While hiring a social media manager may seem like an additional expense, it can actually be a wise investment that pays off in the long run. Here are six reasons how a social media manager can help you. Developing a social media strategy: A social media manager can help you develop a social media strategy that aligns with your business goals and objectives. This includes identifying a target audience, determining which platforms are the rights ones for you, and determine the most effective frequency and timing of posts. Creating and curating content: A social media manager can create and curate content that engages your target audience and drives traffic to your website. Oak & Ivy is all about learning the ins and outs of your business to create purposeful and meaningful content for your followers. Managing social media platforms: A social media manager can manage your social media platforms, ensuring that your content is posted regularly and in a timely manner. Being consistent and taking all aspects of content are important. Do you have the time to properly spend on that? I do. Monitoring social media analytics: A social media manager can monitor social media analytics to determine what content is working and what needs to be adjusted and implement when and how to make those adjustments. Engaging with customers: A social media manager can engage with customers on social media, answering questions and providing customer support. Being on social all the time can be draining for a business owner. Oak & Ivy works with you to be your voice and help you bond with your followers. Saving you time: Arguably the most important aspect of what Oak & Ivy does is save you time. Your business needs you and your time is valuable. Hiring a social media manager gives you time back to focus on the business aspects you love and to let go of the rest.  In conclusion, a social media manager can bring a wealth of benefits to any business looking to enhance its online presence.
By outsourcing your social media management to a professional, you can free up time and resources to focus on other important aspects of your business while still maintaining a strong social media presence. So, what is holding you back? 3/6/2023 Manifesting Success in Your Small Business: Using Positive Affirmations as a Tool for GrowthRead Now Running a small business can be both exciting and challenging, and it's not uncommon for small business owners to experience self-doubt, stress, and negative self-talk. However, there are many tools and techniques available to help small business owners stay positive and focused on their goals. One of these tools is positive affirmations. Positive affirmations involve repeating positive statements about yourself and your abilities to build self-belief and cultivate a more positive mindset. In this article, we'll explore three ways positive affirmations can help small business owners, including boosting confidence, overcoming self-doubt, and attracting success. Whether you're just starting out or looking to grow your existing small business, incorporating positive affirmations into your daily routine can be a simple yet powerful way to stay motivated and achieve your goals.  1. BOOST CONFIDENCE Positive affirmations are a powerful tool for boosting confidence and self-belief. As a small business owner, you may face a lot of challenges and setbacks, but repeating positive affirmations can help you stay focused on your goals and maintain a positive attitude. By focusing on your strengths and successes, you'll be better equipped to handle challenges and take risks. 2. OVERCOME SELF DOUBT Running a small business can be stressful, and it's easy to fall into self-doubt or negative self-talk. However, positive affirmations can help you overcome those negative thoughts and build a more positive mindset. By affirming your abilities and potential, you'll be more likely to take action and pursue your goals. 3. ATTRACT SUCCESS Positive affirmations can help you manifest success and abundance in your small business. By focusing on positive outcomes and visualizing success, you'll be more likely to attract opportunities and resources that can help your business thrive. Additionally, positive affirmations can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals, even when faced with challenges or setbacks.  In conclusion, positive affirmations can be a valuable tool for small business owners in many ways. By boosting confidence, overcoming self-doubt, and attracting success, positive affirmations can help small business owners maintain a positive attitude and achieve their goals. Incorporating positive affirmations into your daily routine can be a simple yet powerful way to cultivate a more positive mindset and stay motivated in the face of challenges. So why not give it a try and see how positive affirmations can benefit your small business? Looking to step up your businesses digital content? Reach out!
When you (as a small business owner) set up your business social media accounts you may feel overwhelmed or unsure of what to do next. Or maybe you have all the confidence in the world and just start going post-wild. While on the surface social media marketing for your business may seem very simple, it actually involves a lot of careful consideration, complex intricacies, and sometimes complex methods. Here are four common mistakes I see small business make on their social media: 1. Not Being On Social Not all of us love social media and I completely understand that. However, you miss out on a very powerful tool with social media. According to analysis from Kepios, there are 4.70 billion social media users, and it grows every year. Regardless of your opinion, your potential clients and customers are on social. It is one of the quickest and cost-efficient manners to potentially reach people with your message, grow brand awareness, and develop a relationship with them. 2. Inconsistent Posting I get it, your time and attention to your social media ebbs and flows with how busy you are in other areas of life and business. This can cause you to post content in a flurry one week and then nothing for a couple weeks, then once a week. But being inconsistent on social is almost as bad as not being on social at all. (Ok, maybe not THAT drastic but it does create some barriers to success.) Staying consistent helps you stay connected with your people, builds trust in you or your business, and keeps you in front of people on the regular. 3. Inauthentic or Salesy Newsfeed Stop asking people to buy what you are selling in every single post. Think about walking down the street and passing a woman in front of her store. Every day you walk past her and every day she tries to get you to buy something she is selling. Odds are, you will look for another route to work. Now picture this same woman keeping you on your toes. Sometimes she asks how you are doing, she might tell you a joke or give you a little gift, maybe she shares a tip to make your life better, every now and then she shows you what she has to offer but most of the time she is providing you with encouragement, knowledge, friendly conversation or giving back. You would be much more likely to walk past her store daily to see what she might have for you. 4. Ignoring Your Followers Whether someone comments, leaves a review, shares and tags your page, or sends you a message… whatever the case may be… RESPOND. Would you ignore them if they said something to you in person? I highly doubt it. The same courtesy over social media can go a long way in building trust with your followers. People are more likely to use a business they feel a connection or relationship with. By simply taking the time to respond and acknowledge your people you show that you value them and are grateful. Staying in-the-know and on top of the ever-changing ways social media hits target markets requires constant observation, versatility, and time. Need help with setting up a social media page, developing a strategy, or managing the day to day? I am here to help.  Written by: Elisabeth Gelhar
