Customers are becoming savvier every day and work hard to not to be “sold”. This means that with each purchasing decision made, buyers are looking for some added value beyond the sale; perhaps a connection, relationship and better understanding of their needs. A couple of great tactics used to gain a better relationship with your potential customers is:

Reevaluate Your Messaging

Simplify your messaging and make sure that your website can be scanned within 10 seconds so a potential customer can understand what you have to offer. Your message should focus on your customer’s story and position your business as their guide. Keep your focus on building an authentic relationship with customers versus simply growing your business. The benefits of taking the time to care for your customers will highly benefit you in the end.

Simplifying Your Business Practices by Using Automation

Automation is drastically changing the way businesses communicate with customers and the way customers expect to interact with businesses. There are a couple of key ways to utilize automation in order to streamline your digital marketing efforts and ensure that no sale is left behind.

1. Live chat & chatbots are wonderful ways to expand your business’ reach without having to hire more staff. This also provides an on-call service that will answer basic questions at all hours for potential customers.
2. Voice search technology like Alexa or Google Home is going to provide your business with plenty of marketing opportunities with you having to do a thing!

Using Video as Your Main Communication Tool

Video is not going anywhere. The speed in which content is being created is growing rapidly with everyone having the ability to become a YouTube star. Video, in particular, is morphing the way businesses and customers communicate. Consider the following ideas:

1. Video is not just for web pages and social media, but a great effective tactic to include in your email marketing. This means that aside from regular text, you can either embed or link to a video of you speaking to the reader and sharing your message. This brings you into someone’s office or home, simply through email.
2. Welcome videos are a wonderful way to instantly begin a relationship with a new subscriber. Sending a 10-second custom video to a customer is a revolutionary form of contact and will also help ensure some deals. This is a wonderful tactic for realtors, counselors, and any other service that eventually hopes to build a relationship. This can be done through a quick casual video on your phone, or even through apps that service this exact purpose.
3. Video will ensure higher ratings on Google, better algorithms, and will increase the chances of your emails being opened. Don’t overthink video. Instead, realize it is a way to show how authentic your business is!

Digital marketing leaves a lot of space for creativity. Ultimately, customers are looking for a clear message and efficient ways to communicate so they can learn about your business. What better way to do this than to reevaluate your messaging, take advantage of atomization options, and use the resources at your fingertips to create simple videos!

Our team of marketing specialists are available to help your business succeed and take your digital strategy to the next level!

The post Digital Marketing in 2019: Ways to Up Your Digital Strategy first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

…Kevin Bacon?

I played a game with friends a few times called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” It was based on the “six degrees of separation” theory, which states that every living person is separated by no more than six relational steps. This, of course, includes famous people like, for instance, Kevin Bacon (ok, maybe formerly famous). So you’d sit around and try to think of people you knew, who knew other people…etc. through up to six steps until you reached someone famous. I think the appeal was that it made us all feel a little bit closer to Hollywood.

Your Business Photo Shoot

Well, feeling a little closer to a Hollywood icon (or former icon, as the case may be) might be fun, but it probably won’t help you in your business. However, when it comes to your business photo shoots, you want them to look as much like Hollywood as possible. In our experience shooting video and still photography for businesses, there happen to be six important steps to prepare for your best possible results. So we call these our “six degrees of preparation” for your business photo shoot.

1. Prepare Your Wardrobe

One of the simplest ways to enhance the quality of your shoot is to carefully plan what all the subjects will wear. Ignoring this can have a seriously negative impact on your finished product. You want to represent yourself in the best possible way, and clothing is very important to the overall tone and quality of your shoot. Here are some tips.

• Wear ONLY solid colors.
• Choose neutral, muted, or subdued colors.
• Do NOT wear green.
• Coordinate colors and styles with other subjects.
• Coordinate colors with your background.
• Make sure the style of your wardrobe matches the impression you want to create.
• Remember the shoes. Bright pink sneakers are probably not going to work.

