PicMonkey: The Poor Man’s Photoshop

May 14, 2013 by 5 Comments
PicMonkey: The Poor Man's Photoshop by Scott's Marketplace

Want to edit photos in under 10 minutes or less without spending a single dime? Check out this review of PicMonkey!

Drop hundreds of dollars on Photoshop? What do you think I am? Some kind of oil tycoon?

Nope. I use PicMonkey instead and I’m able to turn boring images into better, more eye-catching visual masterpieces for my blog and social media posts.

And guess what? I can do it all without spending a single damn dime.

What exactly is a PicMonkey, you ask? Well, it’s a really awesome site that lets you edit images for free without having to register or download any software.

And the best part (aside from no charge) is that there’s no learning curve. Seriously.

It’s so easy to use that you won’t have to spend any time scouring their ‘help’ section or Googling tutorials to figure it out.

Still not convinced? If anyone is a good judge of how easy a photo editor is to use, it’s me. Pre-PicMonkey, cropping was the extent of my photo editing knowledge. Rest assured, if I can use it, you can too.

Here are some of PicMonkey’s features:

  • Resize
  • Crop
  • Adjust exposure
  • Add frames
  • Add effects
  • Add fun stickers
  • Add text
  • Add overlays
  • Add logos or watermarks

Fun with Photos

Since I mainly use PicMonkey for business stuff, that’s the example I’ll be showing here. But you can probably have even more fun using it for personal images because you can do things like give your friends vampire fangs or a nice Zombie-esque skin tone. (Not that I’ve done that or anything.)

First, though, you’ll need an image to work with. I normally get images from iStock, but if you’d prefer a free image you can (sometimes) get a pretty decent selection by using Flickr Creative Commons.

In the example below, a co-worker had chosen this iStock image to go with a blog post she had written about how using local suppliers has a positive effect on communities.

Pic Monkey Before Example

This image is about to get PicMonkey’d so hard

It’s an okay image as is… but it seemed to be lacking a little something. So what did I do? I PicMonkey’d the hell out of it and made it better. And yes, I also turned PicMonkey into a verb.

Check out how I worked my PicMonkey magic in five easy steps below:

Step 1: Upload

This step is so quick and easy that it’ll be done and over with in one second. (That’s what she said.)

All you have to do is go to PicMonkey, click ‘edit photo,’ upload the image of your choice, hit ‘open,’ and it’s ready for some editing!

Step 2: Add Some Text

Add text on PicMonkeyPhoto Editor Have a boring image? Spice that thing up with some text.

Better yet, add a quote. People love quotes!

Here’s the quote I chose for the image: “Locally owned companies create a greater economic impact, indirectly supporting more jobs, payroll and output locally.”

By adding this quote directly onto my image, it’ll be stronger and able to stand on its own. For example, people won’t have to read the blog post to understand what this image means — and they’ll be much more likely to ‘like’ it and share it with others.

To add the text, I clicked ‘P’ on the photo editor and hit ‘add text.’

A little box pops up on the image and that’s where I pasted the quote. Within this feature, you can easily choose the font you want to use (there are tons of options) and adjust the size, color, and location of your text.

Step 3: Add a Frame

PicMonkey Frames

Almost every image looks better with a frame. Why? Because frames are some classy shit.

So fancy up your image by adding a simple edge or maybe even a museum matte if you’re feeling extra ritzy.

For my image, I decided to go with a nice, simple edge frame and it turned out pretty lovely if I do say so myself.

To add the frame, I selected the ‘frame’ option from the feature menu and chose the frame I wanted — it’s that easy.

You also have the option of adjusting the outer color of the frame and the thickness as well as adding some ‘caption space,’ which is pretty cool.

If you’re feeling delicate and prefer softer, rounded edges for your frame, simply adjust the corner radius.

Step 4: Add a Logo

Overlay on PicMonkey Branding your image with a logo is always a good idea. Why? Because when people start liking, retweeting, sharing, and pinning it like crazy they’ll know where it came from.

And hopefully, they’ll love your image so much that they’ll look up the name of your business just to find out who the genius was that created it.

Luckily, PicMonkey makes it super easy for you to add a logo or a watermark to your image with their ‘overlay’ feature, and bonus, it’ll make you feel like a photo-editing expert while you do it.

“Oh, sorry, I’ll have to call you back, I’m busy adding an overlay to my latest blog image.” Sounds mildly impressive, right?

To add a Scott’s Marketplace logo to the image, I selected ‘overlay,’ from the features menu and then I selected ‘your own.’ Once you’ve hit ‘your own,’ you’ll need to upload your logo or watermark and then you can place it wherever you want on the image, adjust the size, and even add fade or change the color.

Step 5: Admire Your Handiwork

Well, here it is! The new, better, PicMonkey’d image I created. What do you think?

PicMonkey After Image Not bad, right? Adding the quote, frame, and logo gave it a more personalized feel — and when we posted it to our Facebook page, it got more ‘likes’ and shares than it would have otherwise.

And before any of you haters out there leave a comment saying I have the photo-editing skills of a first grader, please reference my introductory paragraph… and then meet me on the playground at recess and we’ll see if you’re still so tough then.

I fully admit that I have zero experience editing images but even those of you with super fancy skills (if you’re being honest) have to agree that I did, at least, improve the image and, even better, I did it for free and in under 10 minutes! What do you have to say about that, Photoshop bullies?

