The Most Popular Hashtags and How to Use Them

We've all heard of hashtags, but do we understand their purpose? Think of hashtags as a tool to make words easily searchable. Hashtags allow users to tap into a social media-wide conversation. Try not to use more than two hashtags per post. #Hashtags are a #useful #tool when used correctly; having too many #hashtags in a single #post can be #annoying and #overwhelming
.
#MotivationMonday
Post motivational and inspiring content; share positive news with your followers - don't forget to share your company values!

#TipTuesday
YOU are the expert. Educate your followers with valuable information they may not know already.

#TransformationTuesday
Use this hashtag to show how your product/service transforms people. Also post before and after pictures of your employees and/or your business to show how much you've grown over the years.

#WednesdayWisdom
Include quotes in your post; this hashtag is also good for promoting your company's values.

#ThrowbackThursday
This is one of the most popular hashtags. Businesses can use this hashtag to give insight on their past and history in the community. Share photos of company events that emphasize your culture.

#FollowFriday
This hashtag allows you to give your followers a shoutout, thanking them for following, while also informing your audience of new people to follow.

#SocialSaturday
This hashtag is commonly used to interact with your audience; ask them how their day is, encourage them to shop local over the weekend.

#SundayFunday
Also one of the most recognized hashtag, use this to promote community happenings and events.

First Published at Save Local Now

Instagram for Small Business

So you've got Facebook down, you’ve started the "Twitter" thing, and you've dabbled in the world of Google+ and Linkedin. With all of these social media sites already on your tool belt, why bother tackling Instagram? Well, if this interactive and creative platform doesn’t hook you like it already has so many other small businesses, maybe the following figures will:

1. 200 Million Users

Instagram is one of the hottest social sharing apps right now. With over 200 million users, their popularity (and most importantly influence) is unlikely to diminish in any foreseeable future. Getting an Instagram account and becoming familiar with the platform sooner rather than later is only going to be vital for your business as this number continues to rise. After all, 200 million users offers a lot of possibilities for you to introduce your business to new customers and solidify your presence within that customer base.

2. Daily Use

It’s estimated that 70% of Instagram users log in to their Instagram accounts at least once a day (38% of which are logging in multiple times per day).  With all this daily use, you can easily keep your followers up-to-date on what you’re doing, any new products coming through the door, upcoming events, and promotional deals. (Instagram)
Consistency and frequency are key when it comes to promoting your business on social media, so make sure you are keeping your material fresh and new so your followers always have something to like!

3. SEO

A solid range of outlets is crucial to creating a stable online reputation, and solidifying your company’s SEO. Being on sites like Facebook and Twitter is vital, but in order to further increase your SEO, you need to make sure you are active and visible on more than just a handful of sites. Instagram is another great site that can help bump up your SEO without requiring the time associated with traditional methods.

4. Even the Playing field

Instagram levels the playing field and allows you to show what your company has to offer. How is this possible? Well for one, it’s free. On Instagram, businesses don’t need to shell out hundreds of dollars on third-party marketing help in order to create custom content.

Instagram is also quick. Snap a picture of a new product, throw a filter on it, add some hastags, toss in a fun comment and you’re done. It’s that easy.

5. Interaction

There are 8,500 likes per second on Instagram and 1,000 comments are made per second. With all of this customer engagement you can create lasting impressions on your followers. Developing relationships through personal interactions is a fantastic way to create loyal, repeat customers. Follow our Instragram page

First Published at http://blog.savelocalnow.com/instagram_for_smallbusiness/

Have a Big Event Coming Up? For Successful Promotion, Think Like a Millennial

Young people these days…always submerged in their smartphones, tablets and laptops for hours on end – never taking time to appreciate the world and all it has to offer. Well, not only are these young people ("Millennials") accessing more content and learning more information than ever before, it turns out they have something to teach us about marketing and publicity. Thinking like a Millennial can actually help promote your business’ next event or outing.

Here are some tips to harness the marketing power of the Millennial:

1.) Millennials like short and sweet messages

The reason so many younger people are flocking towards Twitter and away from Facebook is because the platform offers concise content with less clutter. Millennials know how to tweet something catchy and bold in 140 characters with smart hashtags to emphasize their message.