2. Prepare Your Hair

Hair is another important consideration. Of course, photos can be edited, but this takes time. Save time and expense by following some simple guidelines for hair.

Wear hairstyles that fit the desired overall tone and impression of your shoot. If your office is super casual, some subjects may want to upgrade. Just make sure they don’t go too far. If someone feels very unnatural, it will be noticeable.

Wear more or less normal hairstyles. Again, it’s important that everyone is as comfortable as possible.

If some of your subjects have wild or brightly colored hair, you may want to ask them to make a change. This may be sensitive for some, but let them know it’s temporary!

Haircuts or style changes should be scheduled about two weeks before your shoot. Haircuts and styles rarely look their best the first few days out of the salon.

3. Prepare Your Environment

If your shoot will take place in an office, you may need to schedule a special cleaning day. The camera will pick up every speck of dust on shelves, plants, etc. in your background. Your photographer should visit the site and help you plan what areas will be shot. Pay special attention to those areas, but to allow for spontaneity, you probably want to do a thorough cleaning of every area where the camera might be.

If you will use a backdrop, make sure you have plenty of space. Talk with your photographer in advance and make the necessary adjustments before they arrive if needed.

Maybe your office has a face for radio. Many very successful businesses have office spaces that aren’t particularly photogenic. In this case, you may want to choose another location. Talk with your photographer about where this might take place. Once a location is chosen, make sure it is clean and prepared as well.

4. Prepare Permission

You will need to make sure you have the proper release forms signed by all subjects in your shoot. Your photographer should provide all the necessary forms for you, but you should know the guidelines yourself. Here is a link to important info on our site to help you be prepared for the legal side of things.

5. Prepare Your Story

Yes, your photo shoot is a story. You have a specific message you want to communicate, or you wouldn’t be investing in a photo or video shoot. Discuss this in detail with your photographer and plan out all your shots. Compile a specific list of shots you want to get that tell the story you want to tell. This effort will save you time, money, and dramatically improve your overall results.

6. Prepare For Business

You may or may not want to schedule your shoot during regular business hours. This can be an important part of your plan since it will impact factors like background noise, background movement, and the availability of your subjects. Discuss this in advance with your photographer.

Professional Results

Taking these important steps before your shoot will save you time and money. In addition, advance preparation in as many areas as possible will make your shoot much less stressful and much more enjoyable. This ensures that you get the professional results you want, and make your message come across with clarity and impact.

At McWilliams Media in Tulsa, Oklahoma, we specialize in telling your story. Our professional photographers will work with you to plan, prepare, and execute a photo shoot that tells your story in the most powerful way possible. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

The post 6 Degrees of Preparation: Getting Your Photo Shoot as Close to Hollywood as Possible first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

If you’re in business today, you need a great website. A website should give prospects a clear picture of who you are. And it should facilitate productive interaction between you and your customers. Depending on your business, you may also need an online store.

One of the most important factors in making all that happen is web hosting. And the truth is, a great website is not a great website without the right hosting services behind it. That’s a fact that’s commonly overlooked. Don’t make that mistake.

What is Web Hosting?

Web hosting is a service that provides space for all of the files included in your website, and access online to your site. All the files associated with your site are stored on powerful computers called “servers.” These servers are connected to the internet on a high-speed network.

One way to explain this is to think of your website as an internet version of your company. Your company needs a place to operate, to keep all your inventory, have meetings, etc. So you have an office, a store, or a building. Your web hosting is the internet version of that office, store, or building. It’s where your website actually “lives.”

Why is the Right Web Hosting Important?

All web hosting is not the same. The available space and processing power of the servers along with network speed and bandwidth are important factors. Depending on how large your site is, you may need more or less space. And depending on the function of your site and the amount of traffic, some web hosting services may not provide sufficient processing power, bandwidth or network speed.