If you desire even more features, you can choose their Royale membership that comes with “ads-free editing and a kingly hoard of primo effects, fonts, overlays, and textures” starting at $2.75 per month.

Verdict: PicMonkey is the perfect tool for small business owners and/or anyone who doesn’t want to needlessly drop a ton of dough on a program to edit images for business or personal use. It’s fun, fast, and easy. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Will you use PicMonkey to edit images for your small business?

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The Perks of Being a Small Business Owner, In Pictures

May 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Kate Tanner hard at work at her new store, BabyStop.

As we all know,  small business owners are resourceful people. Taking the leap from idea to creation requires you to multitask, be your own best cheerleader, and understand the complexities of a good cup of coffee.

Summing up the life of a small business owner in a blog is no small task. Our thought? Let photos do the talking.

After all, according to legend, they are worth 1,000 words. So, local business owners, get your cameras out, and join us for our “A Day in the Life” photo contest! (And, in case you’re not motivated to join in just yet, we’re offering cold, hard cash as a prize, plus possible blog mentions, links to your website, social media posts … did we mention cash?)

Yep. You read that right. Starting in May 2013 and continuing until December, we’ll select our favorite photo each month and reward the winner with $100 and a featured spot on the Scott’s Marketplace Facebook page! For you overachievers out there, feel free to enter as many photos as you want.

How It Works

1. Get Social. Follow @ScottsMarketplace on Instagram, and @ScottsBizBlog on Twitter.

2. Take of a picture of yourself doing your job – whether it’s helping customers one minute or painting the walls the next.

3. Upload your photo to Instagram and Twitter, and tag it with #LocalBizSMP.

4. You are now entered to win $100!

To help inspire your impeding photo session, here are a few of our favorite snapshots from a day in the life of a small business owner:

Dress Codes Not Welcome

“Oh, you thought you could make me wear khakis and a tie every day? Think again, fashion police. I will not be held down by corporate regulations. I will let my entrepreneurial freak flag fly, and will also get as many tattoos as I want.” – said every small business owner.

Small Business Owner at work

I Just Secured a Loan, Now I Have to Clean the Gutters?

Yes, small business owners are experts in many things. From securing retail space and keeping the store stocked to selecting the best candidate for a job, the owner’s role encompasses everything involved with keeping the business alive.

Scott of Scott’s Marketplace, painting the walls and happy about it.

Control

We’re referring to the kind of control that you’ll never have over your teenage daughter. Small business owners call the shots and take on all the risk of building a new venture, and hopefully all of the rewards. How do you handle this power? Much like Superman, you can use your power for good by listening to the input of loyal employees, experts in the field, and most importantly, your customers.

Andrew King of Standard Wax

And Of Course, We Didn’t Forget Your Customers!

Want to give your customers even more reason to shop local? Tell them to grab their cameras as well! We’re offering a cool photo contest just for them. Encourage your customers to snap a photo of themselves while browsing in your store, and they could win a $100 gift card just for shopping local. (And we bet they’ll remember you for giving them this great tip!)

So, What Are You Waiting For?

Start documenting your days from beginning to end, and submit your photos today.

What are your favorite perks of being a small business owner?

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4 Reasons Your Blog Posts Aren’t Being Read

April 25, 2013 by 1 Comment
Writing a blog post -- Angry

This blog post is garbage!

Is no one reading your blog posts? We might know why.

In fact, we have four potential reasons your blog is losing readers faster than Justin Bieber is losing fans.

And while there’s not much anyone can do to make the Biebs less of an idiot, there is something we can do to help you figure out where you’ve been going wrong with your blogging efforts.

When it comes to writing a blog post, it’s important that you write (and format) in a way that draws readers in both content-wise and aesthetically.

If you’re ready to start writing better, more reader-friendly blog posts, we’ve identified four possible problems and four fast fixes for you below.

1. You Don’t Know How to Press Enter

Enter, return… whatever you want to call it, from this day forward, this key is your friend. Your best friend.

We’re not sure why, but when people start writing a blog post, it seems like they, all-too-often, forget this key even exists. This is not a good thing.

Writing a Blog Post -- Enter Button

Why won’t you press me?

Do you want to know what happens when you ignore the enter key? Your readers get hit with a wall of content so overwhelming that it burns their eyes with the fire of a thousand suns. (Or a thousand words.)

Don’t do that to your readers. Keep your blog paragraphs short (Copyblogger suggests 3-4 sentences max) and don’t be afraid of white space. Also, writing your whole blog post in all-caps?

No. Never. Not for any reason.

Got it?

2. You Never Hit Your Readers with Bullets

Real bullets? Let’s skip those. Bulleted lists? Yes, you need them.

It’s very easy to pretend that people read every word you write. (Hey, I do it all the time.) But let’s face it… they don’t. Okay, some might, but others will only skim and scan.

Bulleted lists are a way to succinctly get your point across to those readers who simply don’t have time to read the whole thing – or don’t want to.

As Copyblogger notes, bulleted lists are always a smart addition when writing a blog post because:

  • They create fascinations your readers can’t resist
  • They’re an easily-scannable way to present multiple points
  • They look different from the rest of your text, so they provide a visual break for your reader

3. You Kill Your Blog’s Mojo by Leaving Out Subheads

Not sure what subheads are? Copyblogger says to think of them as mini-headlines. Which, of course, makes us picture a headline (in a gray suit) saying — a little evilly — to a subheading, “I shall call him Mini-Me.”

