How Do Small Business Owners Succeed on Social Media?
Small business leaders are coming to understand the importance marketing has on their success. Read more about how social media can influence your business!
Do you have your own business or want to start yours? The prevalence of social media has accelerated college students starting their own businesses as it affordably allows individuals to access a large audience and promote products. Social media is a great platform to increase brand awareness, reach potential customers, and establish loyalty. So, how can you as a small business owner succeed in social media?
Social media offers equal opportunities for businesses, be it small or big, to attract their audiences and improve traffic. Once you gain the audience’s attention, you can lead them to the website or directly drive the sale. For those running social media accounts, it is essential to give the audience incentives to follow your accounts or see their content: posting viral content and offering humanistic interaction.
Making viral content is one of the most effective ways to achieve success on social media; it can also be user-generated content. Word of mouth is so powerful that people trust what they hear from others rather than the brands themselves. To increase brand awareness, it is essential to make people motivated to feature their products and increase exposure on social media. You can see tips to create visually-appealing content in Lauren's blog post.
It is also important to form a relationship with your audience and customers. Small businesses have a great advantage of focusing on individuals. They are more likely to foster connection with each customer than larger businesses such as by a personalized response. Showing that there is a real person behind the brand accounts and welcoming comments and questions will lead customers to feel that brands care about consumers and are credible, resulting in establishing customer loyalty.
It is indispensable to use social media to promote their products, especially for college student entrepreneurs. Not only just having the accounts but also maximizing the use of social media will contribute to the growth of your business. Do you want to increase your traffic?
Resources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/25/why-small-businesses-and-startups-should-invest-in-social-media-marketing/amp/
https://www.quicksprout.com/social-media-for-small-business/
Become a Marketing Expert with These 3 Podcasts!
Click here to learn about some new podcasts!
By: Sammi Reyes
Consuming content and learning more about how to stand out in your industry can sometimes be, well... time-consuming. One of the more convenient ways to consume content nowadays is through podcasts. Podcasts are basically auditory journals or blogs that could give you a wealth of information. From business podcasts to political podcasts to money podcasts to marketing podcasts, you can get your fill on what you need at the moment. Today, I will be sharing three of my favorite marketing podcasts to help you learn from industry leaders.
Social Media Marketing Podcast
This podcast is run by Michael Stelzner who is the founder of the Social Media Examiner. On this podcast, Michael shares strategies from industry leaders that would be heard nowhere else. He has guests like Chalene Johnson, Nicky Saunders, and many more notable people. Some topics Michael covers include TikTok strategy, how to increase YouTube views, and how to develop an effective marketing strategy. These episodes could be beneficial for your own personal brand but also is great knowledge when in a marketing job or signing on freelance clients.
The Goal Digger Podcast is hosted by Jenna Kutcher who is a photographer turned marketer, podcaster, blogger, and thought leader. Jenna covers everything having to do with running or building a business but her marketing episodes are out of this world. She has episodes on how to execute the best Pinterest strategy, how to start a podcast, and even how to run a successful blog (*wink*). Jenna also has superstar guests who share their stories and give some of the tips they have learned through their experiences. Jenna has guests like Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik from Almost 30, Mel Robbins, and even a super special episode with Tony Robbins.
They say you should save the best for last which is why The Jasmine Star Show is at number three. Host Jasmine Star dropped out of law school to become a wedding photographer and eventually turned into a social media marketing guru. She created a successful online photography business and everyone wanted to know her secrets. Jasmine Star has only recently launched her podcast after already creating a very successful career which means that she only brings her best advice to the podcast. Jasmine has also had notable guests like Anthony O’Neal, Christy Wright, and Seth Godin to bring new perspectives into the conversation.
Podcasts are changing the game of how content is consumed. Today, I only shared three but there are over 2 million podcasts out there that could be beneficial to you. One may even inspire you to make your own. Let us know in the comments what one of your favorite podcasts is!
How Some Creative Marketing Exploded Crumbl Cookies Into a Huge Success
Click here to learn more about Crumbl Cookies…
By Lauren Williams
If you’re a fan of dessert, you’ve probably tried or at least seen Crumbl, a cookie company founded in Utah in 2017. “From the store’s first menu of one cookie flavor, chocolate chip, four years ago, to today’s menu of about 150 flavors in 252 stores across the states, the franchise has taken a giant leap up” (Herald Journal). Crumbl also experienced a 93% growth in sales in 2020 alone, with the second runner up only at 37% (Nation’s Restaurant News). How did they achieve such rare growth? It’s thanks to some genius marketing. Let’s dive into it.