Use Twitter to build excitement around your next event and engage your community. Create a hashtag for the event that people will begin to recognize and repeat. Smart, short tweets with clever hashtags will intrigue your target audience and create a buzz around your event.

2.) Millennials are anywhere and everywhere online

So why shouldn’t your business be, too? Millennials have shown us that using one social media platform to get out a message only covers a small portion of the audience and restricts the type of content they can post.

If you have the means to do so, use different types of social media to promote your next event. Post pictures, messages, hashtags and links to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. If the Ice Bucket Challenge has shown us anything, it is that video content is a great way to get attention and support. Post a short video about your event and business to show your audience what it’s all about!

3.) "But First, Let Me Take a Selfie."

We all know of the obsession younger people have with taking selfies, but let’s be honest, you’ve probably taken some too.

During your event, take pictures of what’s going on and post it to social media. Even commission one of your employees to go around and take pictures of themselves or other people doing various things at the event. A live stream of activity will encourage more people to come and check it out.

The bottom line here is to be engaged in and passionate about your event. People will notice your enthusiasm if you post correctly. It will increase community engagement and heighten curiosity about your business and the event. Be smart. Be clever. Be excited. And embrace your inner Millennial!

Check our Save Local Now facebook, twitter and instagram page and feel free to share any of our posts. You just might find some inspiration there. Be social !

Citation: DiRoma, CJ. "Why You Should Think Like a Millennial to Promote Your Next Event". 17 Aug. 2014. http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/08/millennial-promote-your-event-online.html

About Tracey Willmott

Digital Marketing Consultant tracey@savelocalnow.com From a small town in Western New York, Tracey knows how to keep things local. If she's not eating, she's usually doing something outdoorsy or teaching spin class....or binging Netflix. Most importantly, she loves being a member of the engagement team, helping $LN businesses and chambers thrive! #shoplocal

First published at : http://blog.savelocalnow.com/think-like-a-millennial/

Save Local Now Widget

Introducing one of the newest perks to the SLN platform…..(drum roll please)…the Save Local Now Widget! We never stop trying to improve our platform for chambers, businesses and consumers alike; and this is just another great way to keep everything local and promote your members. Not sure what a widget is or how it works? No need to fear, we’ve got you covered!

What is the Save Local Now Widget?
 
The Save Local Now Widget allows chambers of commerce to take the content they and their members post on Save Local Now and embed it directly within a website. It’s a great way to add quality substance and drive more traffic to a chamber and its member businesses.

Need a visual? Check out one of our partner chambers, Boost Fayetteville, for an example! http://www.boostfayetteville.com/promote/

How does the widget work?
 
There are three separate Save Local Now widgets: Local Businesses, Local Deals and Local Events. You can use all three widgets or any combination of the three, depending on your need. We provide chambers with a customized code for each one, which just needs to be copied and pasted into the website framework. It’s that easy!

Anything else I should know about the widget?
 
The widget team at Save Local Now has worked with a variety of websites and chambers, providing suggestions for each one to make sure everything functions perfectly. Bonus: once the widget is installed, our team can color match it to fit the look of any chamber’s website.

How do I get started?
 
Interested in learning more about the Save Local Now widget for your chamber’s website? Visit http://savelocalnow.com/widget to set up a brief call today! We’ll go over all the details and answer any questions you have. *You must be a signed chamber partner with Save Local Now to use the widgets.*

This is a win-win for chambers and businesses alike. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

First Published at Save Local Now

About Tracey Willmott
 

Digital Marketing Consultant tracey@savelocalnow.com From a small town in Western New York, Tracey knows how to keep things local. If she's not eating, she's usually doing something outdoorsy or teaching spin class....or binging Netflix. Most importantly, she loves being a member of the engagement team, helping $LN businesses and chambers thrive! #shoplocal

Tips for building your email list

So you have a free email marketing platform through Save Local Now, but you don’t have an email list. Well, there’s no better time to start building a list of contacts than right now. We’re going to share a few simple ways to get you started.