And just like Mini-Me, subheadings don’t have to say a ton, but they’re essential to the plot. “Solid subheads keep the reader engaged [and] keep them moving through the rest of your content,” says Copyblogger.

Writing a Blog Post -- Dr. Evil For example, if you’re writing a blog post about increasing sales with low-budget marketing techniques, you’d use a subheading to introduce each technique, then write your content under each one.

Copyblogger also suggests that, “Once you’ve written your subheads, review them to see what your reader/scanner will understand if he or she reads only that part of your article. Is there a compelling story? Will they get the gist of your information?”

4. You Forgot That Links Keep the Party Going

Writing a Blog Post Sad Party Goer

This party sucks. I’m leaving!

Imagine this scenario: You get an invite to a party and it looks enticing enough, so you go.

But when you get there, there’s no food. Or beer. Or vodka.

Basically, there is absolutely nothing about this party that makes you want to stay. (I can’t blame you.)

So what do you do? You go to someone else’s party who does have those things, of course.

Okay, now translate this scenario to your blog.

You’ve hooked someone enough that they’ve read your entire blog post from start to finish – hooray!

But before you start celebrating, we’ve got some bad news.

That person is probably going to leave and go read someone else’s blog now because you’ve forgotten to do something really important.

You left out internal links that could’ve enticed your reader into reading more of your content.

(This also would have given them more of an opportunity to bookmark your site so they’d return.)

As Copyblogger says, “Internal links back to your own [relevant] content will keep people on your site and reading your best material.”

If you’re just starting out, it might take a while before you’ve built up a solid database of past blog posts to choose from, but, don’t worry, you’ll get there.

Reader-Friendly = Readers

Well, there you have it… Four reasons people may have been avoiding your blog posts like they were filled with some kind of literary bubonic plague — and the remedies you can administer today!

Remember, quality content is most important. But it’s also how you present it that will make a huge difference in whether or not you get the amount of readers you want.

Always view your content from a reader’s standpoint. Do you enjoy reading cluttered, boring, and/or confusing blog posts? Nope. And guess what? Your readers (or non-readers) don’t either.

Now, stop feeling sorry for yourself and say this while you’re fixing any or all of the above errors in your blog posts: “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, my readers like me!”

Have you made any of these 4 errors when writing a blog post?

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Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media

Social Media Marketing World’s Best Tips for Business Owners

April 24, 2013 by 1 Comment

Social Media Marketing World meme Social Media Examiner held their first conference, Social Media Marketing World, last week in San Diego. And as a certified non-expert in social media, I came to the conference with an open, and mostly empty, mind. I’m happy to report that I returned with more than just jetlag.

As we all know, social media can be pretty murky. You create a page/profile/username, start building a presence, attract fans and start a dialogue with them, and then … what? The step from building a community to transforming that community into customers can stymie even the most experienced business owner.

However, it’s become a necessity/thorn-in-the-side of many local business owners to try and create a great online reputation, so allow me to impart some of my newfound wisdom.

Helping Others Is Your Number 1 Priority

Ask yourself how you can provide help, insights, and clarity to your community, and give them that. Social media has shifted the way we earn a consumer’s trust. You are the expert in your field, so instead of constantly pushing products, find out what your target audience wants to know and provide those answers.

For example, if your business is to refurbish vintage furniture and sell it, why not offer some free advice to your followers?

Social Media Marketing World attendees

Social Media Marketing World attendees

Put together a blog or just a few quick tips on how they can do projects on their own. Better yet, seek out groups of people on Facebook and other outlets who are interested in DIY furniture projects and give them some expert advice. Take on the attitude of helpfulness, and your online community will respond with growth.

Social Media Success Doesn’t Happen by Chance

Relationship building is key to everything you do online, but that doesn’t mean you still don’t need a plan. I sat in on a strategies seminar for launching new products on Facebook by Amy Porterfield, co-author of Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies, and while she emphasized the importance of relationship building, she was able to break down the stages of Facebook promotion into a coherent plan.

  • Attract - Create an image of your ideal fan. What they are looking for online, what they talk about on social media, and what other business pages they like to visit. What need do they represent, and how can you provide the answer? Set up sponsored stories with helpful tips and, most importantly, become devoted to social. For the first 30 days, you have to post regularly and interact with others. People aren’t just going to flock to your page initially, so you have to seek out groups and fan pages to begin the conversation yourself.
  • Promote - Once you have built up awareness of your business, begin drafting a business plan and decide what type of promotional product or free download you can offer to fans. The point of promotional giveaways for fans isn’t to drain your time and resources, it’s to establish yourself as the expert in your field and become a point of information for your fans. This is also how you’ll build your email list. Offering a free download in exchange for a user’s email is a great trade off, and you can include them in regular newsletters and upcoming offers.
  • Sell – This is where you will begin to entice your audience to move from fans to paying customers. Email plays a huge role in this. All of the email addresses you earned with your free giveaway are now going to receive your personalized offer email with your latest and greatest product. Promote your products on Facebook and open the forum for fans to ask any questions.