In addition, while the smallest and simplest websites may do fine with basic services, larger and more involved sites require expert management. As your business grows and evolves, so does your website. It’s crucial that your hosting services grow and evolve as well. You need expert guidance to keep your site in sync with your business and your goals.

Digital Media Services

At McWilliams Media in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, we are experts in all aspects of digital media. We can help you create your brand and communicate to your customers and prospects. We can produce great videos and design powerful social media marketing strategies. And we can design and build a great website for your business.

But at the end of the day, we know that one of our most important jobs is helping you choose the right hosting package for your website. So we’ve taken time below to explain our primary hosting packages. Remember, you may need a different package now than you will down the road. So we are always here to answer your questions and help you know when to adjust your hosting to fit your needs.

Choosing the Right Hosting Package

1. Silver

If your website includes videos or multiple images, you may need more storage space and more network speed and bandwidth. Especially if your site includes a simple online store or shopping cart, you may need our Silver package. As your business grows, your website will grow as well. You may need the additional speed and power of our Silver package:

• Hosted on DV Server
• Faster Speed and more Bandwidth
• Ideal for sites with images, videos, shopping carts and multiple functions
• Software Updates
• Costs only $40 per month

 2. Gold

If your website is an important part of your business, you want to make sure it is managed properly. With additional services like security monitoring and monthly backups, the Gold package gives you peace of mind. In addition, your site will need periodic maintenance and software updating. With the Gold package, you know that as you run your business, we’re taking care of these basic functions for you. What you get with our Gold package:

• Hosted on DV Server
• Faster Speed and more Bandwidth
• Ideal for sites with images, videos, shopping carts and websites with various functions
• Monthly Backups
• Security Monitoring
• Software Updates
• Basic Maintenance
• Costs only $55 per month

3. Platinum

At McWilliams Media, we are passionate about making our entrepreneurs successful. So we designed the Platinum package with that passion for success in mind. In addition to security and maintenance services, but we include some of our most valuable services as well. Graphics, content changes, page modifications, blog posting, and more. With our highest bandwidth and speed and hosting on a DV server, you know you’re getting the best of the best. And for the security of your customers’ data, financial information, etc., we’ve included a FREE SSL certificate. The Platinum package includes:

• 1 Hour of Site Work Every Month including graphics, content changes, page modifications, blog posting, etc.
• Website hosted on DV Server
• Faster Speed and Higher Bandwidth
• Ideal for sites with images, videos, shopping carts and websites with various functions
• Monthly Backups
• Security Monitoring
• Software Updates
• Basic Maintenance
• Free SSL certificate
• Costs only $75 per month

Digital Media in Tulsa and Broken Arrow

In today’s digital commerce climate, your website is often the heartbeat of your business. At McWilliams Media in Broken Arrow, we want to help you get the most out of your digital marketing dollars. From branding and web design to social media and video production, we are here for you. And that includes helping you choose the right hosting package for your needs. Contact us today and let us partner with you on your journey to success!

The post Web Hosting: How to Get What You Really Need first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

1. What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. No, that doesn’t mean making the search engines on your computer work better (that’s not really a thing). But it does mean making search engines work to your advantage.

Search engines, like Google or Bing, are web functionalities that help people find things on the internet. If you’re in business, this is really important. You want people to find you.

What search engines do

When a customer searches for businesses like yours, they see a list of choices. Search engines direct people to websites. But they also rank these results. They use hundreds of factors to perform these functions. However, they can be distilled into two ideas; relevance and popularity.

How relevant your site is to a search will affect your site’s query ranking. But popularity is also important. Search engines work on the idea that popularity corresponds to accuracy. So if a site is more popular, it is more likely to be of a higher quality.

What SEO does

So SEO helps you make sure your site appears in the correct search queries (relevance). Then it helps you push your site to the top of those queries (relevance & popularity). In short, SEO is how you get seen online. If Google is a field of billboards, SEO makes your billboard taller than anyone else’s.