From its branding to its cookie flavors, Crumbl’s success is largely attributed to the company’s creativity. Down to every detail, the cookie experience is unlike any other and people are obsessed. They give new, unique cookie flavors every Monday, causing fans to crave and look forward to it every week. Not to mention, they’re served in a cute pink box with Crumbl plastered on it (simply perfect for posting onto socials).
Speaking of socials, their social media presence has also played a large part in its growth. This past year, I have personally seen countless Instagram stories tagging the brand. The digital word of mouth (and free!) advertising has been extremely helpful for the company. They stand at 1.2 million followers on their Instagram page @crumblcookies, which is full of drool-worthy shots and quirky captions featuring all their unique flavors.
Crumbl cookies is the perfect example of how creative marketing and branding can go a long way for any company. Without it, they wouldn’t be able to differentiate themselves from all the other cookie brands out there and wouldn’t have grown into the cookie monster of a company they are today ;)
Sources:
Are Video Resumes the Future of Job Applications?
Click here to learn more about video resumes…
Lauren Williams | August 13, 2021
Have you seen or heard of video resumes? They are exactly what they sound like: an opportunity to showcase your professional worth to employers in the form of a short video.
While digital resumes aren’t brand new, they’ve been growing fast through TikTok’s trend of #TikTokResumes. TikTok has partnered with many companies such as Chipotle, Target, and WWE asking for video resumes on job applications (TikTok). With these popular companies hopping on, it could be a trend worth looking into!
Videos offer a great opportunity for a potential employer to get to know you on a personal level, more so than any piece of paper ever could. According to Forbes, “75% of hiring managers believe a standard resume is insufficient in evaluating a candidate’s soft skills and 76% say a pre-recorded video of a potential candidate would be useful.” They can also be a way to stand out against other candidates and showcase your creativity.
So, how can you make your video resume great? An easy way is to create a 1 minute video through TikTok. Forbes gives some great tips here, including focusing on outcomes rather than skills, sharing stories to make the employer curious to talk to you more, and discussing challenges you have overcome.
To find some examples of real people that got hired through video resumes, check out #TikTokResumes on TikTok. With so many popular marketing roles available to apply for with a digital resume, such as Content Creator, Social Media Manager, Copywriter and more… what would you include in yours?
Sources:
Is Remote Work Here to Stay?
Click here to learn more about remote work…
LAUREN WILLIAMS | JULY 23, 2021
Since COVID-19 struck in March of 2020, we’ve all become accustomed to living in an online world and WFH (working from home). Many companies are allowing remote work to continue, despite states reopening. Some love this idea while others can’t wait to get back into the office. Will it become our new way of life? Let’s talk about the pros and cons.
First, let’s discuss some of the advantages of WFH. For companies, they can increase their talent pool substantially, recruiting potential employees from anywhere. They can also save on commercial real estate expenses due to less workers in the office. For employees, they can experience increased health and fitness in a variety of ways. Without having to commute to work, time and stress are reduced. Due to this, they have more time for other priorities such as friends, family, side hustles, and creative projects (all known to improve overall well-being).
Of course, we have to look at the other side of the coin as well. One disadvantage is ever-lasting tech issues that everyone has had to deal with at some point. Another is the need for self-discipline. While self-discipline is a skill that can be improved with time, a healthy work-life balance is difficult to manage without it. Lastly, nothing can replace the quality time of in-person gatherings. Since working remotely oftentimes means the inability to spend time outside of work with clients and/or co-workers, there is a lack of social interaction and networking opportunities.
It’s clear that WFH comes with its advantages and disadvantages for employees and companies alike. “While in-person office work will probably always be a staple, it's worth noting that by 2025, most workers will work at least five days a month from home and that 84 percent of current remote workers prefer working from home” (Leyes). Let us know what you think in the comments below. Should companies allow employees to WFH if preferred?
Sources:
A Story That Won’t Collect Dust on Your Shelf: This Is Going To Hurt
Click here to learn more about the influential novel, This is Going To Hurt…
MARION VESPREY | APRIL 26, 2021
A book with the words—This Is Going To Hurt— sprawled across its cover in large, intimidating font, may not seem like your average book. However, this book is far from average.
As of the writing of this post, This Is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries of A Junior Doctor has amassed a rating of 4.4 stars by over 180,000 users on Goodreads. Moreover, author Adam Kay has won three awards at the National Book Awards following the publication of this book:
Popular Nonfiction Book Of The Year
New Writer Of The Year
Book Club Book Of The Year
What’s So Special About This Is Going To Hurt?
