What do you do to engage your employees in your business? Do they understand your brand, your goals and your vision for your company? Does that messaging flow through all employee handbooks, policies and hiring practices? Is the corporate culture you want the one that you have?
Your people are your biggest asset and liability. The interactions they have with customers, clients, vendors, partners and the public can make or break your business. Ensuring your people have an understanding of what is important to you, and that they demonstrate that in their roles is critical. Your understanding of what is important to them, what motivates and inspires your is also very important. Very often marketing/communications and human resources roles are separate functions within an organization. While the skill sets are different, these areas should work closely in partnership more often than not. By integrating these positions and the work that they do, you will create a stronger brand and culture - both on paper and in practice. Your employees will have a better understanding of expectations to support your corporate culture - especially relating to soft skills (like communication, teamwork and problem solving). This is especially important in organizations with a variety of positions both in the office and the field, where roles, responsibility, hours, and communication touch points are very different. By doing this, you will create a happier workforce which should ultimately lead to greater productivity and a stronger brand in the community. Connect with us to lean more about how employee engagement can make your business better.
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In 2017 I decided to get involved with a municipal political campaign for a number of reasons (including my wanting to potentially run in future elections). While I had no idea what to expect going in, it ended up being a really exciting challenge (and a lot of really hard work).
I knew Robert, the candidate, initially through social media and shortly before he announced his intentions, we became "real-life" friends. While our political values did not align 100% on every issue, I very much respected his approach to the campaign - he wanted positive, fact based communications rather than a campaign 'against' his competitors. I was responsible for all his communications throughout the eight or so months leading up to the October 16th election. Blogs, social media, campaign platform, letters, marketing materials, speeches and correspondence were all part of the plan! I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about some of the issues facing Ward 11, and Calgary as a whole. It gave me a new appreciation for many of the neighbourhoods around me - and we met a lot of interesting people on the campaign trail (ask me about the bee keeper!). His site, RobertDickinson.ca was build by another provider prior to me joining the team, however I created and updated content to tell his story, as part of an integrated marketing communications approach. Getting involved in a campaign is something I'd recommend to just about anyone. You will learn a lot about how your city works and have a chance to grow your skill set in a way you may not otherwise have the chance to do. You will meet fantastic people and really get an understanding of what is important to your neighbours - so much more than what we see in the media. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes, even, with the best intentions, the message we put out there is received in an entirely different manner than expected. Even with the best planning, it can happen. How we handle that as business owners is critical to the public's perception of our companies, or our own personal brand. We see this in the political world a lot (and given the craziness ongoing in the US, and to a lesser extent in Canada, it's an easy example to use). Campaigns become associated with the industries and people who support them. While this can often work in a candidate's favour, in some cases it can be detrimental to the campaign's reputation. We, as humans, especially in the age of social media, are quick to judge and paint others with a sweeping brush based on perceptions we have, often rather than facts. As a business owner, there are a few proactive things you can do to manage perceptions of you and your business: 1) Be true to who you are and your business values. Walk the walk, talk the talk. Consistency is key in managing the public's perception of your brand 2) Beware of the company you keep. Be sure you work with businesses and individuals who reflect your brand values. This goes for suppliers, customers and other initiatives like community sponsorships and donations. If someone you professionally associate your brand with finds themselves in the negative public eye, consider what you might do (or not do) to distance yourself from the controversy if required 3) Listen. Understand what the people are saying about you. Respond where necessary but don't engage in conversations that will fan a negative fire. Address customer service issues where appropriate. Be prompt, clear and concise when concerns present themselves. 4) Have a strong, positive brand image. If you already have a strong brand and story out there about your business, it is a lot harder for a reputation crisis to do long term damage,. If people know who you are, what your company stands for, they will often give you the benefit of the doubt when something goes amiss. However if they don't know who you are, the negative perceptions will stick out like a sore thumb and will be top of mind a lot longer with the public. If you need help with developing your brand's (personal or business) story, connect with us. We can walk you through the ins and outs of managing public perception. We are pleased to announce that Write.Brand Image. is now offering monthly social media packages. Small businesses often want to be seen and heard on various social media channels - but they don't always have the resources, time or the "right person" for the job on staff. We can help. Our affordable monthly packages will be tailored to the needs of your business and customers - keeping you top of mind with potential and existing customers! Is your business using social media? It should be. Social media can help you gain new customers and retain current clients by:
