 So many local businesses spend time tackling their own marketing in an effort to try to save money, but you have likely learned the time and energy spent on marketing is not for the faint of heart. If you are ready to step aside and let a professional take the reins, your business may be ready to take that next step in its marketing journey and pass the torch to an agency. The next step is deciding if going with a local agency makes sense for your business. Here are some benefits of going with a local marketing agency and what we think you can gain from taking this next step.
Proximity and Convenience This is one of the biggest benefits of going local. You never have to coordinate time zones to schedule a meeting, feel like you are being brushed off, or simply just can’t track down the person that is in charge of your account. Having someone local makes it easy to schedule face to face meetings, quick phone calls, or spend a full day brainstorming strategy together. Local Reviews When deciding to go local, you can lean on reviews from other local businesses that use the same marketing agency. If you are inspired by their success and they have good things to say, you will be at ease knowing you can trust them with your business as well. Word of mouth is a great way to find out if a marketing agency would be a good fit for you, which is not something you are going to find if you are looking at a long-distance agency. Community Connections Oftentimes the people working local also live local. This gives them great pride and insight into the community and what it is like to live and work there. Locals will already know of happenings in town at different businesses and can work to help elevate your message. Working with an agency in proximity can potentially help you coordinate collaboration projects with other local businesses. This will give you even more community connections, making your town a destination people want to be. Grow Together As your business grows, so will the marketing agency you have hired. As they help you grow by making your marketing stronger, you will begin to trust them and recommend them to others, which will help both of you grow. This will not only strengthen your business but the local community as well. When everyone works together good things are going to happen! By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design  1. Personalization
Every customer wants to feel like what you offer is just for them. Some companies make this part of their overall business model, but there are easier ways you can incorporate this into your marketing. There are many ways that brands already do this including:
2. Video Marketing It should come as no surprise that short format videos are more popular than ever. With platforms like TikTok, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Stories leading the way, these short form videos give your brand personality. Here are a few benefits behind creating video content:
3. Social Messaging Apps Having a chat service that anyone can access, and have direct contact with your business, is something everyone should consider. People trust a business they can contact quickly and receive accurate information from. Here are some reasons to consider adding this to your list of marketing resources this year:
4. Shoppable Posts Scrolling through Instagram and finding an ad that not only targets your interests, but is also easily shoppable, is the best of both worlds. Without having to leave the app, customers can buy your products. Here are some ways the newest trend of shoppable posts might help your business:
5. Virtual Events Since 2020, the world and the way we hold events has been forever changed. Now that people have experienced virtual events, more people are open to the idea of attending them. Here are some reasons why a virtual event might make more sense for your company than an in-person event:
Try including one or more of these tactics in your 2021 marketing efforts and see how your customers respond. Thinking outside of the box is a great way to be noticed in a space that is overwhelmed with content. What other creative ways are you going to market yourself this year? By Chelsea Bray: Elle A. Design  During 2020 we saw an increase in newly opened small businesses locally and nationally. Many people found themselves out of work and recent business closures created openings in the market. This pushed some people to follow their passion, become their own boss, and start their own business. Starting a business comes with many obstacles, but there are plenty of people to help connect all the dots.
One of our strengths at Berry Digital Solutions is helping new businesses understand and start their marketing efforts. Marketing is a huge part of business, no matter the industry. It goes far beyond just a logo, website, printed collateral, running ads, etc. Before a new business can even begin the processes of marketing, there are certain foundations that must be laid. Branding Before a brand can be recognizable to others, it needs to be developed by the business owners to reflect what they are trying to achieve. Branding not only includes everything from colors, logo, uniforms, website and all other visual collateral, but also is the way a business talk to customers, their management style, and even how they speak on social media. All of these pieces will help when trying to complete each of the next steps. Market Learning the intended market is the first step to successfully targeting it. What size the market is, what local competition there is, the range of prices in the market, and any other defining characteristics help create an entire picture of the market each business will be trying to capture. Learning this information will help define keywords in online advertising, learn the appropriate places to spend a marketing budget, and set attainable goals for business. Choosing Marketing Avenues Once the market is defined, it is time to figure out where they spend their time. Learning what social media platforms, websites, publications, and types of entertainment an audience uses is a good first step when building a successful marketing plan. Not all audiences are found on all platforms and marketing too broadly can waste precious time and resources. Settings Goals and Budgets When creating content, it is good to have an initial budget. Be prepared to spend more during the initial startup phase and then spending between three and five percent of annual turnover on marketing moving forward. As content begins to be created and shared it is good to find a way to track if the marketing efforts put in place are working. Goals that are set should be attainable, specific, and time-based. Once the goals are set make sure they are shared with anyone on the team that can help make them happen. We hope this brief list of marketing basics can help new businesses obtain their goals. We are here to help every new business learn more about marketing and how it can help them grow. Feel free to reach out for a consultation at: www.berrydigitalsolutions.com/contact-us.html By Chelsea Bray: Elle A. Design
"You have thousands of people at your fingertips. And business networking within your community or your brand is a way to reach so many more you may not have reached before."
