Messing up Your Content Marketing Could Destroy Your Brand Forever

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There’s little doubt that many people who want to market products or services online are not careful with their content. Perhaps they have others to do the work for them, or they are in a hurry to push out more ideas fast. Either way, careless mistakes are common across the web.

Massive enterprises may be able to get away with a few ‘typos’ or grammatical troubles here and there. Smaller brands, though, cannot afford this same luxury. When they err, people don’t trust them anymore. It makes sense. When a consumer searches for a new provider of a service or product, they tend to be critical. Any issues of poor design, structure, or writing could turn them off to your company’s message forever.

Your Content Offerings Should Be In Line With Your Overall Branding

If your organization produces shoddy content, you’re telling the world that your brand just doesn’t care about quality. Why would people part with their hard-earned dollars to take the risk of dealing with your firm, then?

Even worse is if your company screws up and publishes something defamatory, insulting to a broad group of people, or that lacks context and causes misunderstandings. In that case, your entire brand may face a crisis. People can switch tastes overnight and might do so due to an errant post or miscommunication. One significant mistake is all it takes to wipe out years of goodwill.

By now you know the takeaway is: content errors make your organization look like amateurs. The problem here is that people don’t want to PAY amateurs. The fact you take payments makes you a professional by default, so show the world you have a commitment to professionalism by producing flawless content that drives impressive business results.

How Can I Solve This Potential Branding Problem?

By now you’re probably throwing your hands up in the air and exclaiming, “I can’t take any content errors! What do I do?”

Well, the good news is professional content marketers take pride in their craft and can perform perfect work for your brand, regardless of the scope of the project.

The advantage of using professional content marketers is that they understand how crucial it is to get things right on the first try with no warm up. Time is money so they cannot afford to go back and fix errors or to clean up an ugly mess from a social media faux pas.

Accuracy and Authenticity Always Sell

Brands need to convey authority and authenticity with every move they make. The best way to accomplish this goal is to push out stellar content that gets shares and engagement. People only engage with content they truly admire and enjoy, so the barrier to accomplishing this requirement is high. With so many competitors doing the same thing you can see why content consumers are so finicky. They don’t have to deal with weak companies or brands that don’t seem to care a bit about accuracy or doing the job right!

Make Content Errors a Thing of the Past

Once you decide to eliminate content errors from your life, you’ll need to make a plan. Whether you choose to keep the work in-house or hire freelancers or agencies doesn’t matter. What’s crucial is that you develop a thorough process of error checking before distribution. That way you’ll be able to discover errors early in the content product pipeline, instead of when an angry prospect notifies you!

Errors in content happen during the project management stage. Savvy administrators have systems in place to safeguard against mistakes making it in front of end users. Instead, perfect documents go into distribution. In the case of high volume content production, systems matter even more. If your organization is making mistakes, those problems will scale rapidly!

Delegate Tasks and Get Things Done!

Delegating content production to others makes sense if you don’t have the time or inclination to do it right. Whether you have an English-savvy person on your staff or you have to outsource doesn’t make a difference. All that matters is that your end product is professional and error free. That’s all your prospects have to judge your brand by, so give them what they expect regarding quality.

The Internet has grown so much that amateurish efforts rarely pay off these days. There’s a lot of competition out there so keep that in mind when you want to launch a new content distribution plan. You need to have the best possible unique content and a plan to get it in front of the right people.

Follow the Content Schedule

A primary reason mistakes happen with content is because of a rush mentality. A content schedule is the fastest way to mitigate this issue. Instead of rushing around past your deadline you can calmly create topics and web content way ahead of the publication date. Slowing down the process allows for more planning and better execution. Your team will not turn in material that’s mistake laden if they have enough time and resources to proofread and do final quality checks.

Make a Commitment to Quality

A commitment to quality is necessary for any organization that hopes to receive search engine and social media visitors. Without a professional presentation, you may find yourself facing an uphill battle to gain traction and credibility. Look around at the main players in your industry online. The ones that get the most traffic tend to have deep content that wins likes and shares.

There’s no time like the present to take your content to the next level and you can start by reviewing your existing content. Start with your most popular, visited, and clicked content. Review for errors and mistakes and if necessary, update to make sure the content is still relevant. If you need to delegate this task to someone on your team, do so! Moving forward, create and plan your content. Build a workflow and put a system in place to keep the content you push out, error free. Online businesses are only going to continue growing. If you want your piece of the pie, there’s no reason to settle for less.

Content Marketing – A New Business Paradigm [infographic]

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Denese EakinsDenese is a lover of knowledge and puts her research skills and creative eye to good use with her infographics. When she’s not researching and designing visuals to present data, she spends time volunteering in her other passion–health education.