Part of what makes This Is Going To Hurt so influential is that it is composed of the diary entries written by Adam Kay during the course of his years as a junior doctor.
To quote Kay, the book includes reminiscences of the “funny and the mundane,” but also the moments that were in retrospect “extreme and unreasonable” during his 97-hour work weeks. Yes, you read that right—97 hours. While this book is nonfiction, it certainly reads like fiction.
As a doctor-turned-comedian, these two professions whose work are commonly seen as incongruous come together to form the foundation of this 288-page novel. Despite the stressful nature of the job, Kay miraculously finds a way to reveal his humorous, sarcastic side in a field often viewed to be technical and unrelenting.
I Don’t Like Reading — What’s In It For Me?
Adding reading to your weekend to-do list may not be ideal for some. Fortunately, This Is Going To Hurt is in easy-to-read format (although maybe not emotionally), with an estimated reading time of three hours.
This Is Going To Hurt is a book that does the job of immersing readers into a story a little too well. Not only does it raise awareness of the high burnout rate among healthcare workers, but it also highlights society’s ignorance of the often behind-the-scenes nature of their work.
It is a book that simply does not lose its touch even after being read, reread, and then reread again. For anyone looking for a laugh or a painstakingly honest look into the National Health Care system, be warned...this is going to hurt.
Whitney Wolfe Herd: World's Youngest Self-Made Female Billionaire
Click here to learn more about the woman-boss that is Whitney Wolfe Herd...
AUSLEEN ACOSTA | MARCH 12, 2021
On February 11th, 2021, the CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, became the youngest self-made woman billionaire! Aside from founding Bumble, the second-biggest online dating company, and signing her deal with her baby in her arms, there is so much more to her empowering story.
Whitney was originally a co-founder and Vice President of Marketing of Tinder but later filed a lawsuit against Tinder for sexual harassment. Her former boss and boyfriend, Justin Mateen, had sent threats, derogatory texts, and later stripped her of the co-founder title. She was eliminated from this co-founder position because “a girl in such a role makes the company seem like a joke.”
This led her to create Bumble, a dating app where women have to make the first move. She took the stigma of women waiting and hoping for a man to ask them out, and changed this out-dated and traditional role of dating. Bumble was created to empower women and became a crusader against misogyny on its app. Herd built a multi-billion-dollar empire aimed to dismantle the common experience of women - sexual harassment. She took her trauma and experiences to create a platform that protects women. Bumble reported $417 million in revenue in the first nine months of 2020 and had a 70% year-over-year growth. At 31 years old, she has a $1.5 billion net worth. Herd states, "The power lunch is no longer just for men... we all deserve a seat at the table."
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index reveals that self-made women account for less than five percent of the world’s biggest fortunes and out of the 559 companies that went public in the US in 2020, only three, including Bumble, are helmed by women. Whitney has inspired other women to be brave in the startup world and gave business-women a renewed hope. “Whitney’s success will help further the case for investing in businesses that serve a female audience or that are founded by women,” said Austin venture capitalist Kelsi Kamin. “It’s a super exciting time.”
REFERENCES:
Burger King Rebrand: The Start of an Era
The KING of American fast-food has its first rebrand in 20 YEARS, click here to learn more…
AUSLEEN ACOSTA | FEB. 26, 2021
What are the first things that you think of when you hear the words “Burger King?” Whether it’s memories about food poisoning, the impossible whopper, or their greasy food, it’s time to throw those thoughts out of the window because Burger King just went through their first complete rebrand in 20 YEARS!
American fast-food restaurant, Burger King, unveiled new logos, packaging, merchandise, menus, uniforms, and more! The master-minds behind this rebrand is a creative agency called Jones Knowles Ritchie, and they believe that “the new logo pays homage to the brand's heritage with a refined design that's confident, simple and fun... warmer colours bring vibrant, fresh ingredients and the brand’s trademark flame-grilling method to life in packaging, crew uniforms, and digital experiences."
There’s no denying that their rebrand is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but the meaning behind their designs is what makes this rebrand even more special. They simplified the original logo in order to enforce the idea that their food is “real, simple, and delicious”, their brand font was inspired by their “rounded, bold, and yummy” food, and their selected bold colors were inspired by their “flame-grilling process and fresh ingredients”. Their main focus was to use their design to get people to crave Burger King! They wanted to shift the customer’s perspective on fast food and capitalize on their fresh ingredients rather than the synthetic and artificial reputation that fast-food restaurants have.
I truly believe that Burger King’s redesign is absolutely brilliant and I hope that other fast-food restaurants follow in their footsteps. What do you think about their new visual identity? Let us know!
