tylie eaves, Author at Vertū Marketing

Ignoring Social Media? You’re Missing Out on Sales

January 13, 2016 by tylie eaves

Social media is no longer an optional aspect of marketing. A 2015 study discovered that a whopping $30 billion in online transactions originates on social media. That’s roughly half of all sales made on the Internet. In short, if a business isn’t interacting on multiple social media platforms, it is missing out.

Many small business owners tend to shy away from social media when they feel that they do not have much to share in the form of value, making the endeavor mostly a waste of time. Instead, entrepreneurs can take a tip from Vertu Marketing’s founder Tylie Eaves and create buzz for their brand in only a few minutes a day.

Eaves posts “Success in 60 Seconds” videos in which she discusses different means to business success. The videos are brief enough to capture the fleeting attention of most social media users, but she manages to provide an astounding amount of information in (roughly) 60 seconds. Charismatic and keen on eye contact with the camera, Eaves’ videos not only create buzz for her personal brand but for her company as well.

Social media experts who control and support related social media pages are invaluable additions to most companies, but in the early days of a startup, the funds are not always there to capitalize on this type of opportunity. Instead, taking a 20 or 30 minutes out of each day to dedicate to innovative social media posts is one of the best (and easiest!) ways to increase sales originating from social media and for creating the right kind of buzz around your brand.

For Real Wealth Growth, Stop Saving (Kind of)

January 12, 2016 by tylie eaves

Perhaps, surprisingly enough, over-saving is a serious stumbling block for most people on their road toward wealth.

Yes, you read correctly. But, ask yourself, what is the point of a savings account? The vast majority of people will include at least one of the following in their list of reasons:

Emergencies

Vacations

Large purchases

Safety nets

Emergencies and safety nets fall under the same category, and almost all financial experts agree on a set limit for emergency savings — six months’ worth of living expenses. Anything more than this is just extraneous fluff that is not earning as much interest as it could be if it was put into stocks or other investments. Vacations and large purchases typically come from savings, but these are usually planned and saved for in advance. In other words, there is not any real benefit to having a large chunk of cash hanging out on top of your six months of living expenses.

Growing wealth is not a passive activity, which is one of the main reasons that savings accounts are not necessarily known for giving a person’s net worth a boost. Here is what to do if you have found yourself in a compulsive savings pit:

If you do not already know what they are, calculate your monthly expenses. While a general idea typically works well enough, try to keep it as accurate as possible. Once you know what you spend in an average month, see how it compares to your savings.
Whether your savings account is over or under the six-month limit, take action. If under, continue saving until you are well prepared for emergencies, and then move on to creating new lines of income by investing. But, what if you have too much in the account? Consider taking some out and investing it at a higher interest rate.

The creation of wealth does not have to be difficult, but it often does take time. Returns on investments might not be immediate and it can feel counterintuitive to turn away from stashing every last penny into a savings account. The fact is, wealth simply cannot grow when stored in a dark, enclosed environment. Instead, put your money where it will flourish — outside of the bank.

How One Business Owner Sparked a Nationwide Change

January 11, 2016 by tylie eaves

Not sure what makes an exceptional entrepreneur stand out from an average business owner? Sure, most people who head up a successful business have the know-how to evaluate products, manage a budget and target the right consumer groups, but to be truly great, you need a little more.

See a need, meet a need.

When it comes to best business practices, spotting consumers’ needs is one of the most beneficial practices and is often underutilized. Meeting an unknown or unrealized need is generally not that complicated, and, in many cases, can be accomplished without disrupting normal business routines.

Take the example of Scott Brickhouse, who owns two different Chick-fil-A locations. He noticed a trend among parents of young children who entered his restaurants — almost all of them struggled to order while also caring for multiple small kids. After discovering this trend, he took action and implemented what he calls “Mom’s Valet.” Parents, grandparents and even babysitters who are caring for small children can request the valet service at the drive-thru where they also order their food. Instead of picking it up at the window, valet customers park and enter the restaurant where they are seated at a table that has already been set up by employees. This includes high chairs, napkins and even placemats, all pre-arranged.

