Create Your Holiday Marketing Plan

Posted on September 20, 2023 - 5:16 pm by Heather DeVine

Holiday Marketing Plan with holiday decor

Summer’s come to an end and shorts and sandals are being replaced with jeans and boots. It may seem a little silly to already be thinking about a holiday marketing plan— didn’t summer JUST end? But believe it or not, now is the PERFECT time to get ahead when it comes to the holidays.

Holiday season has a tendency to sneak up on you. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years seem so far in the future. Before you know it, snowflakes will be falling and the busyness of the holidays will be in full swing. Want to avoid unnecessary stress and burnout this holiday season? Check out our helpful holiday marketing tips and get ahead of the game!

Prioritize Your Holiday Marketing Plan

Brainstorm: Start as soon as you can to brainstorm a holiday marketing plan and put it into place. Holiday sales tend to bring in about 20% of annual sales across most industries. It’s the time of year where a strong marketing plan can bring your business to the top of the competition. Plus, who doesn’t want to end 2023 with a bang?

Your brainstorming session should be where you bring efficiency and creativity together.

Ask for help: Seek out innovative yet reliable marketing plans. Your employees as well as other experts in your industry may have some insight that you didn’t realize you need. Or perhaps you’re friends with an owner of a business very different from yours. You can still bounce ideas off of each other.

Reflect on Your Past Marketing Plans

One of the first steps of an effective marketing plan is to research your own company. Sounds weird? It’s not!

Use historical data to determine if you overspent or underspent on anything last year (we’re talking money or time).

Did you host an event? If so, how effective was it?
Did you create a coupon? If so, how many coupons were used?
Did you write a blog? If so, how many people read it?
Did you update your website? If so, how much more traffic is it seeing?
Did you use social media last year? If so, have your followers increased/do they engage with your material?

Take a closer look at how you’ve been conducting your previous holidays marketing strategies and see what really worked and what could use some extra TLC.

Create a Holiday Offer

Pick a campaign theme and run with it! Each year you should reflect on what you want this holiday season and what your organization or business can provide people. Each year may be drastically different or have subtle nuances. Either way, your holiday campaign should be designed with flavor! Have fun with it. Your campaign is designed around your holiday offer.

Establish a Goal for the Holiday Season

A clear and attainable goal is one of the cornerstones of a great marketing strategy. A goal is not a hope. It’s an objective that you’ve written down and will pursue. Writing down your goal keeps you accountable to it in the future.

Your goals should be SMART – Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

Collect $75,000 in donations for ____ charity by December 25, 2023.

Generate 2,000 leads who are interested in our black friday sale by November 22, 2023.

Host 250 participants at the annual _____ event on December 31st, 2023.

You goals could focus on one or multiple categories:

Revenue
Awareness
Leads
Shares
Conversion

Define Your Target Audience

Who are you trying to attract and who do you already attract? Gather as much information about your target audience as possible.

Reflect on your target audience:

Do they like to shop in stores or online?
Do they consume social media on instagram or facebook?
What’s their age demographic?
Are you catering to a high-end consumer or more of the middle class?
Are they locals, tourists, or a mix of both?

When you truly understand your target audience, you understand the best ways to engage them.

Leverage the Right Marketing Channels

After looking at your target audience and writing down your goals this holiday season, you need to determine which marketing channels are best for you.

Marketing is EVERYWHERE these days. Make sure that you’re emphasizing quality over quantity. (Quantity isn’t bad, just make sure that the quality is the priority!) Ask industry experts what they use, take a short class on the latest marketing channels, and be creative.

You may want to optimize these marketing channels:

Website
Email
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
TikTok
Newspaper Ads
Online Reviews
Word of mouth
Paid Advertising
Radio
Chamber of Commerce listing
Sponsorships
Community calendars
Flyers/Posters

Create Your Marketing Calendar

This is an exciting new step! All of your planning and preparation come together in your marketing calendar.

This calendar reminds you of holidays and important nation-wide events such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday. You can even include other celebrations or noteworthy days like Native American Heritage Month, World Mental Health Day, Daylight Savings, World Coffee Day, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, Winter Solstice, or a sporting event.

Plus, this calendar reminds you to release a new promotional video, run a new ad, print and hang a community flier, or post a story on instagram.

No matter what industry you’re in, you NEED a marketing calendar to keep everything straight.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate

Delegate tasks to keep everything organized and running smoothly. Most of the time, you can’t do everything—and that’s okay!

If an employee is extremely detail oriented and good with numbers—have them order merchandise or supplies.

Do you have an employee is a social butterfly? Encourage them to meet with your advertisers or plan a social event.

Is there an employee who loves to read—have them research your target audience.

Optimize the strengths of others!