This process can, and should, be repeated over and over to keep your fans interested. You can’t push products all the time, but you can integrate a relationship-building plan to turn your fan base into regular customers. In fact, the common theme at Social Media Marketing World was that this is an ongoing process, and shouldn’t be expected to deliver immediate results.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Good Cocktail Party

Social Media Marketing World networking

Networking… with a view!

I’ll be honest: the wonderful people at Social Media Marketing World definitely understand the value of a good party. Some of the best parts of the conference came during the scheduled groups outings, including a cocktail party at the natural history museum and a cruise around the San Diego bay.

The chance to meet other professionals in my field, to share stories and make connections, was invaluable.

Not that I’m recommending you go out and party every night (although you’ve certainly earned a good drink), rather, it’s important to have face time with your fellow entrepreneurs.

As a small business owner, it’s easy to feel like you exist in a silo, where it’s just you and your work. But one of the best things a local business owner can do is reach out to other local business owners, and build a community of like-minded people, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to join a local business association in your area.

Person to Person

When using social media for your business, the most important thing to remember is that you’re just a person trying to connect to another person. You aren’t a building, or a brand, so don’t talk to your community of followers like one.

Tell your story and what brought you to make the products you do, and focus on making sustainable relationships with your fans. These type of relationships turn people from your one-time customer into your life-long brand advocate.

Bonus Tip

Be fascinating. Seriously. Keynote speaker Sally Hogshead fascinated the hell out of all attendees with her research on how you can amplify your naturally fascinating strengths to great effect.

Would you attend Social Media Marketing World?

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Snap Like a Pro: A Photographer’s Guide to Instagram

April 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

With each picture Karen Scheffe posts on Instagram, she’s able to not only promote her business, Elan Photographie, but give her followers insight into her colorful world. Karen has found the popular social media site to be a fantastic marketing tool because it’s helped her grow her business and reach her target market in a more personal and direct way.

Apps for Instagram Below, in her words, is Karen’s story of how she’s been able to use Instagram to take great photos, gain exposure online, and make valuable business contacts — and she’s shared her tips for how you can do it too. She’s also recommended two low-cost apps for Instagram that’ll help you promote your local business with ease.

Check out Karen’s story below to start snapping like a pro in no time at all!

If you’d like even more photography tips that you can apply toward your personal photos, blog images, and even product images for an e-commerce website, check out our free guide: Photography Tips 101.

Karen’s Story of Instagram Success 

Apps for Instagram

Photographer Karen Scheffe

In a world where we’ve cultivated instant gratification, visual satisfaction, and instant topical (sometimes deeper) relationships by inviting people into our lives virtually, we’ve become accustomed to knowing a lot about people’s lives and liking it.

It seems fitting then that Instagram has become a social media site that allows creative expression like no other — and the ability to learn about each others’ lives through photographs.

I started using Instagram almost two years ago and even though I’m a photographer, I feel like it’s the only reason the last 92 weeks of my life have been documented.

I’ve built friendships through Instagram, I keep up with what is going on in the world, I learn about cities I’ve never been to, I learn about what other photographers are doing, and I’ve earned enough visual trust with people that I’ve even been blessed with business through Instagram.

Most of all, I’ve had fun with it! I enjoy being able to document the neat happenings in my life and inviting others to adventure alongside of me. My career in photography allows for a lot of travel and I use Instagram to share it with my followers.

People have said, “If I look up to you in business or as a mom or as person, naturally, I want to know more about you.” Certain media allows for a quick snapshot, upload, and caption, which in turn begins cultivating community. Instagram takes a large, sometimes international crossing and builds community around people with similar visual interests.

If you don’t have Instagram and you have a creative business, I would strongly encourage you to download the app and begin incorporating it into your daily life. It allows you to connect with industry-specific people that you may not otherwise have been able to glean from or connect with. It’s fun when you find a pocket of users who shoot in a similar style as you. It’s a large learning database for me.

Must-Have Apps for Instagram

The following filter programs are ones that are a cheap 99 cents and they’re worth every penny. I’ve included little blurbs about each one.

Apps for Instagram 4 Note: Both of these apps for Instagram allow you to either import directly or upload manually.

  • VSCO – My all-time favorite filtering tool. Don’t be intimidated by the lack of direction it gives you. Touch the buttons on the bottom green bar, and play with the filter options until you figure out what you love. My favorite is to turn images black and white or use filters 04 or 05 and then add a little fade and maybe adjust the fill light or the contrast. I always download in large format so that I don’t lose too much quality.
  • Afterglow – My second-favorite tool. Instagram doesn’t allow you to resize the images very well within their built-in camera or uploading tool, so I use Afterglow to resize the image to fit in the 4×4 box that Instagram offers. You can use afterglow for adding additional light flare too if you’d like to make your photo have a little pop! You can place your images in triangles, octagons, or just plain ol’ rectangles.

Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most Out of Instagram

Hashtag 101: You’ll find that hashtags (#) are used often on Instagram. A lot of people use them for different reasons, but they were created to help categorize the type of image or the item that you’re shooting. For example, if I’m doing a shoot in Grand Central Station in NYC I might tag an image of that as:

#grandcentralstation #grandcentral #NYC #newyorkcity #travel #elanphotographie

This way when people click on #elanphotographie in the future, they can see that image. Or for another traveler, if they search #NYC in the search bar they might find my image and know that’s somewhere that they want to visit. You can make your #’s whatever you’d like, they can grow to be kind of funny, however they’re most effective when used as short phrases or as a single word.