2. How does SEO work?

But how is this accomplished? Well, for starters, keywords. These are the words that are most relevant to your business.You need the right keywords on your site. And you need them to occur often. This is the simplest function of SEO.

Search engine bots accomplish this by scanning your sites content. They make sure your keywords match your business. They make sure your keywords match your market. And they make sure your site follows the rules of the search engines.

Beyond keywords

But keywords are just the beginning. In the old days, search engines only looked for words. Therefore, search results were often of little value. But now search engines are much better and much smarter. But this also makes them much, much more complex.

Search engines now look at hundreds of factors to determine the rank and relevance of your site. Knowing which of these factors is most important to your business is a major function of good SEO. This helps keep your site from blending into the noise of the internet.

SEO experts

The algorithms used to do this are complex and constantly changing. For that reason, SEO has become an industry in itself. SEO experts work hard to keep up with the changing metrics of the major engines. They analyze search engine rules and site content. Then they make them work well together.

3. Why do you need SEO?

I think we sometimes have the idea that putting a website online suddenly gives us an online presence. But it doesn’t always work that way. The internet is huge. After all, it’s called the “world-wide-web” for a reason. So when someone searches for “Mufflers Tulsa, Oklahoma,” they might not find your Tulsa muffler shop at all.

Avoid Search failure

Who’s had an experience like this? You’re looking for–say–ok, mufflers. You type in “Mufflers Tulsa Oklahoma” and you see several that look familiar. Scrolling down a bit, you see one that catches your eye, Tony’s Muffler Shop.

You click on the website. You chat online with an expert. Nice site! Great experience! You might even book an appointment. Then you find out they’re in Munsey, Indiana! (or some other random location) How did this happen!?

The top few on the list were most likely local. But you, like many others, rarely choose the top result unless it’s the specific name you were searching for. So you scrolled past the obvious choices. And not far down the list, you found your Munsey muffler shop with the great site.

Why was he there? Well, there are a lot of possible reasons. But more importantly, why did so many Tulsa, Oklahoma muffler shops not get seen in that search? SEO. Or rather, the lack of good quality SEO.

Get seen.

Without good SEO, you have no idea who will see your site, or if anyone ever will!  You work hard to make your business the best. And you probably paid good money for your site. So you need to make sure that site doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

SEO helps you make sure your site meets the complex criteria for search engine rankings. You need to know that when someone searches for a business like yours, you at least have a chance! SEO gives you the peace of mind to know you’re not invisible.

Get seen by the right people.

Expert SEO not only makes you visible online but also makes you visible to the right people. You need to know that you’re showing up in search queries. But you also need to know you’re showing up in the right search queries.

By fine-tuning keywords, link structure, and other key elements, professional SEO targets your customers. You wouldn’t spend your money on a magazine advertisement in a place you can’t do business, would you? Well, without good SEO, you might be doing just that. The internet is huge, and good SEO helps shrink it down to size.

Tulsa & Broken Arrow SEO

At McWilliams Media in Broken Arrow and Tulsa, Oklahoma, we specialize in professional, customized SEO for your business. Call us today to see how we can maximize your website’s impact! We will work with you to make sure your business gets seen–and that it gets seen by the right people!

Our team are experts in all phases of digital marketing. From web design and branding to videography and social media, we are here to help you succeed! We are passionate about helping our entrepreneurs build their dreams! Call us for a free consultation today!

Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash

The post SEO-What it is and Why you need it first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

The Google-net

How did this happen? Seems like Google owns the internet! I thought the whole idea of this thing was that no one could ever do that, but here we are! I know, technically, the internet is still free and owned by everyone. However, sometimes it feels like it’s the “Google-net.”

Part of that is the “Kleenex factor.” Even when people are searching on Bing or AOL (yes, that’s still a thing…I just looked it up!), they say they’re “Googling” something. So other search engines do exist. But the reality is that if you’re going to get seen by the most people possible on the internet, you have to be seen on Google.