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Let’s Get Personal–How Emotions and Empathy Play Into Branding and Marketing Campaigns

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As an entrepreneur or startup business, it isn’t uncommon to find yourself wearing many hats during your day to day business operations. Of all the hats you’re likely to wear, probably the most challenging one to slip on is your marketing and advertising hat.

In today’s modern world, that means completing hundreds of technical steps in just the right way. You have to be sure that your business website is user-friendly, that you have a matching mobile app, keeping your social media profiles updated, as well as everything else you have to do to keep your company running smoothly.

You might be thinking, “How in the world can I do all the things I need to do, plus run a successful marketing plan to attract new business?”

Many small business owners, freelancers, mompreneurs, etc. that handle their marketing and advertising campaigns on their own are forced to “think outside of the box” to promote their business without breaking their advertising budget. While this may seem like an overwhelming task, this is actually an excellent opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and create a strong bond with your audience and customers.

Here are a few ideas to help inspire you.

Tell Your Story – One of the best things about running your own business is getting the chance to share the story behind the company. No matter how big or small your Organization is, your story should be woven into the tapestry of your business image and branding to build stronger ties with your target demographics. Don’t forget to mention the ‘When, Why, and How” of your foundation. By sharing your story, people can relate to you and will choose to do business with you instead of your competitors. For example, if your business is a third generation family business, this is “boast worthy.” Tell the story of your family and the company that got built as a result of the hard work and passion of the founders and the generations that came after them.

Branding Elements – In 2017, it’s all about your ‘brand.’ By tying in branding elements with your story, you’re creating something that is truly unique to only you. For instance, if you are creating and selling handcrafted goods, you might consider using your name or your image to represent the business on business cards, product packaging, letterhead, your website, and on your social media platforms. If you have an idea in mind, but you’re not sure how to implement it, the best way to turn your branding vision into a reality is by speaking with a branding professional as soon as possible. Explain to them your basic (or even complicated) branding ideas and let them help you bring them to life. The more you’re able to communicate what you want clearly, the easier it will be to target on your online and offline branding and marketing creatives. If your creative energy isn’t as sharp as you would like, you can trust that the agency that you choose to work with will have their team come up with designs that suit your requirements. Your creative team is your ally in all steps of the branding life cycle.

Colors Matter – It’s no secret that color psychology is an integral part of all branding and marketing campaigns. If you aren’t familiar with the concept of color psychology, this is primarily using specific colors to help elicit the desired response. Usually a purchase. One strong example is McDonald’s. Missing those bright golden arches is hard! While their branding and advertising campaigns have been modified and changed over the years, a few things remain constant. The arches and the colors bright yellow and red. (It should come as no surprise that both of these colors are both known to stimulate the appetite!) Other large brands that use these bright colors in their branding elements include Burger King, Coca-Cola, MasterCard, and many others. Your branding team should be able to work with you to establish a memorable and unique logo that represents your company.

Your Brand Voice – Once you’ve created your basic branding elements, you are in business! The next step in strengthening your brand is finding the ‘voice’ of your company. When I say ‘voice,’ I am referring to the tone and demeanor of language your company uses when communicating with potential clients, existing customers, and your fans on all of your social media platforms, in email, in live chat sessions, and other sales and marketing channels. By staying consistent in your communications, you help establish more trust with the people who interact with you, regardless of whether they are new and existing clients, vendors, or partners. Your brand voice is part of your organization’s identity, so choosing one that resonates with your core demographics is key to your brand. No matter whether you decide to adopt an informal or formal approach in your corporation or organizational messaging, you always want to be sure to keep things professional. Using simple pleasantries including the words “please” and “thank you” are always recommended when communicating in any capacity.

People Like To Do Business With People They Like – It should come as no surprise that people usually prefer to do business with people they like and trust. Now more than ever, personal marketing is a big part of many small businesses who have grown to much larger enterprises. If you are taking on the role of a spokesperson or a salesperson, one of the biggest ways to affect someone’s emotions is for them to like you. If you provide a valuable product or service and you have a great personality to help promote your company, there is unlimited potential for where you can go and what you can achieve!

You Don’t Have To Do It All Yourself – One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have to do everything yourself when working on your marketing and sales. Unless you have years of experience in building a brand and running a successful marketing campaign, there is no reason not to consult with an expert in the field. Colleen Eakins Design is here to help with all aspects of your advertising and marketing needs. Contact Us Today!