First, why should you use email marketing from $LN? Here’s a couple stats from a Hubspot article that will blow your mind.

1. More than 90% of consumers check their email daily.
2. About 3/4 of all consumers would rather receive commercial information through email than any other method of communication.
3. Here’s the kicker – Email marketing, in general, has an ROI of 4300%.

Those stats noted, now it’s time to kick things into high gear and get your email list started! Use these tips to help.

1. When you are ringing someone out, ask them if they are interested in receiving email updates. These customers are already making purchases from you, so they are likely to come back again. Also, repeat customers spend about 67% more than the average customer. (Access Loyalty)
2. Have a contest that requires consumers to sign up for your email list. Once they sign up for your email list, as long as you don’t abuse their contact information, they are not likely to unsubscribe.
3. Offer exclusive deals and promotions via email. Send these consumers special deals once in awhile. Exclusivity always piques the imagination, and you have a great platform to promote exclusive deals!

Now use these ideas and watch your email list grow. Then start sending high quality email campaigns with the Save Local Now email marketing platform!

First Published at Save Local Now

About Zach

Operations Manager zach.mccrory@savelocalnow.com
View all posts by Zach →

Become a Digital Marketing Superhero: It’s as easy as 1,2,3……and 4

Would you like to know how to get that competitive edge and take digital media two, three, even four steps ahead of just simply using social media? Of course you do! It would be silly not to, so sit back, relax and learn your way to the top of this crazy digital world of ours.

Okay, so you have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a website. Do you think that is enough to separate you from the millions of other small businesses? (Psst….probably not). However, the fact that you are reading this blog tells me that you are ready to take things to the next level.
So let’s cut to the chase and jump right into the four steps that will create this much needed separation.

STEP 1: STRATEGIZE TO RISE ABOVE THE OTHER GUYS:

Ask yourself the who, what, when, where, why and how.

• Who are you trying to appeal to? (Target Market)
• In what ways can you effectively appeal to the right clientele?
• When does your customer base most frequently use social media?
• Where are the right places to post your content?
• You are on social media platforms, but why?
• How can you creatively use social media to engage with your customers?

These are the sort of questions you need to ask yourself. It is not enough to simply be on social media, you must have a strategic plan in place to achieve the results that you want.

Whatever you do, don’t be this guy!

STEP 2: UNDERSTAND THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE:

Be proud that you have a great Facebook page, Twitter account, Google plus, Instagram, etc. However, to be a big hitter in the game of business and the digital world you must establish something beyond that of social media. Jump on the email marketing boat (Helpful Hints for Email Marketing), become a blogger, create powerful networks with LinkedIn, stick your business logo/icon wherever you go, literally…..be everywhere. Make your name unforgettable!  In fact, “companies that blog 15% or more times per month get 5x more traffic than companies that don’t blog” (30 Digital Marketing Statistics You Can’t Afford To Ignore). Whether it be social media, email, or blogging, those without this online presence are at an obvious disadvantage. Bypassing digital marketing is like saying, “I’m not really looking for more customers.”

STEP 3: ANALYTICS IS KEY TO TRACKING SUCCESS

Whenever someone asks me what analytics is or why it is so imperative for businesses to utilize its greatness, I always respond with this analogy: “when you throw spaghetti and meatballs at a wall some of it may stick and some of it may fall miserably to the floor.” Meaning that some things that you post (whether it be deals, events, etc.) get noticed while some may not. Without the analytics, how will you ever know if that 2-for-1 deal you have going on is getting the recognition you’ve hoped? When push comes to shove, analytics will save you time and money!

For a more in-depth look we recently dedicated a post that deals with everything you need to know about analytics and its significance to the business world. Check out the Top Three Reasons you Need Analytics (I am looking at you, small businesses owner).

STEP 4: PIECING IT ALL TOGETHER

You are so close! You have established a presence all over the web; social media, email, blog, LinkedIn and you now have the analytics to track its success. You are not finished just yet, so don’t quit on me!