Here are a few benefits of business networking on social media:
When was the last time you checked out your own website? Often, this is something even WE overlook. We understand. In this day and age, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work. Like us, that work probably has you on dozens of other sites all day long and before you realize it, a lot of time has flown by since your last check-in on your own site. It may feel it may feel like you just launched that "new" website last month, but maybe a couple years have gone by, and in the digital world, a couple of years can be a lifetime. Best practices, new trends, search optimization, and algorithms are ever-evolving and constantly changing, but try not to get too overwhelmed with it all. Here are a few simple signs it may be time for a little website work:
We always recommend checking out a couple of competitors' sites, especially competitors that may be surging ahead of you lately. See what's working for them and put it to work for you!
It is no secret that we are avid #ShopLocal supporters. So we thought, what better way to showcase our love for our fellow entrepreneurs than to share our absolute favorite hometown spots to shop steps away from our location #OnTheSquare and beyond! Find unique holiday gifts or add some local flavor to your gift certificate game this Christmas season. Here is our EXCLUSIVE "Ryan & Chris Approved" family favorites:
 Last August, a local businessman came to Berry Digital Solutions looking for....well, a digital solution. He had recently acquired a popular national product, The Insider Bat™. The Insider Bat™ was well-liked and highly reviewed by thousands of happy customers, but it was mostly just known on the baseball and softball trade show circuit and through some word-of-mouth between some highly respected coaches and instructors.
So our task was to help spread the word about this wonderful training tool and create a website to make The Insider Bat™ available for purchase online. Within a matter of a couple of weeks, we had created a Facebook page, Google business listing, and built The Insider Bat a beautiful new online home to the exact specifications of the client. Almost immediately, the site began paying for itself with online sales...with almost no promotion of any kind! The Insider Bat™ was such a solid design and well-respected training tool amongst baseball and softball experts, that it pretty much sold itself. Sometimes, that's all it takes! Create a product that people love, and the happy customers will act as your sales team! That business model frees up our client to expand his offerings to more great products, rather than hiring more support staff and adding to the overhead costs of The Insider Bat™. Now he's using his Insider Bat platform to sell some of these great new products, including the Hands Inside Trainer, Soft Hit Balls & Lizard Skins Bat Grips. And we're excited to partner with this client on a couple of new products and websites in the very near future! Just a couple of Champaign County businesses growing together by offering quality products and services in a new digital world! 
Have you rented a booth for the Champaign County Fair but don't now what to do when you get there? Or are you looking for a way to be represented without attending? The fair can be an awesome place to reach a large audience but when you're competing with other businesses it's important to standout! If you aren't sure where to start, we'd love to help you! Can't attend? No problem, we've got you covered! Let us advertise for you using one of our We Spend Local screens at the fair! Make sure your marketing strategy includes the fair! If the words "marketing strategy" has you stressed, let us handle the guess work & get you to where you want to be!
Does the idea of social media have you frazzled? Feeling like you're unsure of what to post, when to post or why? Quality content that engages your audience and promotes your business can seem like a long shot but don't worry, we are here to help! And if these tips aren't enough, let us buy you a coffee and learn more about what you do and how we can help!
1. Get creative! Think outside the box with what you post and how you utilize all the tools (such as check ins, networking with other businesses, enticing engagement.) 2. Post Consistently Not only consistently but with intent, daily is best (using a variety of types of post, aka if all you are doing is selling, you are doing it wrong!) 3. Images & Videos Matter Increases visibility & quality is important. (Every post should have an image or video with it.) 4. Analyze Data Know where to find & how to use. 5. Interact Followers want to know you are just as invested in them as they are in you. (Respond to them, thank them, show them love!) 6. Why Give your audience a reason to follow you. 7. Hashtags Matter Use wisely. 8. Promote How & when to promote. 9. Recycle & Reuse It's okay to recycle posts & break them up in to multiple posts when implemented correctly. |
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