Following a turbulent 2020, Christmas this year is going to feel a little different from what we have previously known. The pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, and the new habits we have formed will shape our behaviour over the festive season. So as marketers, how do you begin planning your activities for the upcoming season, and how can you help your customers and communities, and how can you drive sales for your store?

When setting up your competition consider this, what is the outcome you are wanting? Is a competition going to achieve this or are you gaining unengaged followers who are only in it for the prize, not because they feel a connection to your business? The key to success on Social Media is to have an engaged audience, not having the largest number of followers, so don't let ego blur your vision.  

Each year we set ourselves five goals to help keep us focused on business and personal growth.  These were the five goals we set at the start of 2020, obviously with no idea what the year had in store for all of us!  And while 2020 has thrown some interesting spanners into everyone's business plans, it just goes to show that it's more important than ever to have goals and work towards them. So, let's check-in to see how we are going with our 2020 goals. 

Yes folks if you are in retail, it's already past the time to be planning Christmas!  (The good news this year is that the closer we get to Christmas, the closer we are to the end of 2020!). So, back to that C-word, it's a word that strikes terror into the best business owner, marketer, or anyone working in retail but it's also the most wonderful time of the year with 40% of revenue for many businesses coming from the month of December alone. So let's start planning for a great end to 2020.

When your business goals align with your social goals you unlock social’s potential as a true driver for business growth. And it all starts with understanding your target audience.

Brands need to be listening to their consumers and constantly adapting to their needs so that we can be giving consumers what they really want. Luckily, our friends at Sprout Social are keeping their finger on the pulse of industry, in their annual Sprout Social Index, and sharing their findings with marketers to better craft their strategies. Here are three things they found to consider to ensure that your social strategy is a strong, adaptive plan for your brand and that you give your customers what they really want and need.

Social media is becoming an ever more important part of an organisation’s media mix. Accordingly, organisations are starting to manage Social Media Platforms like traditional offline and online media. And just as all businesses are different, so too are their response to managing social media. So we created a 5 lines social media bingo, so you can succeed at your social media game. 

In an age of Social Media, Omni-Channel Retailing and extending global connections, the choices are becoming greater by the day for consumers. With so much choice, we are becoming more and more driven by price and service when making buying decisions. The flow-on effect from this means that businesses are needing to shift focus to brand recognition, values, and a strong reputation for great products and services in order to keep customers on board. 

Social Media is not a nice to have, it's an important tool to engage and converse with your customers. And loyal customers are what will ultimately drive your success. And planning your social media takes the guesswork out of what you are doing and ensures you stay on track to use social media as a tool to deliver your business objectives. Enter the social media content calendar, read this week's blog to get your calendar sorted.

There are thousands of social networks out there to choose from, but the good news is that you can start by narrowing it down to the most popular and most widely used platforms. From there, it’s all about determining which platform will give you the exposure you're looking for with the right audience, and figuring out which one will help you meet your marketing objectives.

There is nothing like a crisis to get people to finally wake up and realise that an online marketplace is essential for (almost) every retail business these days. But if I read one more article about how you need to pivot your business to think digital first, I may scream. I know, I am a retail girl and that does mean I think and act like a retailer. That is, I think customer first. Not sales channel, customer. See the difference?

At the end of the day, vanity metrics don’t matter. True engagement metrics, on the other hand, help you understand which of your activities are effective at reaching your audience and which aren’t. By focusing on the effective content, you’ll increase your influence, drive sales, and grow your company’s revenue.

Theeeereee heereeeee! Chatbots! They're all the rage and it seems like every marketer wants to embrace them. But what are they? And why is every business suddenly getting hot on this A.I. trend? Brace yourself, for the bots, are here and they aren't going anywhere soon.

Often overlooked, but not to be forgotten, email marketing is the hidden gem in your promotional toolbox. While social media is a fantastic marketing tool for small business (when used correctly), trusty email marketing is still an important ingredient in a marketing strategy. So what do you need to do to make sure it works?

Each year we set ourselves five goals to help keep us focused on business and personal growth.  So these are the five goals for Connec+, and now that they are out in the public domain, that will keep us accountable in 2020. So here goes! And to help you set your smart goals we've got lots of resources for you to download.

Time Management. The age-old dilemma that most of us struggle with from time to time, particularly as a small business owner you know that time is your greatest asset. You can lose money and get it back. You can even lose a business and get it back. But time is irretrievable. That's why it's so important to manage it and control it to grow your business. Here are our top tips to take charge of time and get organised.

In an age of Social Media, Omni-Channel Retailing and extending global connections, the choices are becoming greater by the day for consumers. With so much choice, we are becoming more and more driven by price and service when making buying decisions. The flow-on effect from this means that businesses are needing to shift focus to brand recognition, values and a strong reputation for providing great products and services in order to keep customers on board.