Little Red Promotions

Social Media Marketing + Training

Hiring the Right People for Your Business

by Leave a Comment

Too often I have had people reach out to me looking for website work, graphic design, SEO or come across ‘We’re Hiring’ posts on social media looking obstinately for a graphic designer but the description ask for them to have “an eye for marketing content” and to post to social media channels.

When it comes to hiring the right people for your business, I understand budgets can foremost in the mind and can be tight when it comes to small businesses or sometimes a boss may feel they need to offer a full-time position to make it worth someone’s while.

Man – does that bum me out when I see that and I know I am not the only one.

Here’s why:

  •  Lumping three separate positions into one piece is not a financially strong decision for your business. You will end up with an expert at one thing, good at the other and ‘good enough’ at the third if you are lucky.
  • Paying people for the specific skills they have spent learning and refining will help your business. Hiring experts in their field on a consultant/freelance basis will be more effective and likely at a more affordable cost.
  •  More people, who are the right fit for your company, will apply. As mentioned in #1, I don’t apply for positions that include skill sets that aren’t in the role of a social media marketer (because I want to do a great job for clients and website design is not in my repertoire) and I am not looking for full-time work with one client so that does not appeal to me/other small businesses owners.

Next time you have a need in your business try putting the call out for an expert on a consultant basis and see if you are happier with the response.

Thoughts? Questions? Needs? Leave them below!

Quick Tips for Creating Social Media Content that Works

by 3 Comments

IMG_3164

A question I am often asked is “how do I create content on social media that is liked and shared?”.

The answer (while not a guarantee) is you talk to your audience not at your audience by creating interesting content that educates and engages your online followers.

So, what does that mean exactly?

How many of you have followed accounts because your love of their images is what initially made you a fan (and had you recommending the business to others)? I know I have!

How many of find yourself actively engaging with posts from companies due to their relevant and helpful posts or because you like their personality revealed through their content and community management (and am kinda surprised you interact with a business on social media that way)? I know I do.

If you are going to do social media for your biz, you gotta do it the right way.

  • Use images that look like you spent some time on them. Clunky, sloppy or cheesy graphics do more harm than good. Canva, WordSwag or Adobe Post are all great apps for nailing great images for minimal time (or with minimal design expertise!).
  • Be clear. What do you offer? Who do you help and how? You know your audience/target clientele. Be conversational and personable (not salesy!) while highlighting your expertise by using your content as a way to address and answer concerns or questions clients have before they even tell you about them.
Content which Engages and Educates

Content which Engages and Educates

 

  • Be social. Like I said, talk TO folks not AT them. Take time to develop relationships on social media by responding to comments, offer encouragement on others posts, show some love on influencers pages by interacting with their content. By planning your content in advance, you can then have more time to daily – for even just a few minutes to engage with other people’s content. Search hashtags related to your clientele and browse their accounts. Answer questions. This creates a sense of community and a sense of community creates loyalty and clients.

Questions? Suggestions? Leave them below!

This is part of my “what would a social media marketer do (in 300 words or less)?” series. I see lots of great ideas and content on social media accounts that aren’t always executed in the best manner possible. These tips and topics are for every social media user!

Why You Should Consider a Social Media Marketer for Your Business

by 2 Comments

IMG_2507

Does This Sound Familiar?

You have been in the social media game for a while. You have a large following but things seemed to have plateaued. You’re at a point where you are ready to take things off your plate and have them handled by an expert to get that  plateau handled.

Your business is booming, which is awesome.  What’s not so awesome is the fact you barely have time to promote your new product/expertise/business on social media and make sure you get new and interested clients in the pipe.

Have you been in business for awhile and looking to stop just ‘doing’ social media and ready to be strategic? Good for you. It’s time to up your social media ante and invest in a professional who can take over the strategy, customize content and interact with your online community.

A social media manager (strategist/marketer) spends a TON of time on social media platforms and studying social media. They (should) know the in’s and out’s of each platform and can strategize how to maximize the community you’ve built with the products and services you offer. They create engaging and informative content that can easily be shared and viewed by a larger audience which leads to bigger brand awareness- and who doesn’t want that?

Audiences remember and share content that has strong messaging, smart timing and an eye-catching form. Customizing a strategy to create that type of content takes expertise and time, which is exactly what a social media marketer has.   

Questions? Ask ‘em below!

__________________________

This is part of my “what would a social media marketer do (in 300 words or less)?” series. I see lots of great ideas and content on social media accounts that aren’t always executed in the best manner possible. These tips and topics are for every social media user!

Contact Me at Deirdre@littleredpromotions.com 

 

Why Isn’t Your Blog Working on Social Media?

by Leave a Comment

11917909_363921087065027_1550499286_n

You’ve written an awesome blog post. The topic is on point, witty lines included, great intro- the works. You post it to Facebook and eagerly await the engagement with your community… only, no one bites.

So what is up?

Well, let’s look at how it looks.

Is the photo a thumbnail? 

screenshot1

Is there a photo at all?

Screenshot 2

Facebook is a image based media. You have about nine seconds to grab someone’s attention and you are competing with an average of 1,500 newsfeed stories on any given day.

You need an eye catching and on topic (and the right sized) image to go with your post.  (You also need a great blurb to go with it but more on that in another post). For some platforms, there are ways to select what image you want to post as your header photo on social media, sometimes though, it can be cut off.  

Screenshot 3

Here is the way around that:

  1. Once you have that popping piece of eye candy for your post, upload it directly to Facebook just like you would a photo.
  2. Copy and paste title of your blog and/or write your summary blurb and follow with a bitly link (shortened link) of your blog post
  3. Voila! Sit back and wait for all that lovely engagement.