Whether you are new to social media or are looking for someone to take over existing (and maybe neglected) accounts, we're here to help. In addition to our monthly social media packages, we can also help you with company blogs (should that make sense for your company) and other marketing and communications tasks. Connect with us today - packages start at just $500 a month* Want to keep social media in-house? We also have great training packages for businesses looking to learn how to create a strategy and manage their own social media. *Limited time offer based on average cost of custom packages I recently had the privilege of working with the Peterson family on the development and launch of a new business website for their company, Peterson's Painting. Peterson's Painting has been in business in providing the Calgary market with high quality, interior painting services for over 20 years. They specialize in custom work in high-end properties including both renovations and new builds (services like lacquer and spray paint finishes, staining, faux finishing, heritage home restoration painting and more) Peterson's Painting has a unique model in their industry, in that they work both directly with home owners (end B2C consumers) and luxury home builders (so essentially a B2B relationship). They have been highly successful over the last two decades and their business has continued to grow with strong sales forecasted in the coming years. The Peterson's wanted a website (their first!) for their business because they recognized the credibility and peace of mind it brings, especially for their home owner clients. "We are going into people's houses, their homes - they are putting a lot of trust in us. We want homeowners to know its not just a job-site to us - we treat and care for it like our own home." In an industry where contractors can come and go, it was important to Peterson's Painting that their potential clients know they were a solid, successful and professional company that has continued to prove its reputation to both homeowners and home builders. They also wanted a space where they could showcase some of the different types of work they do with photos. I will confess that it wasn't until they shared some of their pictures with me that I understood the scope of the amazing work that they do - so much more than painting walls. I think that in their line of business, pictures really do tell a story that words can fail to adequately communicate on their own. We built a relatively simple site (design wise) that achieved their goals, tells their brand story and will help them continue to build on their success in the future. Check out their new site! How well do you know your competition? Most businesses can probably name at least a few of their key competitors. And if, at some point, you looked for financing for your business, doing a competitive analysis was likely part of your business plan (which, by the way you should have regardless of whether or not you apply for funding). Many business owners don’t make “researching the competition” an ongoing part of their business operations. But they should. Here’s why: Pricing: Look at their prices. How do you compare? While being the lowest price isn’t always the best strategy depending on your industry, being competitively priced is. Also look at how they might package products or services to be more user-friendly/easy to understand. Look at how products or services are priced compared to their other offerings. What’s working, what’s not: Often a quick visit to a competitor’s storefront (or website, social media pages etc.) can give you a fresh perspective. By looking around as a customer, you may notice some ways in which they might be more efficiently serving their clients, products/services they are featuring and what the user experience is like. On the flip side, you can also see what processes they have that may be “clunky” to the customer or other issues they might be facing (technology, cleanliness, stock issues, dated website). Then be sure to compare what you saw the competitor doing versus what you are doing. How do you measure up? Are your customers having a better or worse experience? Are there ideas you can implement that would improve your business? Just because a competitor is doing something doesn’t mean that you need to follow suit, however by identifying some best practices that are clearly working for them, you can determine if they are right fit for your operation. If you feel like you are doing really well in an area of your operations, compared to your competition, you can use that as a unique selling feature when promoting products and service offerings. Industry changes: Businesses can’t always jump on every new trend that’s out there because of limited budgets and resources. By keeping an eye on what trends your competition is electing to embrace, you can see what is working (and might be worth investing in) and what there really isn’t a market for. It’s also a great way to keep on top of how other organizations in your industry are adopting new technology, regulations and tools. Connect with the competition: They are rarely the enemy. No really! In today’s more social world, many businesses either formally (through the chamber of commerce or industry associations) or informally (emails, one-on-one connections, neighbourhood meetings etc.) are sharing information with each other. Whether it be cooking techniques shared between two chefs or supplier information between retail stores or organizations brainstorming how to deal with issues like fluctuating commodity prices or new legislation, many companies are seeing a real benefit to working with their competitors. By sharing tips and best practices, local industries as a whole can be economically stronger and more successful which is beneficial to businesses. Combining expertise and resources to make improvements and work through challenges can make