But Google’s dominance is not just helping them, it’s helping us, too! Their analytics, AdWords programs, and other goodies can be invaluable tools to grow the exposure of any business! And one of the best tools out there is Google reviews.

Why Your Business Needs More Google Reviews

Well, the most obvious part of the answer is just that. We live in the age of Google. But what does a Google review do for you exactly? The first is simple: it’s a review from an actual customer.

Reviews, in general, are the most powerful type of advertising available. Which would you rather have, a postcard in someone’s mailbox, or a neighbor telling them how great you are? Of course, you’d rather people hear about you from someone with personal experience! That’s the power of reviews. Online reviews are no different.

Online customer reviews are the new neighbor conversations. Your customers go online and “tell their neighbors” about you. And it really, really works! Here’s what current research says about your prospects and online reviews.

• Up to 90% read online reviews before visiting a business.
• About 88% trust them as much as personal recommendations.
• They spend about 31% more on businesses with “excellent” reviews.
• Over 90% will use a local business if it has at least a 4-star rating.
• Over 70% will take action ONLY if they find positive reviews

Getting Google Reviews

Online customer reviews are now one of the most powerful tools we have for converting prospects to customers. Over 70%…that’s the number of people who WILL NOT click through, call, or visit unless they read a positive review! So how do you get reviews on Google? And how do you keep them fresh and positive?

According to Google my Business Help,

“Reviews on Google provide valuable information about your business to both you and your customers. Business reviews appear next to your listing in Maps and Search, and can help your business stand out on Google.”

How to Keep the Reviews Coming

Encourage your customers to spread the word about your business. Here are some tips on how to get them sharing!

• Verify your business so your information is eligible to appear on Maps, Search, and other Google services. Only verified businesses can respond to reviews. Learn how to verify your business
• Remind your customers to leave reviews. Let them know that it’s quick and easy to leave business reviews on mobile devices or computers.
• Show them How! Yes, in the digital age, there are still lots of people who don’t know how to leave reviews. Become an expert at it and help your customers get started. Learn how to leave Google reviews
• Create and share a link that customers can click to leave a review.
• Reply to reviews to build your customers’ trust. Your customers will notice that your business values their input, and possibly leave more reviews in the future. Learn how to read and reply to reviews

What You Shouldn’t Do

According to Google, “Reviews are only valuable when they are honest and unbiased. (For example, business owners shouldn’t offer incentives to customers in exchange for reviews.) Read more in our review posting guidelines.”

While you don’t want to violate their policies, and you certainly don’t want to be dishonest, you can do some things to protect yourself from negative reviews.

How to Keep the Reviews Positive

• Read all your reviews. Or have someone do it for you, at least once a week if not more! This may not be a good practice for an actor, but it’s indispensable for a business owner. You must know what your customers are saying.
• Remove inappropriate reviews. If you see a review that’s inappropriate or that violates Google’s policies, you can flag it for removal.
• Reply to reviews to build your customers’ trust. Your customers will notice that your business values their input, and possibly leave more reviews in the future.
• Respond immediately if a review is negative! We all make mistakes, and sometimes customers just aren’t happy for some reason or another. Responding quickly to a negative review is the best way to correct the situation. Learn how to read and reply to reviews

So let’s get going! Whether it’s managing reviews, social media, SEO, or website design and hosting, McWilliams Media is here for you! We are passionate about helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses! Our expert team can give you everything you need to thrive in the online marketplace! Contact us today for a free consultation!

The post Getting Google Reviews: Why & How? first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

Never Having to Say “I’m Sorry, We’re Closed”

It’s February, the month of love! In this season, I am reminded of a strange old saying: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Well, I’m not sure how I feel about that one. However, here’s one I know is true and I’m sure you’ll agree; in business, love means never having to say “I’m Sorry, We’re Closed!”