When it comes to digital marketing the most important thing to remember is to link the pieces of the puzzle together:

• Post everywhere because “distributing your content across multiple social media platforms and utilizing multiple touch points is vital to building brand awareness and connecting with your audience in ways that seem natural to the people you want to reach.” A Social Media Strategy on Multiple Platforms
• To effectively engage with your customer base you need to create the perfect posts.
• Make sure your social media pages are appealing, here’s 5 things you need in order to do that.

Some of the more popular ways that businesses try to establish an online presence is through the use of Constant Contact and Groupon, which are both a good place to start. While they all can help you achieve a pretty decent online presence in their own specified way, it will make your wallets bleed. But if you are looking for a digital marketing platform that can do it all in one attractive and easy to use place then check out Save Local Now……oh, and I forgot to mention…ITS FREE to chamber partners and their members! To learn more, sign up for your free 1-on-1 training! If you’re looking to create that competitive edge I talked about earlier, I know you’ll make the right choice!

First Published at Save Local Now

About Sawyer Dina

Intern Extraordinaire (sawyer@savelocalnow.com). Sawyer is currently a student at John Carroll University, where he studies Marketing & Entrepreneurship and plays on the Varsity tennis team. He loves to travel the world (has been to 15 different countries), gain knowledge, and experience all that life has to offer.

Content Marketing for Small Businesses

A common stereotype linked to content marketing is that it’s only for big business. While this stereotype is….well, a stereotype – it’s a stereotype for a reason. At this point, mostly big businesses are taking advantage of content marketing. So what gives, small business? Take your piece of the pie! The flavor? Mixed berry with a heavy side of SALES.

So, what is content marketing? Content marketing is a technique; it allows you to create and distribute valuable (and relevant) content that will attract a specific audience and, thus, create new business. Why do we need it? Well, today’s modern marketer knows that “selling” doesn’t work the way it used to. These content marketing tips will help ensure that you stay on top of your game, and ahead of the curve.

Now, we all somewhat remember the “four P’s” of traditional marketing (let’s be honest here, I had to look them up): product, price, place and promotion. However, there’s nothing “traditional” about content marketing; in other words, the “P’s” have been updated: plan, produce, publish, promote, and prove.

1. Plan: Decide what content formats make sense for you and your audience. Blogging, infographics, social media, and video – these are content formats that Save Local Now uses because they make sense for the company and contribute to our overall marketing objectives.
2. Produce: It’s time to create the content. Put together a detailed content strategy behind Wlleverything you create. Trust me – it will help.
3. Publish: The home for your content should most obviously be your company website. Share the content on your blog page and your social media sites.
4. Promote: Your content needs eyeballs on it; reading it, learning from it. Post your content on social media, drive traffic to your blog and your website; make it easy to understand and easy to share.
5. Prove: Content marketing is an investment; it takes time, hard work and dedication to make it effective. Therefore, analytics are crucial. Track your website and page views, your time spent, search engine results, etc. and compare your results.

Content marketing is an open-ended conversation that you’re having with people who are genuinely interested in what you have to say. CHERISH IT. And have some patience! Like traditional marketing, this will take time. BUT – your content, so long as it is high-quality, valuable and relevant content, will appeal to your clientele; they will begin to trust you, start citing you in their own content, etc. When you push it to your social media outlets you will earn shares, “likes,” and retweets. This will help spread your brand; it will allow you to create relationships with people you would have otherwise never reached. Content matters, people – but only if you do it right. And if you do it right? Well, that pie that you’ve been missing out on will soon be yours to share.
Carpenter, Tom. “The 5 P’s of Content Marketing.” Business to Community. 9 June 2014. Web. <http://bit.ly/1n462t3>.

View Original article here.

About Author

Director of Sales + Marketing - (avid lover of beagles) - keri@savelocalnow.com - Put your money where your home is. Keep it local. Trust the experts.* - *We're the experts.

IMC and Save Local Now

With more consumers turning to new communication forms, it is vital that we marketers embrace the idea of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). This is simply the idea that anyone trying to promote a product or service needs to have a cross channel approach when it comes to marketing. What does this mean? In plain terms, continue to use traditional marketing and advertising, but make sure you mix in some of the new methods like social media and mobile marketing. More than 80% of smartphone users and tablet users use their mobile devices to assist in their shopping process.