REFERENCES:
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/01/09/burger-king-logo-rebrand-jones-knowles-ritchie/
https://www.printmag.com/post/burger-king-rebrands-design-fit-for-a-king
Getting Involved: Zoom University, Zoom Fatigue, and Everything In-between
Click here to read one of our AMAzing member’s tips on how to ease your zoom fatigue…
DEC. 4, 2020 | Doreen Hemmati
I love getting involved. My freshman year it took little to convince me to go to new club meetings or random events on campus. My sophomore and junior year I was holding up to four leadership positions at a time. You could say I was a little too involved… and a little too burnt out. However, I made amazing memories, met all types of people, and learned a lot.
When this semester rolled around, I knew I needed to tone it down. But being far away from San Diego, our beautiful campus, and all my peers didn’t sit well with me. COVID-19 and Zoom University present a unique challenge to students of all ages. We are spending more time online than ever, yet feeling more disconnected than ever. We are hungry for community more than ever, yet feeling more unmotivated to reach out than ever. Despite having a part time job and internship on top of school already, I decided to take the leap and join American Marketing Association.
This was my first time joining a new organization since my freshman year. I was nervous as I smiled with my camera on through the first Zoom meeting of the semester. It wasn’t just a new experience, it was an awkward one. What is the protocol for student run organization Zoom calls? Do I keep my camera off? Do I chat before the meeting starts? So many questions with so many different answers. After one or two more meetings, the feelings of awkwardness and nervousness quickly faded. However, the feeling of Zoom fatigue quickly settled in.
What is Zoom fatigue? The Psychiatric Times defines Zoom fatigue as “the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with overusing virtual platforms of communication.” Why does it matter? Zoom fatigue is not just being tired of work or school, it is being tired of using these communication platforms altogether. This might mean skipping out on a happy hour with friends via Zoom/FaceTime or in my case, struggling to find the motivation to attend AMA meetings even though I enjoy them.
This might not seem like a big deal, but in the age of COVID-19 when connecting with our peers and friends in person has become a rarity, it is so easy to become isolated. It is important to make sure you are doing both the people you care about and yourself a service by scheduling in time for genuine conversation outside of work and school. But it is also important to respect your own boundaries and be aware of your energy levels. Will one more event via Zoom, even if it’s a game night from your favorite organization, send you over the edge?
Sadly, we don’t have a cure to Zoom fatigue other than increasing in-person interaction and decreasing online interaction which is not necessarily safe yet. But here are some tips to make Zoom University a little less painful:
1 - Set boundaries for school and work
Don’t let school, work, and life blend all together. Set specific hours for work and specific hours for pleasure. For example, I don’t do anything school or work-related after 8 pm or on Fridays.
2 - Schedule at least one fun online event a week
Yes, the overuse of Zoom can be quite annoying. But what’s one more hour on Zoom a week especially if it's fun? Check out new organizations at your school, go to a work happy hour session, or plan an online reunion for an old group of friends! Having something to look forward to each week can alleviate feelings of repetitiveness and hopelessness.
3 - Be honest with yourself
Living through COVID-19 is a challenge. Maybe you find yourself exhausted even on days where you don’t leave your bed. Get in tune with yourself: Would I feel better if I got some fun and lighthearted online interactions in? Am I feeling lonely? Do I need space away from screens, fresh air, and/or true rest? Depending on your answers, it might be a good idea to force yourself to attend that Zoom event or turn off all your electronics and enjoy real life.
At the end of the day, we are all struggling to maintain a sense of community through this time. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Be gentle with yourself.
Amazon Continues their World Domination
Introducing… Amazon Pharmacy?
ISAIAH CROOKS | NOV. 20, 2020
On November 17, 2020, everyone’s favorite E-commerce giant– Amazon– announced its introduction into the pharmaceutical industry. The company’s new extension, creatively titled Amazon Pharmacy, will allow users to purchase their prescription medications from the comfort (and safety) of their homes.
In compliance with Jeff Bezos’ quest for world domination, the company is gearing up to take on pharmaceutical giants such as CVS and Walgreens, whose stocks fell by 8.6% and 9.6% respectively after the announcement on Tuesday. The pharmaceutical industry rakes in $300 billion a year and is expected to experience increased revenues after this year’s global pandemic.
With the advent of Amazon Pharmacy, some major questions arise. Will this addition carry on the company’s legacy of swallowing up every competitor in its path? How will established pharmacies react to a new competitor in the market?
Only time can tell, but one thing is for sure: Jeff Bezos will continue to be the richest man in the world, even 2000 years after he dies (unless he finds a way to live forever, which would surprise no one).