Because business now takes place not only face-to-face but also in the digital world, you never have to close! You can always have access to your customers and prospects. More importantly, they can always have access to you! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, you can be always open!

So with all this access, you’d think success in business would be easy, right? Not so. Although the internet is an incredibly rich marketplace, its sheer size makes it a challenging one. If you really want to be “always open,” it’s not enough just to have a website. You have to have the right website and the tools to go along with it.

Businesses That Never Close

To make your digital presence effective, to actually “never close,” here are some things you must have.

1. A Great Website

Your Personality
Design your website around who you are and who your prospects and customers are. That’s the personality of your business. Get this right, and you’ll naturally stand out in the marketplace.

Your Functionality
Create a site that does what you need it to do. Make it interactive. Make it sell. Make it easy for your target audience.

Free website consultation
Even if you have to hang a sign in the window occasionally, your business can always be open if you have a great website! Just because you’re not at work doesn’t mean that your website isn’t at work for you. Call us for a free consultation on what a new site can do for your business!

2. Great SEO

Effective SEO
Search engines can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Effective SEO keeps you at the top of the list as much as possible. This may be the most valuable service we offer.

Dynamic SEO
Just saying you have SEO may not be enough. Engines constantly change and update their rules, so your SEO has to be able to keep up. Make sure your SEO is dynamic, that it is performed regularly and stays up-to-date!

Get 3 Months SEO—FREE!
Once you have a great site, you need to make sure it gets seen! This month, for qualifying new website sales, you get three months of SEO (or 3 months of Facebook posting) FREE! Call us today!

3. A Great Social Media Strategy

Engaging
Make sure you’re posting content that gets people responding to you or better yet, talking to their friends about you!

Targeted
Design your posts around who you want to talk to, not just what you want to sell. Target your audience!

Consistent
It’s important to post often enough to keep people thinking and talking about you and your products and services. Posting that is too frequent or sporadic tends to be much less effective.

Get 3 Months Facebook Posting—FREE!
Because over 70% of the population is on Facebook, that means 70% of your potential clients are there too- that’s why you need a strong presence on Facebook. Get 3 months of Facebook posting (or 3 months free SEO) FREE with any qualifying website purchase during February.

At McWilliams media, we specializing in helping businesses “never close” by creating great websites, performing great SEO, and providing great social media strategies. Call us today and take advantage of these special FREE offers this February!

The post Never Having to Say “I’m Sorry, We’re Closed” first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

21st-century Americans are just as particular about media as coffee…maybe more! We know that a great cup of coffee is the result of excellence in several processes at several stages. In the same way, there are several important processes in a media strategy for your business, and you need to get all the steps right in order to get results!

So here are 5 ways your media strategy is like a great cup of coffee.

1. The Beans.

This may sound silly, but the first thing you need to do is to find your product. Many businesses fail because they try to do too much. Make sure you have a clear direction for your win. Just like a coffee grower has to decide what kind of beans will grow best on his land, you have to decide what you really do best and focus on that.

2. The Harvest.

Once you know the focus of your business, you need to refine your message. When he harvests his crop, a good grower selects only the best beans to go to the roasters. You need to make sure you say only what you want to say. Take time to know yourself as a business so that your message can clearly communicate the value you bring to your customers.

3. The Roast.

Once you know what your message needs to be, you have to give it the right personality, just like a roast gives coffee its unique flavor. Your media should have a flavor that is true to who you are and attractive to your target audience. We call this finding your “voice and tone,” and it’s one of the most powerful steps in creating effective media messages for your business.

4. The Grind.

This is the strategy itself. Where and how often do you need to communicate with your target audience? Does your business require a few big messages a month or hundreds of little ones, or is it a combination of the two? You need experts in media to help you navigate the landscape of web design, social media, video, blogging, and any other outlet you want to use.