Screenshot 4

Blog is on point, witty lines included, great intro- the works. Only no bites on #socialmedia, what gives?

This is part of my “what would a social media marketer do (in 300 words or less)?” series. I see lots of great ideas and content on social media accounts that aren’t always executed in the best manner possible. These tips and topics are for every social media user. Any questions? Send them to Deirdre@littleredpromotions.com

What NOT To Do With Your Social Media

by 1 Comment

mydesign

 

Do you high-five yourself in the face?

I’d like to think most of you would say “No”

(but if you don’t, kudos to you).

Then, please, please, do not “like” your business’s posts on Facebook AS your business.

So often I see pages that “like” their own posts . And, well, it makes me wince a little.

In the words of one anonymous person that I surveyed (ahem, my sister), “When I see a business page like their own posts, I think they are trying too hard”.

Ouch.

Let your audience do the engagement. While you may like your own stuff in hopes of prompting it to show up in more newsfeeds…. Trust me when I say that is not the way to create the right impression. No one is fooled by the additional one like generated by liking your own stuff.

Sometimes liking your business’s post as your business happens because your page is connected to your personal account due to you being an admin or editor. But… don’t do that either (for the same reasons above). If you have content on your business page you’d like seen you have two options:

  1. Share it directly to your personal page but wait a bit till your audience as the time to engage with it ON your business page before sharing. 
  2. Invest in some well targeted sponsored posts ads
  3. Make sure you are following best practices for when to post and how.

Questions? Ask ‘em below!

This is part of my “what would a social media marketer do (in 300 words or less)?” series. I see lots of great ideas and content on social media accounts that aren’t always executed in the best manner possible. These tips and topics are for every social media user!

 

 

 

Pricing for Your Business. For What It’s Worth | You

by Leave a Comment

IMG_2321 (1)

Nearly a year in as my own boss, I’ve learned a few things.

Deciding what you’re worth and then stating it publicly is shockingly hard.

Realizing you’re worth it and deciding what “it” looks like is even harder.

I went out for oysters and pizza the other day with a friend who set me straight. I was confiding in her how I have routinely underbid myself in my business. And it’s been bothering me big time. I can’t figure out why I have been doing it. I’ve been afraid to explore why I am doing this and what I really want to charge because it’s not working out fairly on my benefit in terms of hours vs. work vs. amount (any other entrepreneurs relate to this?).

My friend set me straight. People value what they pay for, you can tell what someone values by what they pay for it.

So, she asked me what I wanted to charge and I said the amount and immediately felt calmer and more confident. I wondered why and she said it was because I was valuing what I was worth.

In the midst of discussing the ins and outs, I had an epiphany as to why I was lowballing myself. I had just written this post about my broke New York years and I realised that despite all the time that has passed, I still keenly recall what spending even a $100 felt like. It felt like stress. I love working with small business owners and finding out ways to grow their business and finesse their business presentation. My ideal clientele is full of entrepreneurs who, sometimes are or could be working on as a tight a budget as I used to live on in New York City. In wanting to work with them and help them, I underpriced my services and ended up not helping myself.

Getting clarity on why I was underselling myself and what I should be charging and then spending time finding out why I should be charging my price (at my friends advice, I spent some time tracking how much time I was putting into a project and realized multiplied with my hourly wage, I was working for free at some points. Realising how work I was putting into something helps me feel a lot more confident when I quote a price for a project now) has been wonderful.

If you’re a new business owner, know what you offer has value. Price your talents and services at the right place for where you are (Reality does have to be considered. You can’t start off at your dream wage when you don’t have the testimonials or experience to back it up). I feel far calmer and in charge, I am running my business not my business running me and that makes for a much happier day to day.

Tips for Knowing When to Post Your Content

by 1 Comment

IMG_2174

 

Listen, we’ve all been there. That “I am so excited, I have to share this NOW” feeling.

Here is some advice…if it’s late at night. Don’t do it.

You’re wasting your good news/update/latest promo.

 

Many times, I have been on social media before bed, scrolling through my newsfeed, and seen this:

“My new course is LIVE! Sign up below!”

“Working on a new product. Which one is your fave? Comment below and maybe get a freebie!”

At 11:30pm.

 

Sure, the argument could be “Well, you saw it! You were on social media then!”.  To which I’d say “Yea, I was. But did I click on any of those things (even if they caught my eye) since I was thisclose to sleeping? Nope.” Did I see any engagement on the piece then or when I checked back the next day (for the purposes of this post)? Nope.

If you are monitoring your peak engagement times and they happen to be 11:30pm, then keep on doing what you are doing. However, if you are posting late at night or super early because you are a busy entrepreneur/human being and it’s the last thing on your list/you forgot until then, DON’T DO IT.

It can take time to do social media correctly and if you don’t have the time, there are resources available (like me). However, if you are going to carve some time out of your busy day to post then do it when people are online so you have a better chance of your max audience (which is 4% organically).

 

Some quick tips for how to know when people are online:

  1. Check your page insights to see when you audience is online the most
  2. When do you see other brands posting and receiving engagement? Try those times
  3. Use logic and think about your target audience. ex. Folks who work in offices are not usually online Monday AM; they usually show up later in the afternoon or during lunch hours.

 

———-

This is part of my “what would a social media marketer do (in 300 words or less)?” series. I see lots of great ideas and content on social media accounts that aren’t always executed in the best manner possible. These tips and topics are for every social media user!

RSS Blog

Hours & Info

Denver, CO
Deirdre@littleredpromotions.com
M - TH | 9:30-5pm MHT
Friday | 9:30-4pm MHT

Instagram