Mobile App Marketing Trends [Infographic]

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Denese EakinsDenese is a lover of knowledge and puts her research skills and creative eye to good use with her infographics. When she’s not researching and designing visuals to present data, she spends time volunteering in her other passion–health education.

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Using Technology To Increase Church Security

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Safety and security is a subject that is on everyone’s mind these days and for a good reason. All you need to do is watch or visit the local or worldwide news outlets to see that there is unrest, uncertainty, and mayhem taking place throughout the world around you.

In recent history, places of worship have been at the center of a number of random, senseless, and deadly attacks.

As a religious leader, it’s your duty to do everything within your power to keep your organization safe and prepare for a myriad of potentially dangerous scenarios such as inclement weather, intruders, theft, vandalism, hostage situations, power outages, etc.

While some may argue that too much technology is bad, when it comes to security, technology is your biggest ally. With so many security products and services available, you can make your church safer for the entire congregation, staff members, visitors, and volunteers. Another significant advantage of using technology is that it’s cost-effective. Any investments you make in upgrading the security of your buildings is worthwhile.

Here are a few security implementations worth considering:

Security Cameras – Security cameras – particularly ones that are monitored by a professional security company help identify threats and speed up response times from emergency personnel. In the case of theft, fire, or other misdoings, security footage is helpful in determining what happened and identifying any subjects associated with the event. Mounting surveillance cameras both indoors and outdoors allows you to get a full view of the activities taking place in and around your buildings. Private and Semi-Private spaces including offices, nurseries, classrooms, and access points are all highly vulnerable, so it’s a smart idea to use video surveillance in these areas of your facility. Another effective way to deter crime or unauthorized access to your place of worship is to prominently display stickers and signs that alert people that their activities are being recorded. Sometimes just the threat of being recorded is enough to discourage someone from doing something harmful.

Mobile App – If you’re weighing the advantages and disadvantages of a mobile app for your church, the advantages heavily outweigh the disadvantages. Not only can a mobile app for your church help keep you connected with your congregation, but it can also serve as a central communication center in the event of a crisis. Features such as push notifications allow you to notify people instantly with updated information and instructions, should an event transpire at your location. For churches who have implemented an emergency action plan (see below) you have the ability to share this information seamlessly with everyone who has downloaded the app to their smartphone or mobile device.

Panic Buttons – Since many places of worship maintain an “Open Door” policy during regular business hours to provide a place for spiritual refuge and guidance; you want to do everything you can to protect the people who are working there since they are accessible to all visitors. To reduce their possible exposure to danger, adding a panic button or alarm system offers an extra layer of security for any situation that might arise. Silent alarms are stealthy, so alerting the authorities doesn’t alert the perpetrator that emergency personnel is on the way, which could potentially save lives and bodily harm.

Emergency Action Plan – In the case of an emergency, having an action plan is critical to keeping people safe. Having an emergency action or response plan establishes organizational procedures for everyone to follow if there is a major crisis. Part of this action plan is to assign roles and responsibilities to execute the emergency plans in a calm and composed manner. Every type of urgency should be taken into account and procedures should be set accordingly. When putting an emergency action plan into place, you should refer to your property blueprints to create evacuation routes, designated shelter areas, and other protocols if there is an incident of any sort.

Build A Volunteer Safety and Security Team – chances are good that your church has plenty of members who would be willing to volunteer to help with enforcing safety and security. Consider purchasing matching t-shirts, vests, or jackets that identify your safety and security crew quickly. By doing so, your parishioners and visitors can readily determine who can help them if they need. If you are already having problems with crime in the area where your church is, a visible security and safety presence is a powerful way to discourage culprits from targeting your church. Areas where having a security presence is in the parking lot, entrance doors, as well as nurseries, daycare facilities, and classrooms.

Setting The Plans Into Motion

If you’re ready to put your security and safety plans into action, the first step is discussing your objectives with board members and coming to an agreement on details such as the budget and potential vendors for various aspects of your security plan. Once you’ve established a basis for the security blueprint, you can move on to taking bids from merchants who provide the products and services you’ve decided are critical to your organization.

Once the ball is rolling, you can tell your parishioners about the initiatives you’re taking to boost security and safety. Undoubtedly, your members will welcome your efforts to keep your place of worship a safe place.

An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure

You can’t go wrong by increased security precautions in and around your place of worship. By implementing a multi pronged approach to securing your facility in the event of any incident, you’re taking the right steps to protect your congregation, as well as the building itself. As the old saying teaches us, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The sooner you take steps to safeguard your church, the better.

If you would like to learn more about deploying a mobile app to boost security and communications for your congregation, we want to hear from you! Contact us today! We’re happy to help you with all aspects of your mobile app needs.