5. The Pour, or…

There are lots of ways to serve coffee, and people can be very picky about how they get it. And let’s face it, our audiences have become a lot pickier about the messages they receive from businesses, and how they receive them. Send the wrong message, or the send right message in the wrong way, and you can get lost in the noise or lose them altogether.

At McWilliams Media, we are experts in helping you find your message and deliver that message to the right people at the right time. From custom websites to graphic design to video and digital marketing, we can help you reach your target audience and keep them engaged to grow your business!

Photo by Nolan Issac on Unsplash

The post 5 Ways Your Media Strategy is Like A Great Cup of Coffee first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

3 Ways To Turn Challenges Into Solutions

1. Come from a place of SERVING not selling

Selling isn’t doing something to someone, it is doing something for someone and with someone. If your clients know you are in their corner trying to create solutions with them, then you will gain a client for life.

2. Be CARING and TRANSPARENT

Building from #1, as we serve our clients, we need to care so much that we understand our client with a firm knowledge that we can see and develop what they need. This must be transparent in our motive and actions.

3. Learn to ASK correct questions

To continue to build on #1 and #2, we must learn to ask our clients the correct questions. We must learn to be expert question askers although the questions may be tough. If we have have established #1 and #2, the foundation is there to ask. This is a foundational key, because if we learn to ask the correct questions, it will unlock answers we (us and client) need to best serve each other. This action completes the circle; asking correct questions demonstrates our heart to serve and it displays caring and transparency.

We are solution makers! Serve, be caring and be transparent, and learn to ask questions. This is a circle of trust and each action must be completed with a pure motive to truly create value for our clients by solving their challenges.

Do you have a challenge in your marketing that need a custom solution? Call us anytime to share your challenge and we’ll walk through what it will take to make your solutions a reality!

The post 3 Ways To Turn Client Challenges Into Solutions first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

“Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage.”
-Amy Jo Martin

“Technology and social media have brought power back to the people.”
-Mark McKinnon

As business people in Tulsa, we want to use social media to our advantage, but there is such a thing as social media overload. Post too much for our clients, or spend too much of our valuable time posting, and suddenly this powerful tool is hurting and not helping our business.

Here are 3 strategies to avoid “Social Media Overload.”

1. CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON

Focus on one platform at a time. If you have a massive social media team, maybe you can ignore this one, but for most of us, time is precious. Use the following questions to choose the best social media platform to focus your attention on.

Which platform fits your business best?

Where can you best represent yourself and your business?

Which platform does your target audience spend most of their time on?

This might take some effort to find out, but if you don’t know, you might end up wasting time posting to the wrong people.

Which platform can you afford to spend time on?

Especially if you’re a one-person show, you may need to choose the platform that is quickest and easiest for you! Do one thing and do it well!

 2. POST BETTER, NOT MORE

Here’s a liberating idea: You don’t have to post new content every day! In fact, doing that may actually hurt you. Too many posts can become white noise. Here are some tips to help you focus on quality rather than quantity.

Post only the best of the best!

Don’t just post to post. Instead, write something really impactful and post it across all the platforms you use to get the most mileage out of it.

Don’t spend ONE MINUTE looking for material to post!

If you happen to come across something great, post it! But especially if you’re a small team or you’re doing this all yourself, it’s a waste of time to sit and search just to have something to post.

Figure out what works.

Watch what kind of things perform well in likes, shares, re-tweets, etc., and let that guide you. Then you can more easily decide what kinds of posts are worth spending your time on. Which brings me to the next strategy…

 3. SPEND YOUR TIME ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS

You’re probably not in the social media business, and even if you are, posting on social media still isn’t what your business is about. You have clients to see and projects to complete and sales to make. Don’t let social media become a time-suck. Use this simple strategy to manage its impact on your time.

• Decide how much time to spend on social media each day, and when that will be.
• Plan your attack—decide what you’ll do ahead of time.
• Set a timer, and follow your plan as closely as possible.
• Stop—When the timer goes off, GET BACK TO WORK!