The “Mom’s Valet” might have started at two Florida locations, but it has since spread across the country with more than 100 different locations taking part in the service. All it took was one observant business owner who saw a need, and met it.

The Best 3 Personal Improvements for Affiliate Marketers

January 10, 2016 by tylie eaves

Everyone has room for at least a little improvement in their daily lives. Self-improvement is usually a hot topic for not just the beginning of the year, but for all seasons. Introspection and improving personal habits is a great foundation for success in life, but far too often, improving business practices is ignored. For entrepreneurs and business owners, improving personal habits is only part of the process of realizing true success.

Affiliate marketers who have experienced some level of success can be understandably tempted to stick with the actions that brought it about in the first place. This can be temporarily effective but is disastrous in the long run. Improving business habits is the first step to correcting this issue.

Be daring.

Sure, doing reviews in three installations might have brought you a bit of success back in 2011, but times are changing rapidly. Be daring and try out new approaches to reach more readers and to improve your affiliate sales. For this, you will have to lose your fear of failure. Some of your new ventures will work out while others may fail. Take that failure and learn from it, then move on.

Be critical.

Comb through the affiliate programs in which you are enrolled and evaluate which ones are actually benefiting you. Sure, you might really adore a certain company or product involved in one of the programs, but you could very well be spending too much time in a particular area, thus limiting your level of success. Chisel down your programs and focus on the areas where you best succeed.

Be focused.

Ultimately, as an affiliate marketer, you are providing a product. Take pride and be certain that you are providing the best and most valuable product possible. Creating excellent content and avoiding misleading or click-bate titles is a great way to earn your readers’ trust and keep them coming back.

If you are taking the time to focus on personal growth and improvement, take it a step further and extend that same care to your business practices. Even the smallest behind-the-scene changes can have spectacular results on stage.

Remove Your Motivation Roadblocks

January 8, 2016 by tylie eaves

While everyone has jumped head first into their resolutions for the new year, do you find your find yourself sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone pursue their goals with determination? The “holiday hangover” is a real thing, and can leave you sluggish and unmotivated at a time when you need to be active and intentional. Instead of letting the first few weeks of the new year pass you by, take some time to remove the obstacles that are standing in the way of your motivation.

Are you still exhausted from the holidays? Get some rest. It seems overly simple, but just getting a good night’s sleep can improve your outlook and give you focus. When well rested, you will think clearly and be more motivated to pursue the goals that you have laid out for 2016. Tiredness is an often overlooked motivation roadblock.

Are you overwhelmed by your to-do list? If you want to keep your resolutions, you have to know where to start. Lack of organization is a major roadblock for motivation. Outline your goals and prioritize tasks. The benefits of delegation and a good day planner cannot be understated–if you aren’t motivated to charge into the new year with passion for your business goals, disorganization may be to blame.

Do you have a clear vision for your life or business in 2016? Without a vision and goals, there is nothing to propel you forward, motivating you to push your limits and seek positive results. Take the time to plan your year–list your goals, write down your overarching vision for your business or personal life, and make a list of workable tasks. For some, it is useful to consult with a professional business strategist regarding your 2016 plan. A carefully crafted strategy may be the key to unlocking the excitement and motivation you have been missing.

The first week of 2016 is already over. Today is the day to remove any roadblocks standing in the way of you and a year’s worth of positive, profitable results.

3 Benefits to Using Fear to Find Your Purpose

January 8, 2016 by tylie eaves

Fear might have once served as an evolutionary advantage, but, in modern times, when the most danger that some people encounter is climbing behind the wheel of a car, avoiding fearful situations is not always beneficial. Letting fear guide you can even prove to be harmful, especially for those who are still searching for their purpose.