Content Curator & Photographer If you are asking yourself if professional imagery is worth investing in, my answer would be absolutely. There are so many benefits to having professional photos of your organization and the products you offer on your digital and non-digital marketing streams. Here are just four of the numerous reasons why investing in quality professional imagery is important: It Helps You Stand Out From Your Competitors. What makes you stand out against everyone else out there? YOU. YOUR TEAM. YOUR SERVICE or PRODUCT. How can you show off how much better you(rs) is if your imagery is not up to snuff? There are many stats proving the importance of good photography in eCommerce. For example, 75 percent of would-be buyers rate product photos as very influential when deciding whether to buy a product online. Additionally, research has also shown when using professional imagery there can be an increase in engagement as high as 400% more than when using an unprofessional image. A high-quality professional image provides your audience with a visual tool to grab their attention and to remember you by. It Conveys Professionalism. Your photos represent your brand. Low quality, unprofessional photos communicate the same about your business and the products or services you offer. According to an article by Forbes, we know that making a good first impression is important, especially in business. These small details are points of contact you have with potential customers before they even meet you... and presentation is everything. Professional photos on your website, social media, and marketing material are important for making that good, lasting first impression. It Shows You Are Relevant - Now. Professional photography is important is because it’s used as a competitive differentiator in the business world. Unsuccessful marketing of a business is often separated from successful marketing of businesses by the imagery they use. Have you ever gone to a website with photos that look like they were taken in the eighties? Customers and clients are more likely to notice, like, engage & even purchase based on how amazing it looks or if they connect with you personally on a visual level. It Can Help Build Connections. Visual content is more than 40 times likely to get shared across social media than other content. Think about the type of visual content you want to tell the story of your business. Professional headshots for example are a great tool for expressing the personality of your team and your business as a whole. Authentic photos let customers make a personal connection with you, and it helps to increase their perception of your trustworthiness and credibility. Professional imagery allows people to connect with your brand. Powerful images can move people, and sway them in the direction you desire. As a photographer specializing in professional headshots and brand imagery, I know the importance of capturing high quality work that fits your brand, your digital or your print needs. Looking for professional imagery or want to know more about how it could bring your business to the next level? Contact Oak & Ivy today.
Social Media Imagery Examples by Elisabeth
Tired of trying to keep you business up-to-date on social media? Oak & Ivy can help. Allow me to take something off your plate so you can focus on things that matter most.
Creating a story that speaks to the heart of your target market, the heart of what you do, and the heart of who you are (as a person or a business) can both guide your future content and help you connect with the right people along the way.
Here are a few tips to help you develop your story. 1. Define Your Ideal Client. To identify your ideal client, you must first start with any data you have gathered about your best customers: their age, gender, relationship status, race, religion, occupation, life stage, interests, and media preference are all factors to consider. For example, a high-end newborn photographer would have an ideal client of a childbearing-aged female expecting a new babe with a high household income. 2. Develop Your Ideal Client Profile. What interests does your ideal client group have? What do they care about? Are they coffee lovers? Do they like to cook healthy meals? Are they moms or techy guys? Do they have beards? All of this seems simplistic, but when it comes to targeting your content based on their interests - it makes sense. Take our example of the newborn photographer. Her ideal client will probably enjoy baby blogs and articles about the developmental stages of infancy or what to pack or throw out for the hospital bag. They might be lovers of expensive chocolates. Even baby clothes. All things mother, all things baby, all things raising kids - not just photography. 3. Figure Out Who You Are. What makes you different from your competitors? What are your goals? While you are answering these questions, remember to think about your "why." Why does or should your following care? 3. Create Your Message. Take all the information you now have and develop an overall story. Once complete, you can take that story and begin developing a wide array of social media content based on all of the above. All while telling YOUR brand's story and YOUR story! It's easy to regurgitate content that is already out there circulating. But does it make them think of you? Of course, if you need help with 1, 2 or 3 - We are here for you. You can get a complete YOUR-BUSINESS-SPECIFIC consultation where we can walk through that entire process with you and then help generate plenty of ideas to set your social media marketing apart from your competitors. Contact us today to set up your consultation.
The product or services you offer are the reason someone comes to your website specifically. Once again, the menu, the aesthetics, the price all come in to play on whether or not someone is going to choose you or your business.
But a blog is that extra "umph". That margarita special that is going to help drive customers your way through key words, additional marketing techniques, and get them to stay because of your delicious potential. Ok, we know that was a stretch... but you get the point. Simply put, a blog on your website can help increase SEO, show off your expertise, express your brand and give you additional content to use for your social media platforms to also help drive traffic to your website. Can you have a website without a blog? Sure - but just like a tex-mex restaurant without a margarita bar, you could be missing out on potential customers. Not sure what to blog about? Not a writer? No problem, we offer consultation to help you generate ideas or we can even write them for you! Contact Oak & Ivy today. |
This is a blog.
Having a blog can be super helpful for your business! It can help you get more people to check out your website, show that you're an expert in your field, and make it easier for people to find you on search engines like Google. Plus, if you create content that's interesting and useful to your target audience, you can even get some new leads and build stronger relationships with your customers. So, if you're not already blogging, it might be worth giving it a shot! Archives
March 2023
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