Socially Acceptable: Social Media Strategy Crucial for Small Businesses

By Vin Ferrer / Social Media Strategist, NJ Marketing Agency, Graphic D-Signs, Inc.

It’s no secret that social media is the next big thing for small businesses, and for good reason.

More people are heading online to get their news. More people are searching online before making in-store purchases. And more people are connecting online with the ideas, stories, and brands they love – instantly.

Social media is the cohesive bond that seems to tie all this activity together. Every experience – personal, professional, and even paranormal—can now be shared with the world, for better or for worse, through social media.

Consider the facts: One of every seven seconds online is spent on Facebook (MediaBistro). Over one-fifth of the world’s Internet population actively uses Twitter (Yahoo!). And social media produces double the marketing leads of trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC (Hubspot).

For businesses everywhere, social media means a seemingly limitless degree of insight into consumer behavior and feedback. It also means a new avenue to help them meet their major business goals. But particularly for small businesses, it means a huge chance to level the playing field with their corporate competition. Small businesses can now discover new audiences across the world, acquire the best talent available, more aptly calculate the effectiveness of campaigns, and quickly hear their customers’ biggest concerns. This can all be done through social media.

The main obstacle against them is time. The social media industry is as fast-paced as any, driven by the latest tech and biggest venture capital firms. For the average small business owner, keeping up with the latest updates, platforms and demands of social is a daunting task.

Most see it as a space that they simply need to fill. Yet, the cost-effective opportunity available through social is a beast onto itself that should not be left in the corner.

At GDS, we can help you fully leverage your social media presence in the easiest way possible for your small business. We have the top caliber strategies, the latest industry insights, and the creative capabilities to maximize your social media presence and truly make it work for you. Our cutting-edge services will integrate your desired business goals with thoughtful tactics and best practice to ensure that your brand stays relevant. Moreover, our masterful creative storytellers will make sure that your brand’s message shines through and reaches the proper audiences.

We can ensure your brand appears on the appropriate social media channels and is armed with a winning content marketing strategy, integrated email newsletter campaign, dynamic editorial calendar, and comprehensive metric analysis. We offer full management of your social media channels and brand campaign, so you can spend time on the things that matter most.

There’s no better way to reach your consumers than through a device they keep in-hand and at the ready. Our strategies and content creation encompass the increasing emphasis on mobile tech, as industry sources predict smartphone sales in 2013 to exceed 1 billion. Likewise, we go to great measure to stay at the forefront of the latest innovations by creating organic strategies that adapt as well as impress.

To learn why Graphic D-Signs should be your no-brainer choice for social media design, management, and strategy, view our full list of social media services.

9 Things Every Small Business Owner Should Know About Marketing

By Danielle Avenoso / Senior Brand Strategist & Account Manager, NJ Marketing Agency Graphic D-Signs, Inc.

Are you a small business owner trying to accelerate company growth? If so, here are nine principles you should know about marketing to ensure greater success and drive ROI.   

1. Empower yourself with knowledge. While it takes time out of your schedule, it’s important to conduct research on your industry, market, direct competitors and consumers. You can never know too much—and you can certainly know too little. Just as athletes prepare for the big game, marketing success requires countless hours of practice.  
2. Know your budget. Identify the investment you want to allocate to your marketing. A good estimate is roughly five percent of your sales. It is critical to establish a budget, because this will allow you to properly and effectively plan your marketing.
3. Create an identity. As a company, your brand is one of your greatest assets. It communicates and connects with audiences, and creates passion for your business. Think of your brand as a spokesperson for your company: highlighting your promises and propositions to the consumer.
4. Formulate a plan of attack. Too many times, small business owners react instead of thinking about business implications, competitors and consumers. It is more fruitful to formulate a plan of attack, first. What media channels will you leverage to connect with your consumer? If you plan, your strategy will be more effective and your budget will remain efficiently intact.
5. Strategy is king. What is the message you want to convey in all marketing components? What service or value do you provide that sets you apart from the competition? This single-minded idea should live throughout all advertising deliverables for an in-sync marketing message.
6. Execute your strategy. How will you put your strategy to work? Print? Website? Online banners? Coupons and promotions? Radio? TV? Identify your deliverables and tools of attack. 
7. Create campaign consistency. Present one face to the market and your consumer. This strengthens your brand awareness and drives brand recall. Ensure that allcomponents of your advertising are consistent and cohesive so a story can be told.
8. Track. Measure. Record. Accountability is key, so remember to monitor and gauge the effectiveness of your budget and advertising campaign. By tracking leads via different media channels, you can identify those channels that give you the best ROI versus channels that need to be further optimized.
9. Improvise! By utilizing what you’ve learned from data tracking, you can change-as-you-go. Proper measurement helps you discover how to better spend your budget, which channels to remove from the media plan, and which channels to try in the future.

Danielle Avenoso is the Senior Brand Strategist & Account Manager of Graphic D-Signs, Inc, a NJ marketing agency specializing in small business advertising, marketing, and brand development.