efficient business sense. It’s not about sharing trade secrets or detailed private company information – rather its about sharing ideas and learnings that benefit everyone. Knowledge is power as they say – it’s always important to know what those around you are doing and how they are doing it as it can help you shape the direction your business takes. It’s never good to do anything in life in isolation and your business is no exception. Routinely examine how others in your industry operate and be sure to factor that analysis into your general business planning. I have a friend who can walk into any kind of crowd - whether it be a business meet and greet, a conference or a party and, in what feels like 10 minutes, she's formed great connections with at least three people (and she's also met a handful of people from her home province of Saskatchewan - I swear Saskatchewanians have radars to find each other but that's a whole other story). From my viewpoint, it seems effortless; it's almost magical how she not only has the ability to talk to anyone, but can make it meaningful in a very short period of time. I am not her at all. I was a very shy kid and while I've shed most of that shyness over the years, a room full of people (strangers!) and small talk is not effortless or magical at all. I still have introvert leanings. Networking is not what I'd call my comfort zone. But it is important in any career, and especially if you run your own business. Over the years I've worked hard to develop tactics to improve my level of ease with networking to the point that, while still not magical, it's something I can do well - with a little pre-planning. Here are some strategies that have helped me along the way: Get there early: There is nothing scarier for an introvert or shy person (or someone just new to networking) than arriving at an already packed event and trying to join conversations that are already in full swing. You don't know where to walk, where to stand, where to start. It's noisy and can be overwhelming. So try to arrive at networking or business events early. That way you can scope out the space, and you'll have a good view of people as they arrive. It's also easier to start conversations when the room is a little more quiet and the groups are smaller. Set a goal: Make it achievable but still a bit of a push. Maybe your goal is to talk to five new people. Or maybe there is someone specific you know will be attending the event that you've always wanted a chance to connect with (a speaker or organizational leader perhaps). You could make your goal a little more "fun" if that motivates you - a scavenger hunt of sorts - talk to a man in a purple tie, a woman with a blue purse and someone under the age of 30. You aren't allowed to leave till you've met your goal. Be sure to reward yourself for completing the challenge - whether it be a special latte after or some other treat you've been wanting. If you are an e=introvert, you will likely find some quiet time after a networking event is required to re-charge - make sure you schedule that in too. Have three standard questions ready: Sounds pretty simple right? By having pre-thought questions in your head you'll be armed with both opening lines and things to say if there is an awkward lull in conversation (one of the most terrifying things a rookie or reluctant networker can face!). Make sure your questions have a range - from business related questions ("What do you do?" or "What company do you work for?") to event related questions ("Come here often?" Okay maybe not that one but something like "Have you attended ABC Speaker series before?") to more conversational things (traffic, weather, personal interests, books, restaurants, movies, current events- although steer clear of potentially controversial topics). Listen: You don't have to be (and shouldn't be) the loudest person in the room. Networking is about building relationships, not shameless self-promotion A critical part of building any relationship is showing authentic and real interest in the other person. Listen. Hear what they have to say. Ask questions based on what they are talking about. This will help you make a better, more natural connection and will leave a positive impression. Get to know someone: I think in business related networking situations we feel pressure to make it all about our elevator pitches and the business card exchange. While these are obviously important, getting to know the person you are talking to is much more so. The pitch and marketing materials can come later (in subsequent meetings). Treat networking like you would a more social engagement like a party or neighbourhood gathering. Smile, laugh and show a quiet confidence. Be yourself. Don't make networking a campaign. Make it about the person standing in front of you. If you have found you've made some good connections, be sure to follow up via email or social media after the event. Set up coffee meetings or quick phone calls to talk about how your businesses might work together or to get to know a little more about the individual (you never know when that connection may come in handy down the road, even if it isn't the right fit now). You may never love networking. And that's okay. But by establishing a plan ahead of time and some goals, it can be a lot less painful and can help you build a roster of meaningful business contacts. I promise. At Write.Brand.Image. we've got some exciting things we are working on for 2016! In the coming weeks we'll be offering new social media packages. These packages are specifically designed for businesses that may not traditionally have someone to manage elements of marketing and communications like social media. Social media is key to building your brand, showcasing your industry expertise, having meaningful interaction with your customers and potential customers and growing your business. To have a successful social media presence, you need to have the right expertise (and time) to do things well. Our packages will include a strategic plan, scheduling, ongoing content creation and monitoring of the social media accounts for your business. Want to learn more? Connect with