This week we will be wrapping up our showcase of our top 10 most popular blog posts of 2021. Check out last week’s post in case you missed posts 10-6. Without further ado, here are posts 5-1:

5) Why hire a Storybrand Certified Guide?

4) The secret to quality headshots

3) The secret to great testimonials

2) Content marketing: A guest post by Sacha Black

1) The pros and cons of motion graphics

There you have it! It’s been quite a year, thank you for supporting The Scoop and we can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store!

As 2021 slowly comes to a close, we’ve decided to showcase our top 10 most popular blog posts of the year over the next two weeks! With that being said, here are posts 10-6:

10) 3 Questions you should be asking yourself about your website

9) How to speak graphic designer part 1-print

8) You don’t have to be on Tik Tok (no, seriously)

7) Tony’s top 5 takeaways from 10 years in business

6) Why are bad guys so committed to branding?

Stay tuned for next week to see what posts 5-1 are, in the meantime, read away!

It’s the holiday season! Time is of the essence during the holidays, especially in business. In fact, one sales strategy you might explore is using time in your favor.

Why do limited time offers work to encourage customers to purchase?:

1. A limited time offer creates a sense of urgency. This one might be a “duh” but it really is important. We have so many decisions to make in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas that our brains have trouble prioritizing. But when you set a time limit, you force a person’s brain to really think about that thing because they know no decision means no deal (which could lead to regret).
2. It creates social buzz. It is a lot easier to get people behind liking/sharing something within a limited time frame.
3. Your content stays fresh. One of the best things about marketing during the holidays is your content will naturally stay fresh. During the rest of the year, using the same visual template or element over and over will ensure that people get so used to seeing it that they start ignoring it. This limited holiday time frame allows you to show a special image (of the offer) multiple times, which increases memorability, but not so many times that people tune out.

Taking these tips into consideration as you plan out your Christmas deals can help elevate your marketing strategy and increase profits during this time.

Social media gives businesses so many opportunities to expand upon their message and reach their customers. A great way to use social media, especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, is by sharing the gratitude you hold towards your customers!

One of the most simple yet effective ways to show appreciation is through a post series. 

People love keeping up with brands that they follow and are always engaged by a series of graphics or videos. 

For instance, you could film all of the members of your team sending a big thank you to your customer base and post it on your Instagram story or compile it into a video to post on your feed. Or, create a “customer appreciation week” and post content that pertains to showing your gratitude to those who support your business. You could also do something as simple as creating an eye-catching “Thank You” graphic to post. The possibilities are endless!

Another method of showing appreciation and recognition is by engaging with your customers’ posts and milestones. Let’s say one of your clients posted a celebratory 5 years in business post, share it on your story and congratulate them! Lifting up your customers will truly make them feel special and appreciated.

Showing appreciation via social media isn’t all that hard, when you think about it. Just think, “How would I like my favorite brand to show that they care about me?” And then do exactly that!

Giveaways are a great way to boost your social media engagement and give back to your customers. Also, if we’re being honest, who doesn’t jump at the thought of free stuff?

However, overlooking even the simplest detail, such as criteria to enter, can ruin your plan. Here are the RIGHT ways the execute a successful giveaway via social media:

Determine a goal for the giveaway

There should be a purpose behind why you’re giving away a product or service. Are you promoting the launch of a new product? The prize could be a discounted or free product! Always think about what the purpose is. Sometimes you also need to ask yourself “is a giveaway even necessary at this time?”

Come up with entry criteria

When deciding on entry criteria for your giveaway, think about the overall goal. If you want to increase the number of subscribers to your newsletter, encourage those who would like to participate to subscribe in order for their entry to count. 

Create a timeline

This will make the process so much easier for you. Deciding on a launch date and an end date are crucial, advertising those on social media is too so that people don’t miss out or think that their entry counts when they actually entered a day too late.

Follow the hosting platform rules

This is quite possibly one of the most, if not the most, important part of hosting a giveaway. For instance, if you don’t say EXACTLY what Instagram wants you to as a disclaimer, they could shut your giveaway down and potentially shut your entire account down. Look into each platform’s giveaway rules to be sure you don’t run into either issue!

Time to post!

Once all of the above have been completed, you are now ready to plaster it across social media, your email list, your blog, and any other platforms you use to communicate with customers. 

Giveaways are a great way to draw attention to your brand, increase engagement, and show your appreciation for customers. When you have the chance to conduct one, we suggest you go for it!

Cultivating and maintaining relationships with your consumers is a key point in business, whether you own a large firm with multiple locations or an up-and-coming small business. Knowing who your consumers are and what they are looking for shows that you genuinely care about their needs and interests.

Forbes published an article in 2019 containing statistics on the influence of consumer experience. According to their findings, the main reason why customers jump ship and switch brands is because they feel underappreciated. Consumers are observant, if they sense that a company doesn't value their business, they'll simply look elsewhere. 