Avoid the Biggest Holiday Marketing Plan Mistakes

Now that we’ve discussed what you SHOULD do, let’s quickly go over what you SHOULDN’T.

Only focus on one marketing strategy – this will drastically limit your reach. It’s okay to have one larger marketing strategy but just make sure that it’s not your only one.
Last minute planning – start early! Last minute planning will stress you out and hurt your outcomes.
Not optimizing your mobile site – You need to be accessible online. Like it or not, that’s how the world runs these days. Focus on your online presence and you will reap the rewards.
Ineffective customer service – Be available and fully staffed during the busy holiday season. Customer service can make or break any business. Monitor social media engagement and consider implementing a live chat feature on your website.
Not staying local – One way to stand out is to have a personalized touch to your organization—don’t underestimate the power of your local audience.

The Bottom Line

Design your holiday marketing plan to boost your brand awareness and meet your goals. It’s that simple. Position your brand above others, attract new customers, and keep your loyal ones. Make it great, make it you!

Do you need holiday marketing solutions and don’t know where to start? Schedule a time to grab a coffee and learn how Transcend Ideas can help take the load off this holiday season and provide marketing solutions for your company.

Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, Copywriter

Posted on September 7, 2023 - 2:58 pm by Heather DeVine

Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her copywriting skills. Meredith helps amplify our client’s messaging through thorough research and thoughtful and relatable writing. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A so you may get to know Meredith in her own words.

Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, Copywriter

1. Where do you hail from? Where do you live now? And how did you come to be there?

I was raised in Maryland but I moved out west for undergrad at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mt. I absolutely love mountain sports and the pace of life here so I doubt that I’ll ever move away! I currently live in Jackson and have called it home for seven years.

2. What do you like to do for fun?

Hiking, trail running, biking, any type of water sport, volleyball and soccer.

3. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? Do you like knowing your work helps others? And what areas are you most passionate about?

I am currently a copywriter. I’ll do anything from blogs to social media posts to editing. When I know that my work helps others it makes me want to work even harder. I’m passionate about conservation, the environment, social justice, finances, history, and public policy. I’m the nerd who goes to museums on vacation!

Meredith Runkle Olson

4. What are you grateful for? Big or small?

Jesus, my husband, our baby girl, Helen, the state of Wyoming, family, friends, and the amazing public lands here in the U.S. (There’s so much more but I’ll leave it at that)

5. Do you have any office mates? Animals? Partners?

My favorite office mate is my seven month old baby, Helen 😉 I’m currently a stay at home mom (the best job ever!) and I work part time as a copywriter. My husband works in town and tries to come home on lunch breaks so that all three of us get some quality time together. No doggos, although Helen LOVES animals.

“When I know that my work helps others it makes me want to work even harder.”
Meredith RUnkle Olson

6. What are you looking forward to this Summer?

I’m trying to train for a big trail run in the grand canyon so I’m looking forward to running in the Tetons or the National Forest this summer. Ooo, I can’t forget the people’s market, grass volleyball in May park, and outdoor concerts. There are just so many things in Jackson! No matter what I do, I love to show Helen my favorite spots and activities. My pace of life has dramatically changed since having a baby but I’m learning to love every day and be thankful for the little things.

Image of Meredith Runkle Olson in the Tetons. — Meredith in the Tetons

7. Do you have advice to a business or organization that wants to connect with their community and customers these days?

It’s simple, ask the people what they want.

8. For whom do you feel responsible?

I feel the desire to raise Helen and other children we have, in a healthy way. I want them to love nature, eat healthy, stay active, love others, serve those in need, and learn how to be mentally tough. Plus, I definitely feel responsible for the environment. At the rate that the whole world is going, our future generations won’t experience what we do. I want to help our communities focus on sustainable practices in every realm of life. I also want my children to understand finances. Most people my age were never taught how to avoid debt, wisely invest, budget, live frugally, and think about life in the long term. I want to change that for my family. Most Americans have out of control spending habits and I refuse to be a part of that.

9. What are you hopeful for this year?

I want to fully embrace being a great mom! It’s such an important role. I can pursue other things later in life but I can never get back this precious time with my baby. That being said, I still want to be active and show Helen how my hobbies and passions are important to me.

10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.

My husband and I are debt-free (besides a mortgage), I did all 42 miles of the Teton Crest Trail in a single day, and even though I decided not to go this route, I studied hard and got into law school with a great scholarship, and I created life.

Creating an Inclusive Digital Space

Posted on July 26, 2023 - 9:59 am by Heather DeVine

In today’s design industry, inclusive design has taken center stage as the prevailing approach. While not a new concept, its influence continues to grow as it becomes more mainstream. The reason behind this shift is clear: inclusive design empowers nearly everyone to engage in digital spaces.