us and we can discuss what we can do to help your business be its best in social media. Starting next week, we'll also be featuring a "Spotlight on Entrepreneurs" here and via social media. We will sit down with entrepreneurs in a variety of fields, at various stages of their business growth and talk about the ups and downs of being in business for yourself. We'll look at what makes being an entrepreneur great as well as some of the challenges and learnings they've had along the way. We will continue to offer affordable, top-quality marketing and communications services like websites for small business, communications strategies and planning, crisis communications advising, writing, social media, editing, website analysis and more. Want to know more about who we are and what we do? Drop us a note! "What are your New Year's Resolutions? Did you make any?" In your personal life, you've probably been asked this at least a half dozen times in the last week. It's that time of year where some of us make promises to ourselves to lose weight, eat better, travel the world, save more money - you name it. About half the North American population makes personal New Year's resolutions every year and only about 8% actually achieve their resolutions - yikes! Why do people fail? Usually its because a) their goals are too lofty and b) they set too many goals. So should we even bother making resolutions? And for business owners, should we make resolutions for our companies? The answer is yes. Business resolutions can be about sales or growth targets. They can be budget related or something more tactical like finding a new office space. Maybe you need to create a more structured schedule in order to be more efficient and productive, or maybe you are looking to implement a specific operational strategy/system. Business goals can also be about personal development, like setting aside an hour a week to read industry publications or taking a course to improve your negotiation or writing skills. Some would argue that you should be setting goals for yourself (personally and professionally) year round, not just at the start of a new year. And that is true. But there is something inspiring and motivating about a new year - a fresh start, new energy, new hope. For a lot of us its a kick in the pants to get back on track, break out of a rut and make some changes. We often have had a little downtime over the holidays to reflect and come up with some new strategies and ideas. So in some ways it does make sense to harness the boost in motivation and set some goals. However its equally important to set yourself up to succeed in those resolutions. When setting goals, its important (at the very least) that you do these five things as they will greatly increase your chance at success. 1) Be specific: The devil is in the details. Set clear and defined goals. What are you going to do? How are you going to do it? Why are you doing it (if you can't articulate this with confidence you probably won't be able to achieve the goal). How long will it take you or when do you plan on doing it? And finally, how will you measure success? By being clear on the details of your resolution, you will be more able to stay on track and stay on the right path to get you there. 2) Write it down: Write it on a white board. Write it on a post-it you stick to your computer monitor. Write it in your journal. When we write things down, we remember. Ideas and the clarity around them doesn't last long in our heads. By writing things down we can focus and refine those ideas. And the writings themselves (especially when visible) serve as great reminders to keep us on track. 3) Set goals that motivate you: Seems obvious right? This is probably the trickiest part. You want to set a goal that is enough of a stretch that you can't procrastinate ('That's easy, I can do that in no time/easily so I don't need to worry about that right now"). In other words, don't make the goal to simple or not far off what you are already doing. It should be a challenge and it should take extra effort and dedication. That said, its also important not to set yourself up to fail (this is why most resolutions fall by the wayside). You probably won't triple your sales over last year in the first three months of 2016, especially in a slow economy, so setting a goal to do that is only going to discourage you. When setting goals you want to find that sweet spot where you are really excited about the challenge, maybe a little intimidated but not terrified. 4) Tell somebody: Or tell a few somebodys. Accountability is a big motivator, especially when the thrill of a new year and new goals wears off. Tell people what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. I know I find talking about my goals and ideas helps get me even more excited about them. It's also a great way to get feedback on the goals or different perspectives we may haven't thought of that will help us better refine and achieve your goals. Tell people who have a vested interest in what you are doing (employees, advisors, customers) but also consider telling people who aren't directly involved about your plans. You don't need to tell the world, but telling a few people can definitely help you keep your eye on the prize. 5) Focus: Even if you aren't actively working on your goal every day or every week, you need to still think about it. Set time aside at regular intervals to review your progress, tweak your plan if needed and remind yourself of the specifics of your resolution. Formally schedule tasks that will help you get there. Write it down again. Update whomever you told about your goal as to your progress (even if you haven't made any progress yet - it will keep you "honest"). Make sure it remains a priority in your day-to-day life. Goals and resolutions shouldn't just be for a new year. However its a great way to jumpstart your business (and personal life) and get things moving in the right direction in 2016. By staying focused and accountable, you can reach your goals (and then set new ones!) and continue to grow both personally and professionally. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy new year! |