Social media overload can affect you, your clients, and your business. Be the master of this powerful tool! Let us put together a strategy that fits your goals, your business, and your team, and help you get the most out of social media! Call McWilliams Media today!

The post 3 Strategies for avoiding SOCIAL MEDIA OVERLOAD first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.

Apple, for example, has clearly defined their brand. You get a certain feeling when you walk into an Apple store, see Apple packaging or watch an Apple commercial. Everything is cohesive and adheres to their mission.

Apple knows exactly who they are, what they do and what they want their ideal customers to think about the company. Apple has clearly defined their brand, and it’s foundational to everything they do.

A poor understanding of branding hinders the work of a business. If people are unclear about who you are and what you do, they won’t engage. And a lack of engagement prevents your company from reaching potential clients.

Clarify your brand – don’t make these five mistakes:

Mistake #1: Assume your logo is the extent of your brand

A logo is part of the brand, but it isn’t the whole thing. A good logo establishes an identity. For example, when people see a red and white bullseye, they think Target. When they see a golden M, they think McDonald’s. Those are visual cues that remind us of a bigger brand.

What does this mean for your business?

A good logo is important, but it’s not everything. Your logo is a component of your overall identity. Just like a personal identity, your brand identity comes from knowing who you are. This means your brand will look a little different from the other companies in your field. That’s okay; we don’t need millions of companies that are exactly the same. Discover and develop the unique brand of your business in your community.

Mistake #2: Don’t ask what people say about your business

What people say about your company is a direct reflection of what they think about your brand. This may not be the reality of your brand, but it’s what people assume is reality. Look at the major cable companies. Many of them have a reputation for poor customer service. Is that what corporate leadership wants associated with their brand? No, but based on past experiences, it’s what customers think the brand is.

What does this look like in your business?

When you go to lunch or coffee, ask the server if they know any good businesses in your field in the area. If they don’t mention your company, ask specifically about your business with a question like, “I’ve heard some people talk about ‘x’. What have you heard?” You may be surprised by what you hear.

Mistake #3: Don’t connect your brand to your staff

Hilton, a global company with more than 350,000 employees, has a clear mission: to be the most hospitable company in the world. It’s obvious how this impacts their guests: clean rooms, exceptional service and so on. But leaders at Hilton realize the brand mission extends to their employees. That’s why they work to show hospitality to their own team as well as their guests. This strategy drives Hilton to consistently be on the Top 100 Places to Work list.

What does this look like in your business?

Think about the core values shared with your team. Are those values woven into the staff culture? For example, if excellence is a core value, how is it shown to the staff? Are there standards and practices in place that reinforce excellence as a core value? When your team regularly experiences the core elements of the brand, they champion those ideals with your clients.

Mistake #4: Assume your clients understand your brand

Don’t assume that people that have done business with you understand your core values. Be sure to make clear to your future, and past, clients what your business stands for and what they can expect from your company.

What does this mean for your business?

Continually remind people what distinguishes your company. If efficiency is part of the brand, showcase it. It’s your job to show and tell your brand identity often.

Mistake #5: Everything in your business requires its own brand

Often times, companies focus on branding aspect of their business. This focus on building a new brand for every aspect of a business is confusing for people who visit your building or website. And it’s probably doing more to hinder your business than help it.

What does this mean for your business?

Don’t feel the need to create a new and unique brand for every single thing in your company. This confuses people. Instead, focus on the overarching brand of the entire business. Working with your executive team, take that brand and infuse it into every aspect of your business. The consistency you create will resonate with more people, causing them to engage in what you do.

These mistakes are common, but they aren’t fatal. Lead your team away from these mistakes. Soon your business will begin engaging more people and growing in clients!

The post Quit Making These 5 Common Branding Mistakes first appeared on Website Design | McWilliams Media |Broken Arrow, OK.