That means if you're not using mobile plus other channels, you're missing a huge chunk of potential consumers. For anyone attempting to market him or herself, one of the keys to success is to have a strong approach with all of your marketing channels. Meaning, don't slack off on your Twitter account. One chink in your marketing armor can change a consumers mind about your product.

This is where Save Local Now dives in. If you're already using $LN, you already have a cross channel approach to marketing. You are able to use our email marketing platform, our social media connectivity, our mobile apps, our website and more. Each of our products gives you the ability to have a quick, easy and effective multi-channeled approach to your marketing plan. Spend 5 to 10 minutes a day on your $LN account, and you'll see the benefits in no time at all.

To start, create a deal or promotion. Once you've done that, push it out to your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ pages. Next, schedule an email campaign. Guess what, you just created your first IMC marketing campaign in a matter of minutes!

What are you waiting for? Go out and start planning your new approach to marketing your business!

Source: http://blog.savelocalnow.com/imc-save-local/

Spring Cleaning Your Small Business with Save Local Now

Spring is in the air! The sun is coming out, birds are chirping, snow is melting…it’s time to do some spring cleaning! Here are some tips to get organized:

1. Clear Out That Inbox

We know you get a lot of spam. Over 200 millions spam email are sent out PER DAY. Take some time at the end of each day and sort our your inbox. Delete junk mail. Create and organize folders to help you navigate your inbox better. Create a Save Local Now folder for all your impression reports! Before you know it, you’re inbox will be squeaky clean and you will thank yourself for having a tidy email system.

2. Give Your Save Local Now Business Profile a Facelift

You might have updated it a few months ago but you might have also added a new service or popular product to your business. Give it a quick once over and look for places that need a little refreshing. Update your hours if they are different in the summer. Check out your keywords and add some more. Post your businesses profile on social media again if you haven’t in a while. It’s a simple way to freshen up your image.

3. Create a New Spring Deal or Event

There’s a lot going on in spring. Some of you might have customers looking for landscapers, new hair styles, new cars or new houses. Put up a deal relating to spring to help drive more business. If you want new customers, offer referral discounts to encourage your already loyal customers to being in more! If you want to throw an event, think of all the great things your can do with the nice weather. Weddings, sidewalk sales, outdoor games, you name it. Lots of customers are looking for reasons to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. There are many great opportunities and out there and all it takes is a minute!

These are just a few things you can do for spring. Of course there’s still some windows that need to be wiped down and some floors that need some scrubbing, but your marketing strategy is just like that closet that needs to be cleaned out and reorganized. Out with the old, and in with the new. Keep things updated and keep things going!

View original article here

About Grace

Grace is one of the Member Engagement Managers at $LN. She received her degree in video production and communications from Ohio University. Grace is a film connoisseur and loves to talk movies! She also loves food and horses. grace.roulston@savelocalnow.com

Newsflash: The best CMO is a loyal customer base

In today’s digitally charged consumer market, the best marketers are your consumers. Many new customers are driven to businesses through word-of-mouth (WOM) reviews, and many loyal customers choose to abandon or stick with a company based on continued experiences. With social media and consumer review sites everywhere, it is vital that customers are happy with your goods or services.

This applies to audiences new and old. Companies often focus their marketing efforts entirely on gaining a new customer base. While this is obviously essential to growing a business, it also essential not to overlook those customers who have been on the bandwagon for a while. Pleasing both groups and maintaining positive relationships with customers is the most effective marketing tool you can have.

Financial and resource constraints also make it difficult for many small businesses to push out big marketing campaigns. This is yet another reason why building a loyal following and maintaing positive word-of-mouth reviews is crucial. It is a cost-effective way to get new faces in the door and new clicks on your website.