In this post, we will delve into why adopting this philosophy is crucial and explore practical ways to incorporate it into your brand’s design work and digital content. Get ready to unlock the power of inclusivity and revolutionize your design approach.

Accessibility vs. Inclusive design?

What is accessibility? Accessibility in design aims to give people with disabilities access – but this is only the bare minimum for web access to today’s world. The focus is on following ADA compliance via section 508 or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Accessibility is essential but only the beginning of creating an inclusive digital space.

Inclusive design takes accessibility a few steps further. It‘s less concerned about simply meeting requirements and more concentrated on how every user can have the best possible experience. This requires designers to incorporate empathy (link Heather’s blog to the words incorporate empathy) and compassion into their work practice. Inclusive design considers a broad range of challenges that users may face and focuses on creating products that meet users wherever they are. It takes into account the diverse needs of users and aims to create experiences that are accessible and effective for everyone.

Why ‘inclusive design’ matters:

Inclusive design is crucial because it challenges and enhances good design without compromising aesthetics. It allows for a diverse audience to engage with your brand, promoting fairness and equal participation for all individuals. From a business perspective, inclusive design opens doors to potential customers and demonstrates social responsibility. Moreover, it encourages learning from diverse experiences, leading to innovative and user-centric designs. Inclusive design is not just about accessibility; it is about creating better experiences and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.

Who might benefit from inclusive design:

The answer is everyone. Inclusive design benefits the whole for the better. After all, inclusive design calls on designers to communicate their messaging in the most effective and clear way possible.

However, inclusive design is crucial for ensuring that disabled individuals can fully participate in the digital world. When designing, it is essential to consider the needs of users with visual impairments, hearing impairments, limited motor functions, those on the neurodivergent spectrum, and others who may face barriers to access. By prioritizing inclusivity, we can create digital experiences that accommodate diverse abilities and enable equal participation for all users.

According to the CDC, approximately 25% of adults in the US live with a disability. Furthermore, it is expected that a significant majority of individuals will encounter a temporary or permanent disability at some stage in their lives. These statistics highlight the importance of inclusive design in order to cater to the diverse needs and experiences of individuals with disabilities.

How to make your design work inclusive:

To all fellow designers out there who might want to start incorporating inclusive design practices into their work, there are various elements of design to consider. Doing so will make digital spaces more welcoming and functional for more people. After all, design work is created for humans.

Contrasting colors!

When designers are intentional about choosing contrasting colors, it makes for an overall improved experience. Not only does it make digital spaces accessible for those who might be sight impaired higher contrast benefits the experience of all users.

The Web Contrast Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Contrast ratios can range from 1 (1:1) to 21 (21:1). To get the contrast ratio of two colors, this formula is used L1 meaning the lighter and L2 the darker; (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05).

This formula can be confusing and thankfully there are many calculators available to check color contrast. Try testing on Coolors or Webaim. Other sites can help designers generate accessible color palettes like ColorSafe.

Contrast Ratios image on a sliding scale. Aim for a ratio higher than 4.51:1 for best results.

It is also a good practice for designers to avoid using pure black (#000000) and pure white (#FFFFFF). When pure black is used in design and as text color, it causes the eyes of readers to strain. It’s best to opt for a dark grey. (see example below)

Lorem Ipsum typesetting examples and color adjustments with black vs dark grey in an image.

Font choices matter.

Remember, most of the information that exists online comes in the form of text. You want your users to be able to comprehend and understand what your brand is saying.

Size: Keep the size of your text as large as possible. It is recommended that body text should be no smaller than 12px however a 16px body text is even more inclusive to those who might be sight impaired or those with reading disorders.

Typeface: The style of fonts is an important design decision. Some fonts are known for being more accessible than others. For example, in most cases, it is best to choose a sans-serif font for the body text. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, and Helvetica are good choices for body text. Save fun serif fonts for headings that will be presented in a larger text size.

Weight: This is another font characteristic that can help portray information with clarity. Added weight onto headers and sub-headers can create a visual hierarchy that can help organize information for the reader. This is particularly helpful for neurodivergent folks.

Example of heading and visual hierarchy image of Heading 1 - Heading 6 size

Layout is important!

As mentioned above, visual hierarchy is important. Intentional layout design can significantly improve the comprehension of information.

When bodies of text become too dense, it becomes harder for your entire audience to comprehend. It is recommended that line length should be kept to about 45-75 words long.

Incorporating visual elements is also a great way to enhance the readability of large bodies of text. Creating a balanced look in our work relies on visual hierarchy. We achieve this by using both symmetry and asymmetry in equal measure, ensuring a strong and visually pleasing stability.

Consider Functionality

This topic leans towards the development side of web design however it is important mentioning because functionality needs to be inclusive too. For example, a site that requires a user to hover for navigation is not inclusive design. It really isn’t accessible for anyone, especially those users with motor-related disabilities.

