Etched In Marketing

REMINDER: Just being on social media isn’t a strategy!

Start with establishing clear goals that you can use to develop a strategy that supports what you are trying to achieve. Next, create both a monthly and a yearly plan that you will follow to provide consistency, direction, and value for your audience.

If you are unsure how you can relay your mission, values, brand, and personality in your posts, here are some tips for you:

1. Focus on your messaging: consider who your audience is, what you want them to know about you, and how you can best convey the why behind what you have to offer. Then make sure you stay consistent with what you are putting out there.

2. Develop a content style guide: this may include rules around the use of brand colours, fonts, the style of visuals, and potentially some standard post templates. Taking the time to lay out the visual aspects of your posts will help you develop a consistent brand image that accurately portrays who you are.

2. Use authentic and relatable language: it is important to consider who you are talking to online and to ensure you are using a tone, voice, and language that they can both understand and relate to (be mindful of the jargon).

Do you have any more tips you’ve found helpful? We’d love to hear them!

Although it can be great to just step away from it all on vacation, sometimes, you can’t. Realistically, as small business owners we often have to check messages and respond to emails, whether at the beach or home.

But it is important to set boundaries for yourself while on vacation. How often do you want to check your email? At what times? What has to be done while you’re away, and what can wait until you get back? It’s better to check your email once in the morning and once at night than to be stressed while you’re supposed to be relaxing because you haven’t checked it in three days.

Life needs balance, and it’s okay if that sometimes means doing a quick task or two on vacation.

Recently, at a client’s monthly content meeting, a few shifts in their business goals were mentioned, suggesting it was time to reexamine their online communication strategy.

It wasn’t that our strategy wasn’t working or that it wasn’t effectively representing their brand. It just no longer served her new goals and focus.

When we took a step back to rework the strategy, we identified the need to shift their target audience, the social media platforms we were using, post frequency, and content plan. And now we are all set to keep creating content that supports her business goals.

As business owners, we grow and change, and our brands do too! Communication strategies aren’t meant to stay stagnant or never change. As business goals change, our strategies should too.

📷: at .connect photoshoot

“Do I need a website update?”

There are many reasons you may be thinking about updating your website. Two of the main reasons we see are:
1️⃣ A site that is outdated
2️⃣ A site that is not user-friendly (for you and/or your end-user)

If you are thinking about updating your website, send us a message, we’d love to set up a call and chat.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: As a business owner, it’s important to take breaks, step away from the daily grind, and enjoy the occasional vacation. And taking a vacation doesn’t have to mean stressing about work while you’re offline!

Consider preparing and scheduling content ahead of time. If you’re concerned about missing important messages, set an out-of-office message for your email and socials and do your best to spend only 15 minutes checking them at the end of the day.

Share how you recharge with your audience. Taking the time to relax is so important, and you’ll come back refreshed with new ideas!

📷: Photo by Katrin Bolovtsova (Pexels)

Struggling to come up with innovative content ideas for your Instagram feed? Here are some tips to keep your posts exciting:

1. Knowing your audience! It’s not just about what you want to say, but about what your audience wants to hear about.

2. Follow trends: stay up-to-date with the latest trends and look for ways to incorporate them into your content strategy (when they work with your brand). Follow other content creators and look beyond your industry for even more ideas.

3. Don’t be afraid to be “boring”! What might be commonplace in your industry could be new and exciting to someone else. Consider filming a day in your life, talk about the basics, or show your audience the behind-the-scenes of creating your product or delivering a service.

4. Brainstorm: go get coffee with a fellow small business owner and each write down some content ideas! Sometimes, a fresh perspective is all you need to get the ideas flowing.

📷: at .connect members photoshoot

Who here hasn’t used ChatGPT? Whether you’re using it to help with your content or to write your emails, ChatGPT is an excellent generative AI.

That being said, if you’re using it to create your captions, be cautious. Although it’s a powerful tool, ChatGPT (and AI in general) isn’t a substitute for your creative input.

We always recommend using AI as a jumping-off point when feeling stuck. It’s a great resource for post ideas and sentence starters. But DON’T just copy and paste what it gives you directly into your caption. For instance, if the AI suggests a sentence that sounds too formal for your brand, you can rephrase it to match your brand’s tone and style. Take the time to edit what it feeds you, making sure that it is consistent with your brand voice (and doesn’t sound like ChatGPT wrote it).

And one more thought on this topic— You don’t need to use AI because everyone else is. AI is a great tool, but if it doesn’t work for you, that’s fine!