But how do you make sure that your word-of-mouth reviews will help and not hurt your business? It’s easy. Allow the customers into the company, and make them feel valued. This can be done by:

• Actively responding to comments and posts on social media. Engage thoroughly with customers who take the time to communicate with you.
• Immediately respond to any complaints or issues raised as these can quickly grow out of control when not addressed.
• Make sure the content you are posting to your accounts is effective, well-planned, and not overwhelming.
• Maintain your manners. Create a notification system that will allow you to thank new customers who make an account, sign up for a newsletter, or join your community. They will appreciate a personal acknowledgment of their engagement.

A 2013 study by Nielsen found that 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than all other forms of marketing. However, the study also found that 72% of marketers are still not harnessing the power of customer referrals (Lowitz, view source: http://blog.getambassador.com/6-amazing-stats-that-prove-word-of-mouth-marketing-is-here-to-stay/). For small businesses with limited marketing budgets, focusing power on social media and customer loyalty is a sure way to make the most of WOM and bring more success to your business.

These are simple ways to begin and maintain a good relationship with new customers. Building a loyal base will be vital to the future of your business. Once people start talking about your wonderful customer service and personal touch, more will come.

View original article here

Hosting Events for your Business

The cold weather may be slowing your business down a bit. People want to stay indoors instead of braving the arctic temperatures and heavy snowfall. If you are blessed with warmer climates you may just be looking for something new to do with your business. One way to get away from the same ol' humdrum is to host an event!

You may be thinking "Why would I want to host an event?" well, here's two realy good reasons why:

Exposure:

Hosting an event can help you gain exposure especially on a local level. People are more likely to remember your business if you host a great event. Also, having an event allows you to market your business and your products without over selling.

Customer Interaction:

It's one thing to reach out to your customers on social media like Facebook and Twitter, but what really makes the customer engagement is face to face interaction. Events are a great way to get to know your customers and build more personal relationships.

Consumers are more selective these days. They have a lot of ways to avoid advertisements and it's important to come up with creative solutions. These events are marketing your audience directly, which can be more effective than radio, television, or print adds. Rather than pushing your products or services our them, they are coming to you.

While hosting these events, you can get your customers to experience products or services that you offer. This allows you to establish connections that build customer loyalty.

To ensure that your event runs smoothly, it's important to make sure you have everything organized. Here are some tips to follow:

Set up your event with Save Local Now. Save Local Now's event publishing makes it easy to send your event to your consumers.

1. Get an Oragnized Registration in Place:
Make sure you have a fun yet informative description and take advantage of the custom button. If you have a registration online, have that button go directly to that page or to your event page on Facebook where people can RSVP.

2. Tell Everyone About It:
Once you create your event you can push it out to all your social media outlets as well as send it out through email marketing. You'll also be on the website and the app! Make sure you track your impressions to see who you are reaching.

3. Take Lots of Pictures and Videos:
Do a countdown or a behind the scenes of setting up the event to build excitement. During the event, capture are much as you can of the experience. Post these pictures or videos to social media. Let those who didn't come see what they missed! Those who attended will have a great time going through your posts.

Whatever type of business you may be, building personal relationships with your customers is important. Social media is one thing, but face to face will always be the best way to reach your customers. Save Local Now makes it easy to get your started. So put yourself out there by bringing your customers in!

First published at Save Local Now

About Author

Grace
Grace is one of the Member Engagement Managers at $LN. She received her degree in video production and communications from Ohio University. Grace is a film connoisseur and loves to talk movies! She also loves food and horses. grace.roulston@savelocalnow.com

Some Stats About Small Business Marketing in 2014

2014. Wow, can you believe it? We sure can’t. Seems like just yesterday we were using the newly founded Google on the first apple iMac. Times have changed, and so have marketing tactics. Here are a few great statistics from a wonderful info graphic to put the new year in perspective.

1. 96% of small business have 5 employees or less, 91% of CFOs serve as the primary marketers.
 
Don’t let this stress you out because we got your back. Marketing is easy and time saving with Save Local Now. You can push out all your information, deals, and events with just a click of a button. If you don’t believe us, just ask Debbie McKinney.