Visual and Audio Processing

People process visual and audio information across a broad spectrum and it is a designer’s job to be aware of this.

Color choices: Selecting suitable colors involves more than just considering contrast; there are additional aspects to keep in mind. For instance, individuals on the neurodivergent spectrum may find intense and vibrant colors overly stimulating and distracting. By opting for clean and simple colors, these issues can be alleviated, leading to more effective information communication. Taking inclusion a step further, offering a dark mode option for your theme can enhance the user experience and make it more enjoyable for certain users.

It is important to remember that color should not be relied upon to convey messages. If a design is not easily discernible in grayscale, it lacks accessibility. Developing the habit of reviewing design drafts in grayscale can ensure inclusion for colorblind users and improve overall accessibility.

Error state indicated by red color image

Alt text: Ensuring that every image incorporated in a digital environment is accompanied by an alternative text description serves two important purposes. Firstly, it allows users with visual impairments to comprehend the content, and secondly, it contributes to enhancing search engine optimization (SEO).

Audio inclusion: If there is video or audio content available in a digital space, it should be paired with either closed captions or a written transcript to be inclusive to all users. Also, it’s best to skip any auto-play features or just mute any content by default. Whether it’s to accommodate individuals facing sensory overload, hearing impairment, or simply those in quiet environments, being mindful of audio enhances accessibility. Design choices that prioritize audio inclusivity can make content accessible to a wider range of people in various situations.

Inclusive Content

To create inclusive digital spaces, it is crucial to make accessible design choices and also consider the content. Users have varying reading abilities and English may not be their first language. To ensure easy access to information, it is best to use simple words and keep things concise.

Creating inclusive content also involves recognizing the importance of having a diverse team of content creators. By incorporating individuals from various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, a wider range of voices can contribute to the content production process. This diversity allows for a more accurate and authentic representation of different communities, resulting in content that resonates with a broader audience

Additionally, using supportive language with readers helps foster a positive connection. Try, “Thanks for reading this far. I appreciate your interest in inclusive design. You must really care about the people you design for :)”

Center Disabled People

Disabled individuals have played a significant role as pioneers of inclusive design, yet they haven’t received the recognition they deserve. Their contributions and insights have been instrumental in shaping and advancing inclusive design practices.

‘Crip Technoscience’ is the concept in disability studies and design that centers disabled people as makers and inventors. Two prominent disabled activists, Alice Wong & Aimi Hamraie, discussed this topic in detail on the Critical Design Lab Podcast.

“Non-disabled culture doesn’t recognize us as makers, a lot of the time they don’t recognize that disability culture is full of makers, and people who are expert tinkerers and hackers. And because of that people tend to think about disability in solely medical terms,” Aimi Hamraie

Inclusive design is not just for disabled folks. It improves the digital space for everyone. Disabled folk should be respected for their contributions and viewed as leaders within the inclusive design space.

Adopting inclusive design standards has become the norm in the industry. Embracing these practices not only improves design but also expands accessibility to a wider range of users. And adhering to inclusive design principles does not restrict us as designers; instead, it allows us to create better experiences for all.

Dear Canva, I LOVE you!

Posted on July 6, 2023 - 11:07 am by Heather DeVine

A quick geek out over Canva!

This is a geek out blog post about Canva. If you haven’t guessed, I love the platform and what they provide businesses. Their platform continues to amaze me and what you can do with it. How may I count the ways.. I love you, Canva!

SVG Magic in Branding Your Business

DeLacy Tea Company – SVG rosehips

Let’s begin with SVGs, which stands for: Scalable Vector Graphics.
This handy-dandy format allows for your vector files to be colorized before your eyes. That’s right. Exactly how you can pull an element from Canva and change out a color to your liking? I recently designed something for Mariel’s DeLacy Tea Company. Delacy Tea Company wanted to utilize the rosehips element on different tea labels. Each label needing to be a different color, so making a couple of elements she can then colorize in Canva was huge! An important tip for Illustrator/vector designers: make sure the vector is completely closed so the element can be colorized effectively in Canva. For this sample of their rosehips (right), I had the lines in the leaves transparent and not white so that the rosy color or any color of their choosing can stand out on a contrasting background.

There are some smaller businesses that need to be able to “play” with their logo and with this versatility it allows for a business owner to take it upon themselves to make necessary changes on their own.

From now on, when I package my client’s graphics and hand them over, SVGs will be on that checklist of elements that are an absolute must. Exporting elements for your clients that can be the most useful allows them to move freely in their brand without constraints. All too often clients have shared stories where they are left hopeless with ownership over their own logo files, domain names, hosting for their website, access to their social media platforms, etc. All forthcoming topics I will happily share in our blog.