Living a purposeless life can be difficult and scary enough as it is. This can lead people to avoid any and all situations that might evoke a sense of fear in them; however, this is usually the opposite of a productive approach. Here are a number of reasons to face your fears:

Fear can be confused with excitement. It isn’t called a gut reaction for nothing. Both of these emotions can be intimately and almost immediately felt in the gut. Butterflies in the tummy and churning stomachs could mean fear, or it could be an indicator of better times to come.

Fear can lead you to unknown territory. Have you still not found your purpose? You simply may not have come across a situation that compelled your purpose to action yet. Fear can arise when facing new or uncharted waters, but don’t let that stop you. Push forward and find out what you have been missing.

Fear can be a good reminder to pause. If your fear is too great to charge in with guns blazing, take a moment to sit back in quiet reflection. Consider why you felt scared in the first place and what that could mean.

Still scared? That is okay, but make sure that it guides your purpose in life rather than hinders it.

4 Ways a Social Media Expert Can Boost Your Business

January 7, 2016 by tylie eaves

A quick search on Google reveals that some people have made quite a reputation for themselves by disparaging millennials, but just how warranted is the ridicule? When it comes to business, ignoring such a large influential group of consumers is a serious misstep.

Seventy-five million consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 live in the United States alone, and this group accounts for nearly a quarter of consumers ages 12 to 72. Moreover, most of those 75 million millennials are engaged in social media in one way or another, and there is at least one stereotype that holds up — millennials know their way around the Internet.

Forming a real and trusted relationship with millennial consumers takes more than just throwing a Facebook page together. In order to really see business grow among this population, a social media expert can be an invaluable addition to a workplace. Here are four reasons for adding a social media expert to your own team:

Social media experts are naturally Internet savvy. The vast majority of people employed in this field telecommute, which greatly increases the hiring pool.

These experts do more than just post pictures or advertisements. They can steam head contests, follow the latest Internet trends and keep track of viral material.

Dissatisfied consumers love to take their grievances to social media. Keeping an expert on board means that these complaints can be handled quickly and in as professional a manner as possible.

Sure, most people use Facebook, but there is also Twitter, Tumblr, Google + and Instagram to consider. A social media expert will be intimately familiar with all of these sites and with the protocol for sharing and posting on them.

Who knows what social media trends will emerge going forward, but an experienced and dedicated social media expert will be sure to be on top of them.

Why Your 2016 Wealth Resolutions Will Fail (and How to Fix Them)

January 6, 2016 by tylie eaves

Are you skipping the usual New Year’s resolutions by avoiding the gym and keeping your wallet safe from the bookstore? Many people now avoid making typical weight loss resolutions in favor of more meaningful goals. When committed, making resolutions for business and wealth at the beginning of the year can be an excellent way to give a much-needed boost to motivation that might be lagging after the holidays.

But resolutions are not exactly known for being the most effective way to make big changes, with somewhere around 88 percent of all resolutions falling by the wayside before the first month of the year is even over. Here are some common problems with resolutions and how to avoid them:

Problem: Vague goals
Solution: Get specific

Want to grow your wealth in 2016? Step number one: Do not make your resolution simply be to “grow wealth.” How much wealth do you actually want to accumulate? Is your goal to increase cash on-hand or the worth of your investment portfolio? Get as detailed as you need to be.

Problem: No plan
Solution: Prepare your path

This one will require a bit of research, but consider that a good thing. Once you know what your detailed goals are you need an actual plan to get there. Research investments, introduce new products to increase profits, and get it all down on paper to make sure you have a clear and concise path to success.

Problem: Ignoring obvious obstacles
Solution: Keep it realistic

Those who actually lose weight during the New Year do not succeed because they schedule themselves to be at the gym an unrealistic seven days a week. Understand the limits of your business and yourself before you set out on a path toward eventual defeat.

Success in 2016 does not have to be complicated, and neither must resolutions be doomed to an untimely demise. Use the New Year to your advantage, and follow resolutions that are clear, reasonable and realistic.