Apps for Instagram 4 If you start to see the same hashtag frequently, don’t be afraid to join the trends. I successfully found my staple hairstyle #topknot via Instagram and just this morning another user who I’ve only met once (thanks to the site!) tagged me @kscheffe because she was wearing one!

Instagram handle 101: If you want someone to see that you’re talking to them on someone else’s photo, make sure that you include their handle, e.g., @kscheffe or @theshineproject etc. You do not have to @ someone if you are commenting on their photo; they’ll automatically see it in their news feed. If you want them to see a photo that you are posting, though, make sure you do include their name in your caption.

Learn as You Go

Apps for Instagram 5 My feed really is a lot of my personal life but I do incorporate what I’m doing in business into it. In the last six months, I’ve started making sure that the images that I’m posting are images that I would want to look at twice before I post them. Of course, one or two might pop up that don’t apply to the marketing side of Instagram and my photography business, but for the most part, I try and keep things cohesive.

If you dig into my feed months and months ago you might find things I wouldn’t post now e.g., a picture of my hand in gloves or my food or 15 images from the same day. I rarely post more than three these days and sometimes I skip days, it’s okay. It’s a natural feed, not forced.

Let’s Connect

You can follow me at @kscheffe and feel free to ask questions there! A small list of some of my favorites to follow are:

  • @takinyerphoto – He’s based out of NYC and takes fabulous candids of strangers. Makes for a fun fashion feed.
  • @thiswildidea – He has unintentionally built an incredibly successful business off of the site in the last year that has catapulted him to crazy levels of fame/travel/business.
  • @joyprouty – An all-time favorite photographer of mine.
  • @berlinstagram – Structural pictures from around Berlin.
  • @yanpalmer – We’ve become Instagram friends and I look forward to meeting her in the near future!

You can check out my Instagram feed here: Instagram

What are your favorite apps for Instagram?

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Images courtesy of Karen Scheffe/Elan Photographie
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Small Business Saturday 2013: Are You Ready?

April 3, 2013 by 4 Comments

Small-Business-Saturday-2013 On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, President Obama was doing his Christmas shopping. The president, along with his two daughters, stopped by One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia, New York Magazine reported. The visit, apart from being a pleasant outing with his daughters, was in support of Small Business Saturday (SBS).

Officially launched in 2010 by American Express, the annual event placed between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is designed to encourage consumers to shop locally. American Express also helped with the advertising campaign and offered cardholders a deduction for participating by shopping local.

While spending wasn’t tracked for 2010 and 2011, the first two years of the campaign, consumers reportedly spent $5.5 billion for the 2012 event, according to the National Federation of Independent Business.

So how can you start getting ready for Small Business Saturday 2013 now? Social media! It’s a great (free!) way for you to promote your business’ involvement in this profitable day, while highlighting the importance — and countless benefits — of keeping your dollars local.

Social Media and Small Business Saturday 2013

Start a Facebook page for your business (if you don’t have one already) and work with your fellow small business owners to share successes, new products, and other information useful to your social media followers. Twitter is also a great place to share local shopping statistics and information about why consumers should choose to shop local not only on SBS, but year-round.

Placing a SBS logo as your Facebook or Twitter profile picture is another great way to alert consumers that they can support small businesses at your establishment. American Express provides free customizable banners for you to use as promotional material as well. (They’ll be available closer to the event’s date: November 30, 2013.)

During the months leading up to Small Business Saturday 2013, you should post regular reminders that you’re joining thousands of other business in this event. Connect with other local businesses via social media to start the movement from the ground up.

Be more than just another ad begging for sales in your followers’ news feeds. Be a friend, an advocate, an ally. Source your products locally if you can, and proudly proclaim that you, too, are supporting the local community in your social media posts.

Teach the Importance of Small Business Year-Round

Promoting your involvement in SBS through social media is definitely a smart marketing tactic — but don’t forget that you can also use sites like Facebook and Twitter to spread the shop local message year-round. Educating your followers about the benefits of shopping locally helps them become more aware of where they’re choosing to spend their money, whether it’s on SBS or any other day of the year.

Small businesses tend to have a significant impact on the character of a community and that’s what business owners need to communicate to consumers. If small businesses can’t compete with extensive business prices and promotions, they have to offer something the customer wants more than a deal: an experience.

No matter how much influential business retailers spend on advertising, it’s hard to provide the same welcoming and knowledgeable atmosphere with centralized headquarters, minimum wage employees, and high turnover.

The goal, then, is to get people in your front doors to make positive impressions and remind them why they should be shopping local. According to the Retail Merchants Association, “For every $1.00 spent at local businesses, 45 cents is reinvested locally.” [Tweet this] “Non-local purchases keep, at most, 15 cents in your local community.” [Tweet this] It’s a strong reminder to consumers that they’re also investing in their community by choosing local business over large business.

Aside from participating in the annual SBS, you can encourage people to shop locally year-round by banding together with other small businesses in your community. The Small Business Administration (sba.gov) offers a myriad of free resources for all types of business. You can also join local associations, like Local First and Balle to strengthen your involvement in your local community as well as network with other local business owners.

