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Scrolling through my newsfeed the other day I came across yet another 'Sponsored' post but this time I actually took the time to read it. This ad was offering me the chance to attend a free webinar that would tell me all about the pending changes that Facebook and Instagram were going throw at me. Why not, I thought so I signed my life away.
The webinar was run by Samantha English of Retail Marketing Academy and it lasted just shy of an hour. It was an interesting hour that I believe has helped me understand what it is to try and properly market a business on these mega social media platforms. I'm not going to share everything that was outlined in the webinar but these stats really stood out to me, so perhaps you will find it interesting too...
Seriously, that's massive! And the data that Facebook has on us is incredible, which means that businesses are able to drill down pretty far so they can speak to who they really need to. That's a good or slightly disturbing thing depending on how you feel about Big Brother etc. So, how did I feel after the webinar? It just reinforced to me that Facebook is where its at. You really don't need to spend much money on your marketing, you just need to spend it smartly. And Facebook, allows you to do that. Exciting (and challenging) times ahead I say. Until next time... Fx For anyone who really knows me, they know that I love to dance. Cranking up the tunes and bopping to the beat is a favourite past-time in our household; it helps banish bad moods and gives terrible days a happy ending.
When I heard about the early morning rave-ups that were taking place in Auckland's CBD I thought to myself, "that is so me!" but who can get to town that early in the morning when you've got two kidlets? And then a couple of months back a like-minded gentleman posted in the local community Facebook page that he was looking to start up something similar in the East Coast Bays... hooray! Alas, despite some pretty enthusiastic likes and comments his Browns Bay morning rave's failed to take off. But I just couldn't stop thinking about it; surely there were other local people out there who wanted to just dance their socks off and start their day with an endorphin rush. So I reached out and offered my assistance to try and get this thing off the ground. So, if you're into dancing but aren't into trying to follow steps (and feeling uncoordinated whilst doing so), check out Bounce! Morning Raves on Facebook and join the movement (pun intended). Wish us luck! Until next time... Fx It's been a while since I had managed to get out and visit two of my regular clients, sure I had been emailing them reasonably often but its just not the same as visiting the stores and chatting to them face-to-face. I am so glad I got out to both stores this week.
I didn't spend a lot of time on-site, just enough to wander around to see what's new and take note of anything that would make a good story for their websites and Facebook pages. It was also a good way to remind them that I'm still here in the background doing my thing, if they need me. My visit today was particularly good timing; one of the merchandisers was there and it meant I got the inside scoop on a promotion they are running, which I can now pass on to my client's customers without delay. Win/win! I have also got a 'To Do' list as long as my arm to get on with for both clients, which is satisfying. I enjoy having a plan and getting on with things. Until next time... Fx I've had two situations recently where a client was about head down a track that I thought was not such a great idea and I found myself in a tricky situation; do I tell them how bad their idea is, or do I try to make lemonade?
The first time I took the easy way out, I provided other ideas and encouraged them to think about their options instead of rushing in with the current "winner". It worked, but it almost didn't. I was discussing it with a friend of mine she said, "but this is why they've come to you, so you can tell them something isn't going to work. You should have told them how bad that idea was." She had a point but I didn't want to offend a client, I felt that in a roundabout way I had let them know the idea wasn't gold in my opinion. But should I have taken a stronger stance? What would I have done if they had decided to run with the original plan? Later on I found myself in a similar situation, where a client's enthusiasm for a bad idea put me in a spot of bother, I took more decisive action; I told them about the wasted opportunity if they continued down that track and gave them alternative ideas. I figured that if I presented things professionally, they would understand. And they did! It's hard trying to sidestep other people's ideas without upsetting them, but I have to trust my professional instincts and give the client alternative ideas. It's what I'm there for. Until next time... Fx I had a client last year who I struggled with for a couple of reasons, the main one being that I found that they were trying to do too much and it diluted their brand and service.
I tried to encourage them to "keep things simple" and focus on their main service and do it really well, but they weren't having it. It was their belief that five different services they were trying to sell were all part of one big package, and it all made sense if I really thought about it. I did what I could with the budget and time constraints and then just had to walk away knowing that at least I had tried to leave her business in a better state in which I had found it. I have since found out that the business is struggling more so than it was. They continue to focus on the other (and in my opinion, lesser) parts of the business instead of just going big with the one area they seem to do really well at. I feel sad for them that things aren't going their way, I really did hope they would be able to make a better go of it but things just keep dwindling. So, I guess my point for this post is that sometimes more is just too much. Offering a whole bunch of different services doesn't always mean that more clients and more money will come your way. Its better to focus on your core business and really nail it, before trying to diversify. Build your brand and market presence and then who knows, maybe all your other talents will be used on day. Until next time... Fx As mentioned in my rather pitiful previous post, I feel fortunate to have welcomed several new clients into the All Sorted family. The funny thing is that all four of these wonderful newbies are all in the creative sphere; arts and crafts.