Some Canva templates provided for marketing campaigns:

Bravo goes back to Canva, an Australia-women owned business. Canva has revolutionized graphic design for so many ambitious dreamers. Now design is accessible to anyone that wants to build a business with the help of their design platform. I couldn’t be more excited to recommend them to anyone who works in design or wants to dabble in it.

Canva Custom Template Offerings

Original price was: $837.00.Current price is: $669.60.

Non-Profit – Custom Canva Templates to Match Your Brand
Original price was: $930.00.Current price is: $837.00.

Custom Canva Templates to Match Your Brand

Forbes: Empathy Is the Most Important Leadership Skill

Posted on July 1, 2023 - 11:24 am by Heather DeVine

Empathy Is the Most Important Leadership Skill

I knew Empathy was a trait that helped better more relationships in all aspects of life. I’ve seen the difference it makes in mine. When the pandemic hit in 2020-21 I felt disconnection and I needed a periodic check-in with my team. A “how are you?” rather than diving right into work stuff became critical. I personally wanted my colleagues to care about me as I cared for them and their well-being.

Forbes recognizes the positive impact of empathy on innovation and retention. Studies show that empathetic leaders create engaged and productive teams. By considering others’ thoughts and feelings, leaders can connect on a deeper level, foster trust, and inspire empathy in return. This leads to a more compassionate and successful work environment.

“Leaders don’t have to be experts in mental health in order to demonstrate they care and are paying attention. It’s enough to check in, ask questions and take cues from the employee about how much they want to share.”
Forbes article on Leading with Empathy by Tracy Brower, PhD.*

Stress is a pervasive state and data suggests it is an affect by the pandemic and the ways our lives have been turned upside down.*

Empathy by the Numbers

42% of people have experienced a decline in mental health
- 67% of people are experiencing increases in stress while 57% have increased anxiety, and 54% are emotionally exhausted, 53% of people are sad, 50% are irritable, 28% are having trouble concentrating, 20% are taking longer to finish tasks, 15% are having trouble thinking and 20% are challenging to juggle their responsibilities
61% of employees reported with empathy leaders were able to be innovative, compared to 13% of employees with less empathic leaders
76% of people who experienced empathy from their leaders reported they were engaged, compared to 32% who experienced less empathy
57% of white women and 62% of women of color said they were unlikely to think of leaving their companies when they felt their life circumstances were respected and valued by their companies

As a leader in the community I know how important it is to engage in empathy. From the receiving end it feels good to be seen and heard. On a Board of Directors we engage in similar behavior with a check-in before we begin to discuss anything on the agenda. If any of us are feeling low or drained, the camera doesn’t need to be on when we meet virtually and if they need to leave early we honor that with understanding and compassion for one another.

**Listen to a two part Podcast on How Empathy Can Bridge Connection**

Empathy Fosters More Empathy

I’m a cheerleader for empathy marketing. When we engage with our audience in a way that they need and want, you are likely to be more engaged with us.

It’s clear that empathy should be a trait intertwined with leadership. It starts with caring about your team, and your community.

Cognitive empathy – Consider someone elses’ thoughts (“If I were in his/her position, what would I be thinking right now?”)

Emotional empathy – Consider someone elses’ feelings (“Being in his/her position would make me feel ___”)

Empathy is the most important leadership skill because it enables leaders to connect with their team members on a deeper level. Strong leaders understand and share the feelings and perspectives of their employees. They can make more informed decisions and create a supportive work environment. By demonstrating empathy, leaders foster trust, enhance collaboration, and inspire loyalty among their team. Ultimately, this drives higher levels of productivity and success.

Empathy fosters more empathy.

Hashtags Banned vs Allowed

Posted on June 6, 2023 - 1:44 pm by Heather DeVine

Did you know that Instagram has taken a stand against certain hashtags? Yep, they’ve implemented a ban to make sure those hashtags don’t get associated with any flagged content. It’s all about protecting users and businesses from potentially harmful or inappropriate stuff. So, if you want to keep your social media game strong, stick to using only approved hashtags.

Now, let’s talk about the power of hashtags!

Hashtags play a significant role in social media, allowing individuals to express themselves and explore new ideas. They enable users to share their experiences, perspectives, and achievements, connecting with people and places they may have never reached before. By simply clicking on a hashtag, you can discover a world that relates to your interests, location, and hobbies. Hashtags bring humanity to the internet, injecting emotion into an otherwise flat digital landscape.

Where does the problem lie?

However, the power of storytelling through hashtags can also attract negative elements. Some individuals and accounts exploit the platform for their own gain, providing no value to users. To combat this, Instagram has banned certain hashtags that have been flagged by the community for various reasons. By using a banned hashtag, you risk connecting with inappropriate or objectionable content.