We are now accepting applications for our fall internship!

In this position, you will be working alongside the founder in this small, but connected team. The ideal candidate is a motivated individual who loves a challenge, and has a strong attention to detail and thinks outside the box. To be successful, the Content Coordinator must have the ability to think strategically and creatively!

Full posting: https://www.etchedinmarketing.com/opportunities

User-generated content seems to be the latest buzzword in the world of social media. If you've scrolled through TikTok in the past month, you've definitely seen an account with 'UGC' in their bio and creators talking about it as both a tool for promotion and a revenue stream. Now, you might be wondering: what is user-generated content, and how can I use it to my advantage?

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS WITH USER-GENERATED CONTENT User-generated content seems to be the latest buzzword in the world of social media. But, what is user-generated content...

Do you know who your target audience is? If you don’t, here is a simple exercise to help you on your way to defining yours.

Think about a person that you’ve met who would be a perfect fit to be your business’s brand ambassador. They love your products or services, engage with your content, shop frequently, refer you to others, and identify with your business’s brand, values and goals (plus, you love having them as a customer/client/follower).

Next, consider the characteristics of this ideal customer, such as age, gender, income level, interests, pain points, and needs.

Now, you should have the first draft of a persona for your target audience.

Just remember, understanding your target audience segments is not just a fun exercise; it is essential for the success of your online communication strategy.

We’re big Canva fans— it’s a streamlined way of creating captivating and professional visual content. However, it can be hard to bridge the gap between beginner content and truly on brand Canva creations. Here are some tips and tricks to elevate your Canva game!

🎨 Try not to rely on templates! While it’s tempting to use a template, it can decrease the individuality of your post, leading to a less professional feel for your content.

🎨 Take the time to set up your brand kit. Adding your brand’s fonts, colours, logos and icons to Canva can save you time and help you stay consistent with your designs.

🎨 Sometimes less is more! While Canva has many features, and playing around with your posts can be fun, remember to stay true to your brand identity and keep designs clean and clear for your audience.

The difference is in the details. Even when you think “no one will notice,” someone will, and all those little things can add up, especially when they aren’t on brand or reduce the professional feel of your content.

To ensure that your content is on-brand and effectively promotes your business, increase your professionalism by using consistent brand fonts and colours, ensuring that your photos and videos are of high quality and resolution, and using good audio quality. We promise these simple changes will make a big difference in the effectiveness of your content.

The secret to crafting a good caption...

There’s no one right way to write a caption, but here are tips and tricks for crafting engaging captions.

1) Instead of trying to talk to “everyone” on the platform, focus on speaking to one person, someone who represents your target audience.

2) Be personable! People don’t want to connect with a business; they want to connect with a person. Even if you are speaking on behalf of a brand, including some personality in your writing can make your audience feel more connected and engaged.

3) Be mindful of your spelling, grammar, and word choice. Even small mistakes can distract your reader and degrade the quality of an otherwise fantastic caption.

4) Make it conversational and engage with your audience. Ask questions and extend an invitation for interaction.

Is there something that always works for you? Share your tips in the comments below!

While we primarily offer online communication management, another favourite service we offer is ‘Call a Marketer’!

Are you the type of business owner who likes to be in control of everything? We understand that because we are the same way, but what you might need is some support and direction to set you on the right path with your marketing. This service includes an initial meeting to understand your business goals & current situation, a comprehensive digital audit with a follow-up meeting to discuss our findings & suggestions, and four 45-minute follow-up calls.

If you are looking for expert advice to guide your decision-making, this might be the right option for you!

Posting on social media can be fun, but keeping safety and privacy in mind is important. Here are some tips for safely posting.

90% of users follow at least one brand on social media, and 76% of social media users have purchased something they saw on social media.

Social media has become an integral part of how we connect with customers and can be a very cost-effective way to promote our brand. But sometimes, it can be hard to know where to start or what to share...

The truth is that creating quality content requires focus and a plan! Join us to learn how to develop a social media strategy that will boost your brand and leave you feeling excited about your time online.

Register now: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/strategic-social-media-planning-workshop-tickets-849577197267

Today, with mixed emotions, I bid farewell to a cherished member of our team, Anett. Since spring 2022, Anett has been an invaluable asset to Etched In Marketing, and her departure leaves me with a bittersweet sense of gratitude and anticipation.