How are you preparing for Small Business Saturday 2013?

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Filed Under: Facebook, Social Media

Facebook Police Set Cover Photos Free

March 26, 2013 by 4 Comments

Facebook-Police-3 Did you know, that up until fairly recently, the cover photo of your Facebook fan page was supposed to adhere to a bunch of rules? We’re talking rules that mandated no calls to action and no price or purchase information in your cover photo whatsoever.

Don’t worry, we know what you’re thinking because we were thinking it too… “What a bunch of marketing c*** blockers.” Well, not anymore! The folks at Facebook have decided to benevolently set cover photos free. Well, mostly.

Here’s a look at the old Facebook cover photo rules courtesy of All Facebook.

In the past, cover photos were not allowed to include:

  • Price or purchase information, such as “40 percent off,” or, “Download it on socialmusic.com.”
  • Contact information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your page’s “about” section.
  • References to Facebook features or actions, such as like or share, or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features.
  • Calls to action, such as “get it now” or “tell your friends.”

Now, you can include all of the above and the only rule that remains is that cover photos may not include more than 20% text. But a picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words, right? So why would you want to load it up with a bunch of distracting text anyway?

Oh, and just in case you were hoping to make your cover photo deceptive, misleading, and/or infringe upon anyone else’s copyright, you still can’t do any of that either. We know, we know… the Facebook police may have gotten a bit cooler, but they still aren’t that cool. (Kidding.)

Don’t Go All Crazy

As exciting as it is that you can now add in a little bit of marketing magic to your cover photo, Jon Loomer, a social media blogger, implores you to not make it look like a blatant, fan-repelling ad.

Instead, John recommends that you tell your small business’ story through a great cover photo image and then use your 20% text to put in some kind of call to action. Your call to action could be your address, phone number, or website, or text asking your followers to ‘like,’ ‘click,’ or ‘share.’ – just don’t go all crazy about it, mmkay?

We scoured Facebook (it’s not called stalking if it’s public info) to find some great examples of small businesses (and one small business who hit it big) that are taking full advantage of the new rules.

Here’s what we found:

Bunky Boutique: You’re Doing It Right

Bunky Boutique Facebook Cover Photos 3 Why is this a great example? Well, the big (and delightfully pink) arrow immediately grabs your attention, tells you what it wants you to do — shop — (you don’t have to tell us twice), and points directly toward the spot where you can do just that (not pictured is a tab that says ‘Shop Bunky.’) Bunky Boutique is saying good riddance to the old Facebook cover photo rules by giving you a direct call to action… and we like it!

Practical Art: You’re Doing It Right

Practical Art Facebook Cover Photos 2 What do they want you to do? Shop online! Where? At Practical-Art.com! Why? To purchase all the cool things you can see in their cover photo, of course! Yes, Practical Art, you’ve done the old Facebook cover photo rules dirty, but thanks to the new update, that’s quite all right. You artfully show some of the products you offer and tell customers immediately how they can purchase them. Marketing savvy? Indeed!

Nothing Bundt Cakes — You’re (Not Quite) Doing It Right

Nothing Bundt Cakes Facebook Cover Photo Rules 1 Before we say what is a little off about Nothing Bundt Cakes’ cover photo, let it be known that these cakes are super delicious. Seriously. They’re like icing-covered crack in what one might call a deceivingly cute shape. But… what’s that there in the right-hand corner of their cover photo? Some kind of call to action for ants? If it says their website or phone number, we sure as hell can’t read it. Size does matter, Nothing Bundt Cakes. And when it comes to call to action, we like it big.

Body Beautiful Med Spa — You’re (Not Quite) Doing It Right

Body Beautiful Med Spa Facebook Cover Photo Rules Do I want about half of the treatments Body Beautiful Med Spa has listed in their cover photo? Yes. Do I want to look like the super-skinny girl in the white bikini? Uhm, yes. (Just let me put my bundt cake down first.) But… you don’t have to be a mathematician to know that they’re breaking (and quite boldly I might add) the 20% text rule. We won’t turn you in, Body Beautiful Med Spa, but a complimentary microdermabrasion will go a long way toward keeping us quiet. (A mani/pedi wouldn’t hurt either.)

Sweet, Sweet Freedom

So fly, Facebook cover photos. Be yourself. Be creative. Be a little bit more markety if you want to. (It’s not a word, but it should be.) Keep in mind, your target audience follows you on Facebook to see a more personal, behind-the-scenes side to your small business, and you now have the opportunity to show a little more of its unique personality — without the threat of being thrown into Facebook jail. Just keep the text under 20%, pal, and nobody gets hurt.

What do you think of the new, not-so-stuffy Facebook cover photo rules?

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How to Manage Your Facebook Fan Page on the Go

March 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Finding the time to manage your Facebook fan page can be hard when you run a small business. But if you’re ready for a solution that’ll make keeping up with your fan page faster and easier than ever before, it’s time you downloaded Facebook Pages Manager. It’s an easy-to-use app for both Apple and Android devices that’ll let you respond to comments, post photos, and update your status directly from your phone.

Ready to learn more? Check out our tips for getting started with Facebook Pages below:

Step 1: Download Facebook Pages Manager

Download the free Facebook Pages Manager app to your Apple or Android device. If you have an iPhone, you’ll use the ‘App Store’ on your phone to download Pages and on Android, you’ll use the ‘Play’ store icon.