Meta hashtags now offer a tool to check if a hashtag is banned. This tool allows you to verify whether the content you are sharing or connecting with is acceptable and approved by Instagram’s community standards. Banned hashtags include those that feature obscene phrases, explicit or violent material, and those associated with spam or bot accounts. Using banned hashtags repeatedly may result in a shadow ban, temporarily limiting engagement on your Instagram account until the issue is resolved.

Here are a few banned hashtag you should avoid using all together:

#valentinesday
#single
#nasty
#besties
#alone
#adulting
#dating
#humpday
#mustfollow
#parties
#workflow
#thought

Hashtags that connect to proven spam or bot accounts and other content that directly violates Instagram’s community standards will be banned, as well. If you are found repeatedly using banned hashtags, a shadow ban may be placed on any Instagram account. A shadow ban is a temporary limit to any account, they bring your engagement to low or none until there is a resolution to the problem.

Find the complete list of banned hashtags, access the list via desktop or on the Instagram app with the most recent additions. Make sure you stay up to date with what content is being nixed on Instagram so you don’t lose quality engagement from your viewers!

Keep Telling Your Story!

Despite these precautions, it’s crucial to keep sharing your story on Instagram. By maintaining high standards and adhering to community guidelines, you contribute to a positive online environment. At Transcend Ideas, we are eager to connect with you, discover your story, and help amplify your message to those seeking the services you offer. Join us on the bright side of Instagram!

Let Transcend Ideas help find the perfect balance of social media to use in your marketing campaigns and strategy. Let’s get coffee today!

Master CTA’s (Call to Actions) with Empathy Marketing

Posted on April 20, 2023 - 2:34 pm by Heather DeVine

How can you master CTA’s (Call to Actions) with empathy marketing? What are CTAs you ask?

It’s the acronym for call-to-action, like:

Donate Now

Learn More

Buy Now

… and so on!

CTA is giving the audience direction and an actionable to take

When we market to our audience we are looking to add value and we are asking them to engage with us with curiosity. With my approach to empathy marketing I empathize with my audience and where they are. Here are some things to think about when you are generating your content and your CTAs when you write a newsletter, blog post, or a social media post.

When using empathy marketing, ask these questions:

What does the consumer feel?
What is the consumer facing right now?
How can we connect as a business?

Our content can shape the relationship

Our content can shape the relationship we have with our consumers. We use tone and personality and the consumer then responds to it. It’s important to:

stay relavant, stay informed (webinars, workshops, networking events, speak to your audience)
humanize your business
ask questions (use surveys – this will eliminate assumptions)
answer questions (use real Q&A here to share with the community)
share how you can help meet a need – *** Keep your content digestable info, bullet points will help led the reader, if they are curious about more they can contact you (DM or E-mail)
use clean graphics and nice photography to help compliment your message – this anchors those topics into your website and your social media feed
try an A/B testing to see what’s the most effective approach – look at the data and compare and try it again, see if it still works

Consider These Shifted Verbal Cues to Master CTA’s (Call to Actions) with Empathy Marketing:

Let’s Try Something New

Say YES!

Let’s Get Curious

Join the Conversation

Share Your Story

Are you interested to learn more?

let’s get coffee

Short Form Video – Right for Your Business?

Posted on April 19, 2023 - 3:10 pm by Heather DeVine

Short-form video dominates with the Gen Z crowd. From dance-off competitions to popular music covers, and now how users discover products and services. What’s the best way to step into this trend? Can it work for your small business? Short-form videos prove to work for marketing many businesses.

What is a Short-Form Video?

Short-form video is being used across a variety of platforms. It all began with TikTok and spread quickly to Instagram (Reels) and YouTube (Shorts). User-friendly with a low barrier to entry and engagement, short-form video showcases instant and short videos that give a snapshot into the creator’s life. This teen-savvy engagement opportunity may be the golden ticket for your small business ‘word of mouth’ promotion. Tap into your preferred audience and tell your story on this new platform. Small business owners can give potential customers a look behind the scenes at operations, a day in the life of product design or food creation, and interview customers that are raving about their products and why. The opportunities are endless to catch a user’s eye and potentially make a repeat customer.

Short-form provides a “short” between a 30 – 60 seconds in duration. With those parameters, you have to get creative and concise with what you are sharing. You’ve seen it, text overlaying the video/photos of step-by-step directions on how to make the best frittata, a trending dance move, or a quickened-paced story to tell a story, make a point, or share a laugh. It’s an entertaining way to capture your younger audience. Still, images are not always going to be cut to capture the younger demographic.

Short Form Video – Right for Your Business?