From shared coffees to the creation of some truly ridiculous content and entertaining tangents in our work meetings, working alongside Anett has been an absolute pleasure. Her positive attitude and collaborative spirit have made working together both easy and joyful, and I want to express my deepest thanks for Anett's hard work, dedication, and boundless creativity. Whether tackling challenges head-on or infusing her unique perspective into our projects, Anett has consistently exceeded expectations, leaving an undeniable mark on our collective achievements.

Anett, you will be sincerely missed, but I wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavours. I know that you will do incredible things!

-Danielle

In 2023, we are excited to launch Marketing Know-How! A digital marketing course designed to help business owners learn about the ins and outs of marketing, so by the end they can successfully take charge of their marketing efforts and create a strategic marketing plan that will allow them to effectively grow their business.

Registration is now open, https://www.etchedinmarketing.com/marketing-know-how

The countdown is on...
There are only a few more days until our 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙊𝙣 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙! workshop, and if you have been struggling to get your brand out there, this workshop is for you!

Having a brand colour and established fonts for your business is one thing, but ask yourself:
❔ Am I using these colours in my social media?
❔ Am I leaving the customer with a distinct memory of my brand?
❔ Am I communicating with my customers in a way that represents my business identity?
❔ Am I expressing my brand personality through my established brand image?

If you are unsure of these things, join us on November 4th for a workshop that will set you up for success in using proper branding to create awareness that will leave a lasting impression on your potential clients & build trust.

Customers look for a connection to your brand; they want to see who you are and what you represent!

Sign up now: https://www.etchedinmarketing.com/workshops

You probably spent a lot of time deciding on your brand colours and logo, and you’ve maybe even gone so far as to develop a guiding mission, vision and values— but are you properly representing your brand in all your online and in-person customer interactions?

Join us on November 4th for a two-hour workshop where we will dive into your brand and how to use it to build the recognition and awareness needed to grow your business.

Register now: https://bit.ly/3T1Aj0T

Get on Brand! Learn how to build brand recognition & loyalty to grow your business.

Looking to increase your engagement on Instagram? Here are some tips for you:

9 tested tips to boost your Instagram engagement Discover the nine key steps you can take to increase Instagram engagement today.,Learning how to increase your Instagram engagement in 2022 doesn’t have to be complicated.

When determining the type of posts you want to focus on, it is important to remember that you are trying to engage a specific audience. Sometimes people forget this and get caught up creating posts based solely on what they want to promote or would enjoy. Instead, consider what your audience would enjoy seeing more of.

Engagement is something that most businesses struggle with on social media. It can seem extremely daunting and difficult to work within the algorithms and find ways to actually connect with your audience. If this is something that you struggle with, we are here to help!

5 Quick ways to increase your social media engagement:

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT Engagement is something that most businesses struggle with on social media. If this is something that you struggle with, we are here...

Posting consistently helps you build community on Instagram, however, getting proper engagement requires a little more effort than that. If you are wanting a more engaged follower base, perhaps it is time to look at your Insights dashboard. Here are some things to look out for:⁠
→ Take a look at your top-performing posts.⁠
→ What posts received the most engagement?⁠
→ What is something you could try to better connect with your followers?⁠
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Not sure how to use your analytics yet? Simply start by spending some time exploring your insights and make it a routine to check them regularly.⁠

When Instagram first introduced reels, the average engagement rate for feed posts dropped to 2.88% by the end of 2021. So what does this mean for your 2022 IG strategy? It is crucial to heavily incorporate reels into your social media strategy if you are looking to grow your IG engagement.

How Reels Have Impacted Engagement Rates on Instagram | Later How have engagement rates changed since the addition of Reels on the app? Later analyzed 81M+ Instagram feed posts to find the answer.

Social media can be daunting at times. However, it is not always as complicated as you may think it is. Here are 5 quick social media tips to help with your strategy and content performance!

5 QUICK SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS Social media can be daunting at times. However, it is not always as complicated as you may think it is...

There is no secret formula to growing your social media account. The number one way to steadily grow your account is by staying consistent. Other things to consider are having a content plan, a purpose behind your content, making sure that your content has value to your followers.

A good website helps create brand awareness. It allows the customer to understand who your brand truly is, what you stand for and most importantly what sets you apart from other businesses.

If you feel that your website may need an update to better represent who you are don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

Website Design | Etched In Marketing With the right look and layout, you can strengthen your brand while encouraging your audience to make a purchase, book an appointment, or get in touch to learn more about your services.

The #1 benefit to having a good marketing plan is that it will provide you with focus and direction. A marketing plan helps you narrow down your marketing objectives for the year so that you are able to stay on track and avoid distractions that don't support your greater goals.