Step 2: Update Your Status

Facebook Pages Manager 2

Once the app has downloaded, you’ll be able to see each page you manage listed individually (you can manage up to 50 different fan pages within the app) on the left-hand side of the screen. If you manage multiple accounts, you can flip between them by hitting Facebook Pages Manager Button in the top left-hand corner of the screen and selecting the one you want to view.

Select the fan page you would like to post a status update to (if you only have one, you’re good to go). If you have multiple to choose from, hit Facebook Pages Manager Button , (you’ll see a header that says ‘current page,’ to show you what page you’re on right now and under that will be a header that says ‘Your Pages.’)

Tap the page you want to post to and then hit ‘Update Status,’ which is at the top of your screen. Type in your status update, hit ‘done,’ and you’ll have created your first post right from your phone!

Want to create a few status updates but don’t want them to post right now? No problem! Hit the little clock icon on the bottom left once you’ve selected ‘Update Status,’ then select the date and time you want the update to go out, and hit ‘schedule’ — it’s that easy!

Step 3: Post a Photo

Facebook Pages Manager 3

A great thing about this app is that it allows you to post photos to your fan page immediately rather than having to wait until you’re at your computer.  You can post photos of employees, life at the office, company events, etc. All you have to do is hit the ‘Share Photo’ button in the app — you’ll find it right next to the ‘Update Status’ button.

Once you hit the ‘Share Photo’ button, you’ll have the option to take a photo right then or choose one you’ve previously taken from your photo library.

Either way, once you have the photo you want to post, it’ll ask you to say something about it, which gives you the chance to add a caption. You can skip the caption if you’d rather, but this is a great opportunity to let your fans know additional details of what the photo is, where it was taken, and any other unique details about it. Doing this can encourage comments — which will boost your engagement.

You can also choose which album your photo will post to. The album selection will default to ‘Timeline Photos’ if you don’t specify which one you want, so be sure to make your selection before uploading. (Note: You can move photos that have posted to the wrong album later on when you’re on your computer if you make a mistake.)

Step 4: Check Out Your Page Analytics

Facebook Pages Manager 4 The cool thing about Facebook Pages Manager is that it lets you view insights for the pages you manage, which means you’ll be able to see how well your page is resonating with your fans. The insights you’re able to see vary slightly between Apple and Android devices.

If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, you can see these insights from the left navigation by tapping on Insights:

  • Total likes
  • People talking about your page
  • Weekly total reach
  • Trends chart

If you’re on an Android device, you can see these insights by tapping the ‘Likes’ box:

  • Total likes
  • People talking about your page
  • Weekly total reach

Now that you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll be able to play around with this app to see what else it can do. From promoting a post and sharing links from other apps to updating your profile photo – Facebook Pages has made it simple for you to keep up with your fan page no matter where you are!

To keep up with updates from Facebook Pages Manager and get some great tips on how you can get the most from this time-saving app, be sure to become a fan of their Facebook page.

Small business owners: Will you try Facebook Pages Manager?

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Find Out Who Has Unfollowed You With This Twitter App

March 13, 2013 by 3 Comments

Recently I was asked to review JustUnfollow.com, a Twitter app created by Nischal Shetty, that offers a variety of free features to help you manage your account (as well as a paid version with more features). Check out my review of this Twitter app below to decide if using it would benefit you!

twitter-app-justunfollow-screenshot

Some of JustUnfollow’s Features Include

  • Ability to unfollow non-followers and inactive users
  • Quickly follow your followers back
  • Add multiple Twitter accounts
  • Learn who unfollowed you
  • Find out who followed you
  • Copy followers of other accounts

What I Liked About JustUnfollow

happy-face-twitter-app As a small business owner, your daily schedule is most likely already jam-packed, which can make it hard for you to spend enough time on social media to get real results. With this in mind, JustUnfollow gives you one central place to track who has followed you and unfollowed you, saving you time and helping you manage your account more effectively.

Why should you care who isn’t following you back? Well, Twitter will cap your follow limit at 2K (until you get more followers), which means all of those unfollowers are doing nothing but preventing you from interacting with people who actually want to engage with you.

When you choose the “Non-Followers” tab in JustUnfollow, a list populates (you can select to view oldest to newest) that you can quickly go through and hit ‘unfollow’ to free up some space. (Twitter doesn’t take kindly to accounts that follow and unfollow large numbers of people on a regular basis, so keep that in mind.)

You can also select the ‘Inactive Following’ tab to find out who hasn’t been keeping up with their Twitter account, because, let’s be honest… inactive users are just virtual dead weight.

Remember, your goal is to fill your Twitter follower list up with people who not only fall within your target audience (they’ll be much more likely to engage with you) but are active, regular users (they’ll be much more likely to turn into customers).

(If you want to be able to post to your various social media accounts without having to constantly flip back and forth, check out these time-saving social media tools.)

 What I Didn’t Like About JustUnfollow

sad-face-twitter-app Some of the features of JustUnfollow, like the ability to “copy followers,” is something you can also easily do within Twitter, so it didn’t really seem that useful. This feature allows you to type in the Twitter handle of a user to get a list of their followers that you can go through and manually follow each one.