Making a consumer's experience memorable and positive each time they purchase from you or use your services sets an expectation. They will expect your service to be outstanding every time. The minute they feel that your service hasn't reached or surpassed those expectations, they may start distancing themselves from your brand. Consistency in your service helps maintain a good relationship with your consumers and could lead to new ones through word of mouth.

Communication helps strengthen the foundation of your relationship as well. If you are encountering delays during a project, let them know! People appreciate honest responses over a lack of communication. Update them on what's happening and walk them through the process. They'll appreciate you for it. 

Don't overlook the importance of getting to know your consumers. Even the simplest things, such as a follow-up email after completing a project just to check in, means the world to people. It builds a sense of connection and can help with your business' growth.

There are always plenty of opportunities to give back to the community that has welcomed you and your business with open arms. Community service is one of the best ways to build your brand's presence. If you are an active member of the community and work to make it a better place for locals and tourists, people will be more likely to do business with you.

Acts of service are simple to come up with and you can get creative with it too! Here are some simple yet effective ways to stay involved and give back to your community.

Volunteer

When people think of giving back, volunteering is one of the first words that come to mind. From food banks to animal shelters, nonprofits and other organizations are always looking for volunteers. Long-term partnerships and business relationships can come out of volunteering as well!

Fundraising

Raising funds for a community initiative or cause can draw more attention to your business and its values. There are several ways you could go about this. For instance, if you own a bakery, you could sell your baked goods at a Breast Cancer Awareness 5k (since it's currently October). Proceeds from all sales could go to a foundation specializing in breast cancer research and helping patients with medical expenses.

Bring awareness to local issues

Is there a current crisis or event occuring in your community? Voice your stance and offer your support in any way possible. You could even incorporate the ways mentioned above to offer a hand. When people see your brand is vocal and not afraid to speak up on current events and issues, they'll admire your willingness to be open, honest, and hopefully create change.

Community service isn't solely about gaining good PR, it's about being authentic and genuine. When your community grows and thrives, your brand does too. 

Social media is the ultimate tool for businesses to utilize today, especially when it comes to building a community surrounding your brand. Engaging your community should be one of the main components of your social media strategy. 

There is so much creative potential for your brand, chances are you could be doing more to take advantage of these opportunities. Below we've compiled four ways you can connect with your audience on social media.

Creating hashtags

Hashtags, especially on Instagram, are a great way to highlight your brand and specify what makes it stand out. They can also encourage interaction with social media users. For instance, let's say you're holding a giveaway. Create a personalized hashtag specific to the giveaway and encourage people to use it in order to enter or participate. 

You can also use hashtags daily or weekly, there's no set limit as to how often you can use them. Do you have a weekly post series? Create a hashtag for it!

Show what your team has been up to

Are there any recent projects that have been completed? Perhaps you helped your client launch their new website? Highlight these projects and accomplishments on posts or stories! Our series, This Week at IFC, showcases what we've been working on and gives viewers a glimpse of recent client projects. 

People like to be kept in the loop, showing your community what you've accomplished on social media makes them feel more connected to your brand.

Giveaways and contests are key

Let's be honest, who doesn't like free stuff? Giveaways are a great way to grab your audience's attention, increase your following and overall engagement. In the past, we've required our followers to sign up for our email list in order to enter. You can do something like that or even switch up the rules, like requiring users to repost the giveaway to their stories as a bonus entry.

Giveaways are fun for everyone and aren't difficult to implement. As word spreads about it, more people will flock to your social media platforms and take part in it. Just make sure you follow the rules of your particular platform!

Be responsive to your audience

Whether it be a comment on a Facebook post or a response to an Instagram story, being responsive is extremely important. It shows that you make time for your customers and makes people more open to taking part in conversations on social media.

The more responsive you are, the more likely you are to maintain and create long-term relationships with customers on social media.

Throughout the month of September, we've been focusing on the concept of brand promise and elements that tie into it. Your brand's promise should explain your mission, values, and vision. Beyond sales and reputation, delivering on your promise can foster a deeper connection between you and your customers.

One brand that consistently acts on their promise is Adidas. They aim to create a positive difference and better the lives of individuals and communities. 

Recently, they’ve developed the Adidas People Promise to help them successfully carry out their strategy. The hope is that it will guide the company as they deliver their mission to be the best sports brand out there and live their purpose. They’ve created a hype video about it which we’ve linked to below:

People Promise unites customers, employees, stakeholders. 'People' are emphasized in the name itself and in the video above but if you want to learn more specifics about how it will strengthen the brand's strategy check out their website.

Focusing on the clarity of your brand promise, mission, and overall message can propel your business forward. It may sound redundant, but we can't stress it enough. Adidas is a perfect example of how much messaging matters.