Did you know that you have 8 seconds to grab someone’s attention? A recent Microsoft study measuring how long people can focus on one thing for a specific amount of time showed the average person's attention span was 8 seconds. As a business owner, this creates a bigger challenge as you search for ways to reach your audience and get their attention.

Using video, and specifically shorter videos, is an effective way to get your ideal client to stop scrolling and watch your content. Having worked with hundreds of small businesses, I can already hear the groans because of the challenges you face in creating video. But, studies show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support (HubSpot), and 72% of customers said they would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. 

Types of Short Videos

Short videos are a practical way to reach out to your audience. They’re more memorable and engaging than texts...

Did you know that the average mobile user takes about 1.7 seconds on any piece of content they see? According to Nielsen Research, 38% of brand recall, 23% of brand awareness, and 25% of purchase intent result from video impressions that are less than two seconds long! With shrinking attention spans and growth of mobile platform usage, it is imperative you learn how to make your content stand out to viewers. 

Remember, for a post to have successfully made an impression, it only needs one second. What would you do with that second?

What stops your thumb when scrolling through your news feed? Was it bright and engaging? Did it connect with you? Learn from what content grabs your own attention - and how you can improve your own. 

Your biggest competition is not other companies; it’s your viewers' attention spans.

Here are four simple ways to get your content noticed.

1. Keep a scheduled social media calendar. Keeping a scheduled social media calendar allows...

Have you noticed an increase in QR code usage? Maybe you’ve sat down at a restaurant table and found yourself looking for a menu only to see a laminated QR code. Perhaps your current boarding or bus passes have been accessible via phone in the form of a QR code. With new social distancing guidelines and safety restrictions, the necessity of QR codes have grown in this new touch-free world we find ourselves in; how are you planning to incorporate them into your business?

QR codes, or quick response codes, are intended to pass information quickly and efficiently to a consumer. You can hold your phone over any QR code and the link to the website or image will pop up. With no third-party app necessary, this is a quick and easy gateway to providing your customers with information. 

With the resurgence and acceptance of QR codes due to the pandemic, businesses can use these codes in ways that will help create strong relationships with customers. Some examples are:

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In this episode of Business Dig, we welcome Shane Barela, entrepreneur and co-owner of The Scented Leaf Tea House and Lounge. 

How do you create a variety of content to share on your social media channels when you’re on a budget? By investing in a few tech tools and taking time to learn how to use them, you can create thumb-stopping content for your social media sites using eye-catching images and videos.

Whether starting from scratch or using content already created, you can use the following tools to help you get more views and engagement from your posts. The following tools help me to create content on a budget.

There are three content blocks I divide most of my social media posts into:

1. I am taking a blog post I have written and re-purposing the blog content by creating images, images with text, and short videos.
2. I am repurposing my podcast with short audio snippets.
3. I am creating short video tutorials, images for review quotes, infographics, and doing “live” videos.

Design

Canva - free and paid plans

Canva has already made a name for itself as the “go-to” tool for...

You are not alone as many businesses are figuring out how to navigate these times. One of the most important things is to not withdraw and go quiet. While there are many factors that may be influencing you right now, staying visible to your customers, employees, colleagues, and the public is important to sustaining your business in the long run.

On October 29, 2012, SuperStorm Sandy slammed into the Northeastern United States, leaving destruction and devastation in its path. For two years following this disaster, I worked with hundreds of businesses to help them rebuild. While the current situation of a global pandemic reaches all of us, there are many lessons learned from this disaster that will benefit businesses right now.

What businesses learned then and still relevant today is you cannot stick your head in the sand and wait for this to blow over. Now is the time to step up your game and get visible. Since “in-person” marketing and communications are limited...

In this episode of Business Dig, we welcome Clara Rose and Debbie Clement-Large, co-authors of the book, "8 Ways to Mind Your Own Business: Strategy and Mindset for the New Entrepreneur."

Clara Rose is the Founder and CEO of Intentional Influence, a division of Clara Rose & Company, a consulting practice focused on writing, speaking, and leadership. Clara works with individuals, entrepreneurs, professionals, and corporations who want to strategically and intentionally cultivate their influence.

Debbie Clement-Large is the Founder of Why Follow the Herd, and internationally recognized and award-winning Life and Leadership coaching practice, focusing on traditional coaching and spiritual psychology. Debbie works with individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses to help them live and work in a wholehearted way.

In today’s broadcast. Clara and Debbie will share their valuable insights from their respective points of view to guide new entrepreneurs in the direction of...

In this episode of Business Dig, we welcome Rick Lochner, the President of RPC Leadership Associates, Inc. where he helps business owners, corporate and non-profit leadership teams and individual professionals make leadership a way of life.

Rick has authored several books and his most recent release, “I’m Still Sayin’… More Revelations for Making Leadership a Way of Life” provides real-world insights that can help us make the shift from holding a leadership position to owning the mindset, taking the actions, and using the practical empathy that true leaders need in this demanding workforce climate.

In this broadcast, we seek to help you learn how to cultivate the qualities that can fortify your leadership attitude; to lead yourself and those who may be influenced by you.

Rick’s book, "I’m Still Sayin’… More Revelations for Making Leadership a Way of Life" is now available on Amazon. 

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Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

Leaving your business health and growth to chance will result in “never knowing what you’re gonna get.”
The best way for you to predict the future is to create it!

Creating a strategy for your business is more than what I like to call “doing the do.”  Now I know that may sound a little gross, but maybe you can relate more when I put it this way – doing customer service, doing networking, doing social media, doing events – the act of doing without knowing why you’re doing it other than you think you should be.
Does this relate to you?

You can be like Forrest Gump and just take whatever you get.
OR
You can change how you do things and your approach.

By creating a clear and concise strategic plan, you set the course for your business. Your vision, mission, goals and action plan will provide you with the mindset and tools for success.

Strategic planning...

One of the most common statements I hear from businesses is "I know we need to use social media in our marketing, but we don't know where to start." One of the tools I use in my Social Media Strategy Workshop is a worksheet that helps businesses use a strategic approach to implementing and integrating social media into their marketing mix.

7 Steps to Create Your Social Media Strategy

1. List the social media platforms you will use.
   Many businesses start with a Facebook page because someone told them they need to do so, or create profiles on all the platforms but do not engage in any of them.  First, find out where your ideal market "hangs out" in social media. If you are a B2C business, Facebook "might" be the right fit for you. If you're a B2B business, LinkedIn "might" be the place to start. The important thing is to spend time where you'll be connecting with your customers, clients and prospects. Second, because there are only so many hours in a day, it makes sense to...