Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions thanks Cafe Pony Espresso for embracing and sharing what’s great about downtown St. Joseph. Check out Pony Espresso this week for a mini art retreat, to read up on the New Yorker, or to chat over a custom-made creation. You’ll be more inspired — and certainly more awake.

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Seven Tips To Grow Your Blog Subscribers

Posted on September 6, 2013 by admin

15843415_sWriting a blog is more fun if you know someone is reading it, right? Well, if your blog has become an important part of how you do business then blog subscribers are also a big part of your company’s success.

Here are seven easy ways you can increase blog subscribers:

  1. Keep your bounce rate low. Simple navigation can help keep your bounce rate well under two-percent. You don’t need complicated and fancy navigation or assisted research with major drop-down menus.

Focus on the easy-to-use navigation bars. Visitors want to feel comfortable when they visit your page so don’t over complicate it with fancy ones. Also, remember to publish a few blog post excerpts on your home page to drive more traffic.

  1. Capture emails with a pop-up. Experts have found that this is an active way to not only gain blog subscribers but reduce bounce rates. To add a pop-up simply search for “email light box” plus your blog host or email newsletter service. Some popular links to start with are WordPress, Blogger, AWeber, or Mailchimp.

  1. Loading time should be optimized. This is a big one. Blog subscribers, as dedicated as they may be, will start to drop off if they have to wait. Google may also penalize you in rankings if your load time takes too long. To keep things in perspective, one second of load time equates to seven-percent drop off.

  1. Everyone wants to be a VIP member. The best part of joining something is the perks. Blogs should be no different. You should make a point to offer special incentives to your blog subscribers. Something as simple as a freebie or exclusive content is enough to keep them coming back.

  1. Give multiple opportunities to sign up. You may be missing the boat if there is only one way to become a blog subscriber on your website. Consider the possibility that many visitors won’t see that particular form. Instead of a form on the main home page, add something to the end of every blog post or page.

  1. It’s all about how you say it. It’s been proven time and time again that people respond to different wording in different ways. For example, potential blog subscribers may be put off by “download now” versus and action phrase like “get email updates”. They both will get the same results but in the eye of future blog subscribers they mean two totally different things.

  1. Feature box or pop-up box. If you’re not a fan of the pop-up box then take a look at the feature box. It’s a less intrusive way and more customizable. This is a great way to offer one of those freebies we talked about earlier.

If you’re looking to increase your blog subscribers and aren’t sure where to start, contact us to start implementing a few tricks of the trade.

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Are You Stuck in Your Old Branding Strategy?

Posted on September 5, 2013 by admin

16746900_sBranding doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process that starts with knowing what you want your brand to be. Building a branding strategy includes personalization, promotion, and content creation.

A recent article highlighted four ways to identify your personal brand and nurture it. It’s a cyclical process. Every three months you need to reevaluate your branding strategy and look at ways to improve upon it.

  • Measure. With your branding strategy comes a marketing plan. The two must coexist and need to have metrics incorporated to measure your marketing efforts. Branding strategies take time so remember to stop, measure and evaluate your progress. Amp up what works and scale back, or do away with, what isn’t.

  • Learn. While it’s not always about winning or losing you can learn from each battle. Take a close look at your calendar. What posts did you write on social media sites? What content did you create in the last 12 weeks?

Here are some questions to ask when it comes to those recent activities.

What areas did I see the most success?
Were there any mistakes? What can I learn from those mistakes?
Were there any activities that didn’t produce fruit?
Is there anything I would do over?
Are there any networking events that I could do without?

  • Update. The best branding strategies have a seamless calendar and marketing plan. And both should be updated regularly. Marketing tactics should dictate your activities throughout the year. Plan on revising based on what works. This might be a good time to add different content such as video blogs or Pinterest.

  • Adjust. Like any business, things change. Every three months you should be evaluating your offerings, pricing, and programs to see if they are still on track with your branding strategy. Do you still offer a benefit to your customers? Now is the time to tweak any products or pricing.

The professionals at Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions can develop a branding strategy that includes a productive evaluation of your marketing plan every three months.

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Hashtag: An Important Tool for Your Business.

Posted on September 4, 2013 by admin

13276610_sThe little hashtag symbol (#) has become the icon for social media. It all started on Twitter in August 2007. At the time, it was used to create “whispers” which gave users the ability to partially restrict posts to a small, more intentional audience. Eventually these “whispers” soon became a way to categorize tweets, thus improving the content filter on Twitter. Soon hashtags found their way onto the major social media channels. YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and now Facebook are all on board with the hashtag trend.

Hashtags are not just used at the end of a tweet anymore; they are now used to help machines (and people) answer the question of who, what, where, when, and very soon why certain topics are trending. Additionally, hashtags can help machines to process the emotional response of a person.

This all gives a reason as to why companies, organizations, and brands are joining in the hashtag trend. There are several great tips that will help you use hashtags, and use them properly:

  1. A hashtag has to start a few weeks before an event or the culmination of a promotion. Begin using it and it will grab people’s attention.