2. Top Ranked Marketing Channels for SEO: 1) Email Marketing, 2) Word of Mouth, 3) Social Media.
 
Save Local Now has you covered. With our new email marketing, you can send out your business profile, deals, and events with a few clicks in 5 minutes or less. It’s easy, and customizable. You can also push anything you create to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus.

3. 12% of businesses claim to be online marketing “pros”.
 
This deeply saddens us because the other 88% clearly don’t have Save Local Now. If you’re with us, you’re automatically an online marketing pro. We give you better SEO than most businesses with a marketing team have. We have all the tools you need to market your business in one easy platform. So have confidence in yourself because you’re on top! If you’re still a bit hesitant try spending at least 30 min a day getting to know facebook, twitter and google+.  Follow some of your favorite businesses and see what they do or, follow us!

4. One in Five businesses plan to market using Vine, Instagram, or Pinterest this year.
 
If your feeling a bit more courageous, try to market through at least one of these this year. We’re on Instagram and Pinterest and we have a great time sharing our world with the rest of our friends out there in Chamber-land. It’s fun, allows you to be creative, and it’s a great way to show your customers your personality!

These stats are all good news! 2014 is the year you are going to grow and prosper if you use Save Local Now to help get you there. We’ve got a lot of great tools to help you save time, money, and stress. So get excited, because you’re a marketing pro now!

View original article here

About Grace

Grace is our Production Manager. She received her degree in video production and communications from Ohio University. She is part of the production team which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". grace.roulston@savelocalnow.com

3 Business Trends for 2014

Marketing your small business can be tricky. As marketing trends change and change again and platforms offer you more and more options, you may be wondering, what are you supposed to focus on?

Well, let’s take a look. These are some of the upcoming trends in marketing for 2014.

1. Mobile Marketing - You might already know this one. You should. Mobile marketing is still on the rise and will continue to be for some time to come. As more and more people own smart phones (147.9 million people in the U.S. by the month of September), social media, email marketing, and GPS location features will also continue to rise. Mobile marketing ads are also cheaper and easier on companies with small budgets and can have a lot more impact than television or other traditional advertising methods as they are often seen repeatedly.
   
   Save Local Now strives to continually update our mobile app. Providing sharing features to both the business and the consumer, and streamlining the way a customer finds your business are just some of the ways we put your business on top of mobile marketing. Best yet, our app is top rated and available for both the iPhone and Android market! There really is no need to go building your own app these days when you can use ours for free!


2. Geo Targeting - As mentioned above GPS locating features will continue to rise with mobile. Geo targeting is similar in that it pays (literally) to target people within a few miles of your business. This has been true especially in retail where targeting audiences within a two mile radius can help the business create marketing campaigns that are current and relevant.
   
   We offered Geo location mapping on your mobile and browser from the beginning, and as always we remain a tool for local businesses only. However, Geo targeting at Save Local Now came about a year ago with one of our app updates. With users being able to sort Deals and Events by clicking “Nearby” we give you the opportunity to create custom actionable offers specific to the customers who might be looking for you right around the corner!


3. Image centric Social Media - Twitter and Facebook are not the only Social Media that matters anymore. In fact as Facebook usage declines newer networks are getting a lot of buzz. Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and Vine are among some of the top players even though some of these are still very young on the scene. Whats the draw? Large images or videos dominating the page with short descriptions and hashtags to browse other posts. Sites like Buzzfeed, Imgur, and Tumblr also play a part in this. We can expect to see a continued growth in image sharing as 2014 rounds the bend.
   
   Save Local Now was onto this when we updated the site in early 2013 to create more focus on your images. With larger placement for your logos or Deal & Event images, we really recommend you take advantage of this trend by updating your images with higher quality photos that pack a lot of punch. Even if you are just starting out and don’t have a logo, we have some suggestions on how to start building one for yourself!
   
   This year, why not make it your resolution to check in with the blog for more tips on how to stay current and relevant in your small business? We are going to make it ours to continue to improve ourselves for the benefit of YOU the local business!
   
   One more thing. As the year wraps up, we’d like to say thank you. We are working hard to help your local businesses thrive and though we might not be local for all of you, we are a small business that values local business being great business and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Please stay happy, healthy, and remember to support your community. We wish you all a thriving, busy new year!