Short-Form Video and Small Business

Still skeptical about how short-form video could work for your business? According to USA Today, 81% of users use short-form video clips. This type of engaging content, utilized across all social media platforms, helps users discover new products and brands. This shows just one example of a short-form video being a marketing professional’s dream. This type of exposure is critical for small businesses that want to tap into and influence specific demographics that are looking for the content you have to offer.

With the onslaught of content available with short-form videos and reels on social media, find what items are providing the most hits in search results. By doing this, you can cater your marketing to those items. If you are targeting a certain age group, you can discover trending audio/music clips and tack them onto those trends to capture your audience. There is a low cost for starting ads on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube, as well. They can be catered to your location, a perfect solution for the young crowd that constantly surfs the web looking for something new and interesting to try out.

Are Short-Form Videos Right For Your Business?

I always want to insert the skeptic into trends. Ask yourself: does short-form video suit my business? There are downsides to jumping in feet first with just about any new trend. Much of what short-form video drains time and energy from running your business. If you are small enough and curious about specific trends like this one, consider recruiting help in this department like a social media marketing expert.

Watch some videos that your competitors and allies are threading together. Observe for yourself if this is the platform/method for your business. Also, remember that followers and/or likes don’t equal sales/revenue stream. However, some of the most successful videos are informing, educating, and entertaining. Viral videos follow similar formulas to grab attention and evoke an emotional response that does spark more interest that generates more clicks, more followers, and more shares.

When using new techniques, you want to align with your messaging, stay consistent and sustain the activity. I say, stay curious, try it, and see if you like it and if it aligns with your vision for your business.

Conclusion

In summary, short-form videos can help small businesses increase engagement, promote their products or services, increase brand awareness, and create a connection with their customers.

Overall, the mystery behind the short-form video trend is starting to fade. This type of engagement is here to stay and continues to influence consumer behavior every day. Keep in mind those that will do business with you will come through trust they have in your expertise. Trust can be built in many ways and that doesn’t necessary mean short-form video but it sure draws more eyes to your content and that’s not a bad thing.

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Contact Transcend Ideas today to discuss how we can make short-form video work for you!

How Empathy can Bridge Connection

Posted on April 15, 2023 - 9:05 pm by Heather DeVine

Listen to my interview with Kaeyy Noella on her The Love Talk Wall podcast. I introduce her to “empathy marketing” and how I show up with Transcend Ideas. I introduce (in Part 2) how “empathy” makes up the key ingredient of People Spread Love.

How Empathy can Bridge Connection

Part 1: Empathy marketing can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to build stronger relationships with their customers and differentiate themselves from competitors. By putting the needs and emotions of customers first, small businesses can create a more loyal customer base and drive long-term growth.

“Empathy” is a key component to how I show up in many places in my life. I recognize human connection is what we all strive for in this life. When we feel heard and understood we can profoundly connect.

“The Clubhouse app helped me find my voice.” I jumped on the app with curiosity and met these strong women entrepreneurs. They encouraged me to step into Transcend Ideas. And I’m eternally grateful for their strength in their belief in me. And made me believe in myself.

Part 2: My audio cut off as I began introducing the brand. I continued the introduction of People Spread Love in Part 2. I introduce People Spread Love and my journey starting a movement in 2015. First, with becoming a 501c3 non-profit organization. The organization empowers community members to write notes of love to those facing adversity all over the country and world. This brings us back full circle to the power of empathy and how it can facilitate human connection.

Kaeyy asked me about self-love and I told her a story about how I recently fractured my knee skiing. I touched on how grateful I am, even more so after getting hurt.

Listen to Part 1 & 2 of the podcast interview and let’s connect!

ChatGPT can Help Small Business

Posted on April 4, 2023 - 8:50 am by Heather DeVine

ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, could resolves your questions or prompts faster than current technology. Did you know ChatGPT can help small business? The technology gained more than 1 million subscribers in less than 5 days. ChatGPT wants to revolutionize the way users answer questions, and could make Googling questions a thing of the past.

Uncovering the Power of Artifical Intelligence

There are many unknowns about the potential of the technology. Could you utilize this new AI technology on your website to reduce the significant load by fielding commonly asked questions about your business operations, hours, and the general scope of the work you provide? Open up your time from responding to redundant questions that don’t necessarily turn into leads. Your time opened up equals more money. Not sold on artificial intelligence yet? You’ll find the technology all around us, from Amazon Alexa speakers, Google Home, and even on your cell phone with Siri.

So, how does ChatGPT play into all of this and could it really replace Google? The logistics of how the ChatGPT model could work for the end user proves relatively simple. Create an account with OpenAI and use the search bar within the chat box for your questions. If a simple resolution can be provided to any question, ChatGPT would prove invaluable. If the bulk of users to your site bring complex needs and quotes, the technology could, over time, garner results that would align with more informed responses.