Plus, it would be very helpful to know just how long someone hasn’t been following you back before you start unfollowing them. Like I said above, they do give you the option to view your newest or oldest unfollowers but they don’t tell you the exact length of time. You need to know if enough time has gone by to warrant unfollowing them, so this would be a beneficial add-on.

Finally, and possibly most importantly, it can be hurtful to find out who hasn’t followed you back. For example, JustUnfollow told me that my childhood hero (and adulthood if I’m being honest) isn’t following me back. Yeah, I’m talking to you, Pee Wee Herman. I could have lived forever in ignorant bliss without knowing that.

Verdict: I do think JustUnfollow is a useful Twitter app overall – and the best part is… it’s free! There are limitations on the free account, though. You get a 25 follow/unfollow limit per day and you can only use JustUnfollow on one Twitter account. If you have a need for an upgrade, JustUnfollow has plans starting at $9.99 per month going all the way up to $199.99 depending on your needs.

Tell us: What Twitter app do you use to manage your account?

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Are Bloggers Your Secret Online Marketing Weapon?

March 6, 2013 by 1 Comment

Shhh-Online-Marketing-Bloggers There used to be a time when billboards on highways were noticed, commercials were tuned into, ads in newspapers were read, and consumers trusted advertising. But that was the world of traditional marketing and in today’s modern marketing world, consumers want to hear about a local business via word of mouth and through their own research.

Marketing research keeps giving us tangible evidence that bloggers are the ones who influence the customers and audiences that we are trying to reach. Yet, marketers keep missing these influencers and spend their budget elsewhere. (Check out this very thorough and telling report from Technorati.)

Why is this? Companies are most trusted when consumers hear about them word of mouth — and the bloggers’ mouths reach a lot of people. According to this infographic from HubSpot, 90% of people believe brand recommendations from friends. Trusted bloggers are today’s consumer’s virtual friends.

Getting a handful of influential bloggers to talk up your brand via online marketing can expose you to millions of people who trust the recommendation given. This is huge.

Align Yourself with Bloggers

It’s a time-consuming but crucial process and here is a place to start. I work best with examples so I am going to take you through each step of how I would get bloggers to talk about my local business.

My fake scenario: I am promoting a local business that sells shoes on their website. These aren’t ordinary shoes, though, I pride myself in selling animal-friendly shoes. I want bloggers to write about my shoes and post photos of how awesome they are.

Get Organized

You need to narrow down what bloggers make a good fit to promote your local business. For example, it would be taking a shot in the dark to just reach out to all fashion bloggers about my shoes. Here are some things to determine before you start contacting bloggers:

  • Which type of bloggers would be the best fit for your small business? For my shoe campaign, I want to contact fashion bloggers who write about animal-friendly clothing items, not just fashion bloggers. I also determine that contacting vegetarian and vegan blogs might be useful because anyone who follows these blogs cares about animal rights.
  • How do you want to get your local business on this blog? This can be through guest posting, a product giveaway, an ad, or a sponsored post. For my campaign, I decide that I want to find 100 bloggers who agree to write about my shoes after I send them my product.
  • Decide what requirements a blogger should have to fit your campaign. Popular requirements are MozRank, Twitter followers, or unique visitors. For my animal-friendly shoes, I decide that I am going to require bloggers to have a Pinterest and/or Instagram presence so that they can post pictures of my awesome shoes. I also decide that since I am sending out 100 shoes at $100 a pair, I want the blogger to at least have a MozRank of 4 because this assures me that they are fairly influential.

Do Your Research

The research is the backbone of your online marketing campaign. Here are some key points to research and acquire before reaching out to the bloggers.

  • Blogs that have your keywords so that you can narrow down who to pitch to. This is important because you are going to reference post topics and actual posts in your pitch. You can do this manually with Google blog search or if you are planning on contacting a decent amount of bloggers, GroupHigh is a tool that everyone should at least check out because it finds the most influential blogs in little time. For my campaign, I look for keywords such as animal friendly, vegan fashion, vegetarian, faux leather, etc.
  • Decide what you have to offer the blogger. Based on what you read on a blog that you really want to connect with, decide what you can offer the blogger. Relationships, even internet ones, should never be one-sided. Don’t tell the blogger what they should do for you, rather, what you can do for them. Common things to offer are: the exposure to your influential social media presence, a unique piece of content that you know their audience will love, or maybe some swag from your company.

It’s Time for Interaction

Hands-In-Online-Marketing-Bloggers

Craft an awesome pitch. Read this article for detailed instructions and tips when crafting your pitch. To condense it, the pitch needs to be short, tailored to each blog you are reaching, personable, edited, and explain why your content is a good fit.

Engage on their blog and in all of their social media channels. This includes thought-provoking blog comments, retweets, Facebook likes, etc.

Follow up. Follow up your pitch with a tweet to the blogger letting them know you have something for them in their inbox. This assures that your pitch won’t fall into the spam folder or get deleted without opening. It is okay to follow up with one more email if you don’t hear back. Anything more than that is annoying.

Honor your promises. If you are submitting a guest post, a mention of your brand isn’t enough; write awesome content. Also make sure that you share your guest post with all of your own social media followers so that you get new traffic to their blog.

Maintain the relationship. Continue to engage in a blogger’s social media outlets and even email them when they write posts you like. There is no such thing as having too many bloggers on your side.

Will you use bloggers as an online marketing technique? 

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