Month: November 2016

Have you noticed more videos on your Facebook newsfeed? That’s no happy accident. Facebook has been pushing the video component of their platform for a while, which has led to an increase of businesses and entrepreneurs using video to boost customer engagement and increase exposure.

If you aren’t using video as part of your marketing strategy, you are already behind…but don’t worry. You can catch up. Fortunately, you do not have to have a degree in graphic design or video editing to make Facebook Video work for you. Instead of just making a straight sales pitch in video form, consider how you can also use the auto-play feature on Facebook to do the following:

• Educate your customers about your products or services
• Use humor or positivity to gain exposure and establish rapport with potential clients
• Entertain viewers (because humor is always a good choice)
• Use videos to get more clicks from Facebook ads

It’s clear that Facebook users are creating and sharing more content than ever before. Social media trends are basically free marketing gold, and if you can gain exposure by appealing to the current wants of your customer base, your business will benefit. If the customers you hope to reach are using Instagram, get on Instagram. If statistics indicate that Facebook video is a powerful and effective tool for both private users and business, then get on it, by golly.

There has been a 75 percent increase in the viewing and sharing of videos on Facebook in the last year. From a marketing perspective, this should certainly catch your attention because Facebook is free. It costs you NO MONEY to set up a business page, ask for “likes” and start posting videos to your page. The opportunity for increased exposure and more website clicks through smart and effective use of your your Facebook business page is just too good to be left on the table — so don’t wait to get started.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

For many people, entrepreneurship is a gradual slide. What starts as a small project for a friend or a one-time order can quickly escalate to almost full-time status in a matter of weeks. Savvy individuals see these opportunities as a way to earn a bit of extra income or save for the future, but what if you want to take this little venture of yours and make it your only venture? Is it possible? Sure, people quit their “real jobs” every day to chase their dreams, but what about you? If you’ve been loving your side hustle more than your 9-to-5, you may be thinking it’s time….but, how?

Entrepreneurship is great, and there are many benefits to being your own boss. But if full-time status is your goal, it won’t be a cakewalk. Outside of the initial commitment, there are a few things that you must consider and have firmly in place as you prepare to transition if you wish to be successful:

• A vision
• A business plan
• Clearly defined goals

These three components will guide you in everyday decisions, keep you moving in the right direction and lay the foundation for your future success. Your vision serves as a roadmap, your business plan is your security blanket and your goals propel you forward, one step at a time. Be cautious and be smart, but don’t sit on your hands. If you’re ready, committed and prepared, do it anyway, even if you’re scared.

A side job or hobby can be great — you can make money, meet great people, do something you love and have fun, but what if that’s not quite enough anymore? It’s time to ask if your “little side business” has the potential to serve a far greater purpose in your life. It’s even possible that your side hustle could become your only hustle.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

I work from home, which, on most days, is wonderful. I love the flexibility to work from anywhere, anytime, even if it meant I had learn some serious time management at first. I also have a two-year-old son, who, on most days, spends the majority of the time being wonderfully adorable and completely destructive. In a span of 10 minutes, he can pull everything out of the pantry, dig his fingernails into every eyeshadow that I own, color on the walls in pink marker and spray himself in the face with Windex. Not only is he capable of this, he actually did all of this last Monday.

My sweet son is not as cooperative as my now school-age daughter was when she was a toddler. He does not play quietly on the floor at my feet as I serenely pluck away at my keyboard. Around the time that he hit 18 months, I realized that my toddler simply did not care about the blocks of time I designated for work. I was perfectly able to manage my time….I just could not do it while managing a toddler. I had to find a new approach, and fast, because I felt that both my ability to do good work and my sanity were fast slipping away.

I decided that time management was simply not enough anymore, so I turned to behavioral management. Not my child’s behavior, (note: if you know how to teach me this magic, please call) but my own. I turned my schedule upside down. If it becomes clear that productive work is not possible while my toddler is awake, I turn my to-do list upside down. I do everything else I need to do that does not involve brain power or correct grammar, leaving nap time and after bed time free to work in peace. I am a night owl by nature, so late night work is not only possible for me, it is sometimes preferable.