ChatGPT – Inherent Security Risks to AI Technology

Accuracy brings this technology under fire, especially since its launch in November of 2022. It is wise to use discernment from a distance as inaccuracies get siphoned out over time. Make smart decisions with all technology you incorporate into your daily life, as these “smart” devices continue to saturate your local big box stores. The paradigm shift ChatGPT could bring into business operations and their efficiency could be phenomenal if the technology stands alone.

Additionally, there are some inherent security risks to artificial intelligence technology, such as sometimes inaccurate or unrelated answers, but the AI can adjust for these mistakes moving forward. Security vulnerabilities can be exploited. Research results are still being conducted on the viability of ChatGPT to protect against the exposure of vulnerable information.

Answering Questions with ChatGPT

P.S. We polished this blog post (written by a human by the way) however we wanted to also ask ChatGPT directly these questions and see what they came up with. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the AI-powered tool. If we are going to write about this technology, why not use the tool? So here we go!

ChatGPT can help small business. Graphic of Heather at Transcend Ideas asking a question to the AI Chatbot. "What are advantages of using ChatGPT as a tool for small business?" Answer: "As a language model, ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for small businesses. Here are some advantages: 1. Customer service, 2. 24/7 availability, 3. Cost-effective, 4. Personalization, 5. Data Analysis" — ChatGPT can help small business, here are some advantages

ChatGPT represents a large language model created by OpenAI. This software, based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, allows the generation of human-like responses to a wide range of queries and topics. Essentially, this technology provides an AI-powered chatbot that can engage in natural language conversations with users.

As for the advantages for one to use ChatGPT for their small businesses, there are several:

Advantages of ChatGPT

Customer Service: ChatGPT could spotlight as a virtual customer service representative. The service answers customer questions and addresses concerns in real-time. This helps reduce the workload of human customer service agents and improve customer satisfaction.
24/7 Availability: ChatGPT can operate 24/7, providing support to customers even outside of business hours. This ensures that customers can always get the help they need, which can lead to increased customer loyalty.
Cost-effective: ChatGPT provides a cost-effective solution for small businesses, as the need for hiring additional customer service representatives disappears or investing in expensive software. ChatGPT integrates into existing communication channels, such as websites or social media platforms, with minimal setup and maintenance costs.
Personalization: ChatGPT could be trained to recognize customers and personalize responses based on their preferences and purchase history. This can help improve customer engagement and lead to increased sales.
Data Analysis: Analyze customer data and provide insights to improve marketing strategies and customer experiences. This can help small businesses make informed decisions and stay competitive in their industry.

Overall, ChatGPT could be a powerful tool that can help small businesses! Improve your customer service, increase efficiency, and save costs with ChatGPT. This solution could be worth considering as part of your overall business strategy!

ChatGPT can help small business. Graphic of Heather at Transcend Ideas asking a question to the AI Chatbot. "What are disadvantages of using ChatGPT as a tool for small business?" Answer: "While ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for small businesses, there are also some potential disadvantages to consider: 1. Lack of Human Touch, 2. Limited Contextual Understanding, 3. Training and Maintenance, 4. Data Security, 5. Technical Issues" — ChatGPT can help small business, but there are some disadvantages

Disadvantages of ChatGPT

Here are a few:

Lack of Human Touch: While ChatGPT can provide quick and efficient support, some customers may still prefer speaking with a human representative for more complex issues or emotional support. Depending on your business model and customer base, relying solely on ChatGPT may not be the best option.
Limited Contextual Understanding: ChatGPT may not always fully understand the context of a customer’s question or request, which could result in inaccurate or irrelevant responses. ChatGPT lacks the ability to understand nuances in language, social cues, and emotional tone that human representatives pick up on.
Training and Maintenance: While ChatGPT remains a cost-effective solution. It requires significant investment in training and maintenance to ensure the software operates at optimal performance. This includes regular updates to the training data, monitoring for accuracy, and making adjustments as necessary.
Data Security: Since ChatGPT, an AI-powered tool, poses a significant risk of data breaches or unauthorized access to customer information exists. Small businesses must ensure they have proper security protocols in place to protect customer data and privacy.
Technical Issues: Like any technology, ChatGPT remains subject to technical glitches and malfunctions. This can result in delays or downtime, which could negatively impact customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

Overall, while ChatGPT can provide many benefits. It’s important to weigh the potential disadvantages and ensure that it aligns with your business goals and customer needs. It’s important to carefully consider whether ChatGPT proves to be the right tool for your business and to invest in the necessary resources to ensure its success.

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Would you use the new AI-powered ChatGPT? We don’t know where the future of AI will take us in the marketing world, but we are here for it! Impressed with how ChatGPT can help small business? Contact Transcend Ideas to discuss if ChatGPT is an option that could benefit your professional goals. Let’s stay curious, together.

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