Every time I visit one of them, I feel a bit in awe of what they sell/produce. The creativity and ingenuity that surrounds me is spectacular, and I can't help but feel so proud they have chosen me to help them "go loud" about how awesome they are. Three of these clients are well established art, craft and gift shops in Auckland and Wellington, but the one I'm going to talk about here is very small and sweet and has only just come to being earlier this year. CraftyKins is the brainchild of a creative new mum; Anne (the artist) finds seriously cute soft toys and then paints a gorgeous painting of it to sell them as a pair. I may not be describing this very well but its a lovely little business venture for the baby and child market. As this is just a new thing Anne she's trying out, she's started off using Facebook as her platform. I've created her some business cards and branded stickers to put on all of her original artworks but she's holding off on a website for now until she knows how much of a market there is for this kind of thing. If her first few months are anything to go by, I'm pretty sure a CraftyKins website won't be too far away. The main point for this post - other than welcoming CraftyKins on board - is to remind small businesses that you don't have to do everything straight away. Go at your own pace and start off doing things you know you can manage on your own. It's important to learn how to walk before you can run. Good luck Anne, and good luck CraftyKins! Until next time... Fx I'm going to keep this one short and simple.
I don't claim to be an expert or whizz kid at all things marketing and communications related. I just offer my services to people who know less than I do, and then work hard to help get their marketing stuff sorted. I enjoy my job and get a real thrill when actual results are achieved for a client. I've just received the most wonderful feedback from a client, and I feel pretty darn great right now. It's nice to know that what I do makes a difference, and that my contribution is appreciated. Long may it continue! Until next time... Fx Wowsers, that was a tough one.
Have you ever had a job that just doesn't seem to end; whether it be due to a 'to do' list that just keeps increasing, or because nothing seems to go right? I've just had one of those for both reasons. I've been pretty open about my feelings for WordPress, and before anyone gets offended that I have disparaged their favourite web platform, I can admit that it's my hang-up and not actually the fault of WordPress itself. I've just worked across a number of CMS options and this one doesn't make sense to me. Anyhoo, my most recent client came to me in tears late last year. She had been taken advantage of by several website designers/developers and had paid thousands for a site that she was desperately unhappy with, so much so that she didn't even want to tell potential clients that she had a site for them to view. This client had been let down and abandoned by everyone she had previously turned to, but she wanted to take another shot with me. No pressure! I set myself two goals; improve and refresh her website so the client could be proud of what she was offering, and I couldn't be another person to let her down professionally. There were countless emails and phone calls going back and fourth and there were times that I was tempted to say, "this is just a bit too much for me" but I didn't. Granted, the job took a bit longer than it should have - school holidays can be hard, yo! - but as long as I communicated with the client, she understood and continued to be patient. Long story short (too late!), the client called me yesterday with happiness in her voice. She had showed the new site to her teenage son and he had given her the seal of approval, he even said he would be willing to help her with photos and videos whereas before he wouldn't even look at what she had before. The client was overjoyed with how the site looked and showcased her services! She was excited about her business again and what 2017 might bring for her. And if that's not a happy ending, I don't know what is. Until next time.. Fx Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day! I'm pretty darn happy right now folks, my latest labour of love is alive and open for business. Please take some time out of your busy schedules to check out the newIntuitive Birth. Whilst working on the eCommerce build, I asked SJ what (if anything) there was about her old site that she liked and what she would desperately like to change if given the chance. The response was immediate; her site needed to reflect more cultures and lifestyles than what was currently being shown. The site needed to be more of an obvious online shop, but needed to remain an easy place for parents-to-be to visit and find the information/support they might need. As you all know, this one has been cooking in the background for a while now. SJ was pretty amazing and understanding about how sometimes sick kids and school holidays come up and interrupt the work schedule, but I think it helped her knowing that the build was still very important to me and wasn't being ignored. I had a great time sourcing a selection of imagery that speaks to a range of people from a variety of backgrounds - although I was surprised at the number of times the same pregnant model popped up! It also made me quite happy correcting a few typos and inconsistencies that the previous Intuitive Birth site contained, but that's just of my little idiosyncracies. So, here I am only a few days away from Christmas and then the New Year and I have to say I'm proud as punch of the work I've done in 2016. I've learnt a few things along the way, and I'd like to think I've made some clients pretty happy. Merry Christmas, folks! Stay safe and happy. Until next time... Fx  There have been a few of the same questions fired at me over recent times so I figured that perhaps these worthwhile questions were worthy of a post, so hopefully I can give you some answers even before you ask them.
That's about it from me. If you have any other burning questions, just let me know. Until next time... Fx |
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