  2. During the event or promotion, don’t forget to use the hashtag. Since hashtags are a way to categorize, it’s necessary to make sure that you’re adding to that “file” every time you post on social media channels.

  3. Use brand association where possible. What other people fit into your event? Reach out and create a mutually beneficial relationship to expand the reach of your hashtag.

  4. Check in on your own hashtag. Admit it, we’ve all Googled ourselves, just to see what popped up. It’s important to do the same with your hashtag. See where it’s popping up the most, if people are mentioning it on their own. It might not be trending at a macro-level, but there might be a pocket of people that are beginning to use it. That’s where it all starts.

  5. When it’s all done, create a transcript so people can look it over and see what they participated in (or what they missed out on – which will only make them want to participate next time).

  6. Don’t forget to evaluate your success. Analyze the hashtag stream and see what worked and what didn’t. This will help you learn how to improve for the next time you decide to set a trend on fire.

Hashtags can be a fun way to get your company or organization noticed. Creating your own unique hashtag can be a way to use the original intent of a “whisper” – only this time, it’s a lot louder. Let Susan J. Campbell help with the creation and use of hashtags for your company.

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Journalism Lessons For Your Content Marketing Strategy

Posted on September 3, 2013 by admin

15142994_mJournalists offer many lessons that lend themselves to content marketing strategies. Think about it this way. A popular news story can quickly make its way around social media sites in a matter of seconds. A good story becomes the most shared item on any given day. Why? It’s quite simple.

Society has become very involved in today’s current events and with that comes opinions. Consumers not only share a news story but comment on them. In essence the news is content marketing.

A recent Social Media Today article talks about journalistic approaches to content marketing that you can use:

  • Headlines. If you don’t have an attractive and appealing headline no one will click on it. Therefore, no one reads your content. Journalists are experts at creating headlines that draw readers in.

  • Research. Unless you’re writing based on opinion, you need to research. Like any news story, readers will expect you to have your facts straight. Good content marketing will include hard data, statistics, and even experiences to lay claim to your words.

  • Read. While journalists write a lot, they read even more. You should broaden your scope and keep abreast on the latest news, especially that in your field and industry. You could benefit from reading a competitor’s website and blog.

  • Keep lists. Content marketing includes both flexible and timely pieces. When creating a list of topics, focus on timely items while reserving those flexible projects when you will need those most. Evergreen items will not only have a higher ROI in the long term but organic SEO that will no doubt target traffic. Find a balance, keep a list.

  • Be Concise. Enough said there.

  • Quality over quantity. While it is good to provide content on a regular basis, it needs to be great content. A content marketing plan should include goals of building a reputation and exposing your brand’s personality.

If you are looking for some direction in your next content marketing strategy let us help you create some items visitors will want to read. Contact us to help you develop your content marketing strategy.

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Monday Morning Coffee with Spectacular Settings

Posted on September 2, 2013 by admin

If you have spent any amount of time on Pinterest, you have seen the beautifully put together weddings, the gorgeous perfection of a birthday party, and picture after picture of amazing events that are impeccably put together. And then, if you’re anything like me, you sit back and wonder about the genius mind that pulled it all together. This morning’s Monday Morning Coffee is about to feature such a person!

spectacularHer name is Katie Peterson and she is the owner of Spectacular Settings, a wedding and event decorating company. They come to the venue of your choice, set up the decorations, and then tear them down at the end. Typically, time is spent decorating weddings, but Spectacular Settings also helps set up birthday parties, graduation parties, anniversaries, and several other events.

Katie was happily connected with the previous owner of the company and thoroughly enjoyed her internship. As the only intern, really the only employee, she had the opportunity to see all sides of the business. Katie went to bridal shows, helped pull together center pieces for events, went to appointments, and anything else she was able to participate in. Upon graduating college, she settled into a job with an insurance company, thinking that there wouldn’t be much of an opportunity to grow with Spectacular Settings. Soon she was drawn back into Spectacular Settings and worked with the previous owner for a while.

Last year, after some discussion and a brief transition, Kate took over Spectacular Settings on December 1st, 2012. It’s been a year of magic for Katie. She says, “There isn’t much about my job that I don’t like… Which makes for a great career choice, I guess!”

She works with the client to begin to piece together ideas, asking them what colors to include, things they’ve seen that they like, and then her creativity just takes off. “Pinterest is helpful occasionally for inspiration… But at times, it can give brides [and other clients] unrealistic expectations for their event. I try to provide a very unique creation that reveals each client’s personality and is still functional.”

For Spectacular Settings, word of mouth has been an important part of getting the name out there. It also helps that venues hand out her business card to their clients. Katie says that social media strategies are also very helpful to her business. Check out her Facebook page to see what she’s been up to lately, because she is excellent at keeping her followers up to date! Katie also provides some “Behind-The-Scenes” photos, so you get a glimpse of her creative mind at work and then you can see it all come together.

Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions marvels at the creativity of Katie and Spectacular Settings. In what new ways can you  be spectacular for your customers this month? Contact us today to talk about marketing and content strategies.

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