I knew how to manage my time, but it wasn’t until I changed my behavior that I started to see real results. If you are where I was six months ago, and you just cannot seem to break free of that out-of-control feeling, it’s time to think about changing your behavior. There are times in life when the only thing that you can control is your own behavior, so do that. Like I did, you may have to let go of your concept of doing things in a logical order. You may not make it to the grocery store like you planned, but there are other productive things that can be done, and cereal for dinner never hurts anyone.

Show yourself grace. If your current time management plan isn’t working, try something else. Adjust. Adapt. Change your perspective and your behavior, even if it forces you outside of your preferable comfort zone. Things will get done, you will do good work, there will be more peace in your life and, eventually, this phase will pass.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard that the Chicago Cubs recently broke a 108-year record of no World Series Championships. There are many inspiring storylines attached to the Cubs victory, and you don’t have to be a sports fan to see how there are a lot of positive life lessons that can be learned from this historical event.

1. Never, ever, ever give up: Chicago sports fans are a walking testament to the power of perseverance. Year after year, fans filled the stands, even when they knew that it wasn’t their year. The once “Lovable Losers” came out time and time again, competing and pursuing the ever elusive World Championship victory that was always just out of reach.
2. Do the work behind the scenes: Behind every major accomplishment is a massive amount of work behind the scenes. Nothing great happens without someone willing to put in the hours, commit to the work and do whatever it takes, even in moments when no one will see or know that they are doing it.
3. Ignore false perceptions: Chasing a goal can be a disheartening process. There will be occasional setbacks, and there will be people who tell you that it can’t be done. Changing your perception of yourself and discovering what can be accomplished through a positive mindset can change your life. You may not be chasing a goal for 108 years, but it will certainly be a victory worth celebrating once you accomplish what you set out to do.

Some of the best life lessons are learned in the context of real-world situations. Whether you pull for the Cubs or despise sports in general, you can glean wisdom from a team that showed grit, determination and refused to give up. For the next few weeks when you see a Chicago Cubs storyline pop in your newsfeed or in the news, let it be a reminder of the power of perseverance and what can happen when you simply refuse to give in and give up.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing

Do you know what it takes to boost site traffic and market your business online? There are multiple ways to move higher in search results, but you may not have weeks or months to wait and see some of these pan out. You work ever hard on your business, and need a positive, fast return on the time you have put in to market your business online and get more people to your site. Thankfully, you can do a few things to boost your search engine results pages without costing too much of your valuable time. Here’s how:

• Blog regularly. Regular blogging should be an integral part of your online marketing strategy. Regular, high-quality posts will add value to your marketing plan, but you may not see results overnight. Blog consistently, and it could drive more traffic to your site, as well as establish your name as a leader in your niche.
• Consider Facebook ads. While not free, Facebook ads are a relatively low-cost way that you can reach your target audience. Finding the right “recipe” to make this work for you may take some trial and error, but the potential payoff is well worth any investment of your time.
• Use email marketing. Email marketing is an often overlooked method of building a relationship with your customers. Use this strategy to connect first, and sell second.
• Optimize your website for SEO. Search engine optimization is critical for boosting site traffic. You must optimize the relevant keywords used in your copy, which, by the way, must be excellent. Think about your site speed, the meta description, inclusion of links, etc. If you put it in a little time here, you can expect BIG payoffs in site traffic increases over time.

Don’t have time to do any of these things? Not sure where to begin? Do terms like “relevant keywords” make you squirm? Don’t worry — we can help. At Vertu Marketing, we come alongside businesses and entrepreneurs and provide the support and guidance needed for a profitable online marketing campaign. If you need to boost site traffic, get a good return on your time by working with a team that knows what they are doing.