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About Alicia

Alicia is the Brand Curator and Marketing Manager for Save Local Now. Alicia hails from Northeastern Ohio, but spent a few years after college living like a gypsy and pursuing her diverse interests. She is part of the production team, which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". alicia.busa@savelocalnow.com

The Definition of Advertising Has Never Been More Unclear Source of both opportunity and crisis

For most of the past 100 years, if a marketer said he needed a new advertising campaign, everybody knew what that meant. The machine turned on. The marketer called the agency of record’s account team. The account team composed a brief capturing the strategy and called in the wild and wooly creatives to bring it to life. The writers and designers applied their art to one or more of these four finite canvases: the television commercial, full-page print ad, radio ad or billboard. Maybe they would sprinkle in a few coupons. The public played along, too; with no ad blockers or DVRs, they just consumed advertising (or ignored it) en masse. It all just worked.

But it doesn’t anymore. Now, there is no machine or even consensus on the basic definition of advertising. And that is the source of both opportunity and crisis.

Today’s media landscape keeps getting more diverse—it’s broadcast, cable and streaming; it’s online, tablet and smartphone; it’s video, rich media, social media, branded content, banners, apps, in-app advertising and interactive technology products like Sherwin-Williams’ Chip It! It’s even physical interactive gear, like Nike+ Fuelband. Pushed an inch farther, the new Google Chromecast dongle could fit under that marketing classification, and the smart watches on the horizon will be yet another platform.

Meanwhile, what we might term the ideological landscape of advertising has become so varied it’s downright contradictory, even contentious. There are those who insist advertising is and must be social—absent social connectivity a message can no longer be heard. There are those who say advertising is and must be mobile—without a connection to place, it is irrelevant to the sales process. Others say advertising is and must be a utility—it must serve a consumer’s needs, and not just inform. Still others say advertising is and must be liquid—it must create experiences that cross media platform barriers, or else it will barely cross consumers’ awareness threshold.

These perspectives are not only divergent from each other, but each also shapes a particular way of thinking—not just about communications products, but about what advertising and marketing do, how they relate to consumers, and how (if at all) they influence consumers’ attitudes and behaviors.

Digital technologies have put the very definition of advertising and marketing up for grabs. Now, when a marketer asks for a new campaign, the response from the team is literally a question mark. “What kind of campaign?” “Which agencies should we ask for guidance?” “What do all these technology companies do?” “Is anyone right?” “Is everyone right?” “How do we measure success?” Every campaign, if it can even be called that, begins with a blank slate. There are just too many ways it could go.

So what is advertising anyway? Last year during the closed-door judging of the IAB MIXX Awards, the judges fiercely debated just this issue. This year, it’s what we’ll focus on at the 2013 IAB MIXX Conference and Expo, themed appropriately “Advertising is _____?” There, on Sept. 23 and 24, we will showcase these warring points of view, highlight their differences and look for points of commonality.

While it’s true the abundance of ways companies are able to reach consumers and consumers are able to experience brands is great, there’s also a dark side. Imagine if whenever you decided to go someplace new, you were forced to choose whether to take a car, bus, train, plane, bicycle or boat. Imagine if the wrong decision would result in significant extra costs and major problems. Or imagine if the wrong decision meant you couldn’t get there at all. That’s what it’s like for marketing decision makers today. Marketers, agencies and media companies are constantly facing high-risk decisions. They can easily find themselves paddling a boat to China or zipping around the world in a hyperloop.

This nerve-wracking circumstance is a product of the industry’s rapid advancement, but it’s also an inhibitor that the industry, in unison, should endeavor to overcome.

Everyone is being forced to propel themselves beyond their comfort zones. The old way, the traditional way, is obsolete. There’s no place to go but toward the new. Deciphering the truth from the chaos will be hard. But it’s a necessary task. Advertising needs to be redefined; let’s get at it.

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About Grace

Grace is our Production Manager. She received her degree in video production and communications from Ohio University. She is part of the production team which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". grace.roulston@savelocalnow.com