We want to tell you a story. This story begins with a brand. This brand began with one man, who travelled to a distant land… Do we have your attention yet? Encapsulating your brand message in a story format can draw consumers toward your business and keep them coming back. Is there a reason we love stories as much as we do? Probably. And we’re sure the reason has scientific backing (such as a psychologist saying we’re twenty-two times more likely to remember information given to us in a story) and a long history (such as human beings using storytelling as a means of oral history for thousands of years). However, we’re more interested in how storytelling can help you reach your marketing goals. If you’re interested too, keep reading!
 
(And when you’re done with this article, be sure to check out our last post about using QR codes to market your business!)
 
What is a narrative? 
 
“Narrative” is just a fancy way of saying story. A story can be a book, a television show, a film, or a ten-minute explanation about why you were late to work. My car battery died. There was an accident on the highway. Then, a giant lizard came out of nowhere. How well you’re able to tell a story can be the difference between a light warning and a pink slip. It can also be the difference between a consumer remembering your brand and forgetting. Stories can inspire consumers to take action, spend money, and even tell their friends about a product or service. Therefore, it’s important to understand the key mechanisms of any story. There’s more to a narrative than beginning, middle, and end, right? 
 
    Character
 
Every great story needs a compelling main character. A main character can be your brand, an individual who played a large role in the creation of your business, or even a talking gecko (read: Geico). The main character serves to humanize your brand and give people a reference point to associate your brand with. The character should be well-defined, with clear goals, traits, beliefs, and fears. 
 
When Disney ran a marketing campaign for their Disneyland Paris location, they chose a young duckling as their main character. The duckling finds a Donald Duck comic book and becomes obsessed with the Disney character. An unfortunate series of events causes the duckling to lose the comic book. After a night spent enduring turbulent weather, the duckling arrives at Disneyland Paris with his family and is welcomed by none other than Donald Duck himself. 
 
Even with this short description, you’ve gone through an emotional journey. That said, a character doesn’t have to be a person or an animal. An example of a brand doubling as a character would be TOMS. TOMS uses the brand message, “one for one.” This slogan means for every pair of shoes a customer buys, another pair of shoes are given to someone who needs them. A customer buys a pair of shoes. TOMS sends shoes to the customer and someone in need. Stories don’t need to be long, but they need to center around a central figure. In this case, the central figure is TOMS. 
 
Theme
 
If you’ve ever had to write an essay about literature, you know themes play a major role in storytelling, though they can be hard to pin down. A theme is an overarching message encased in your brand storytelling. Usually, the theme of your branding should align with the values of your company as a whole. Do you value consistency above anything else? Or are you known for your quality? Does your company prioritize charitability? Is the happiness of your workers something you take pride in? Make sure to emphasize what’s important to you throughout your brand messaging.
 
The themes prevalent in the fairytale, Cinderella, are good versus evil and luck can change your life. Your theme might be more specific or more vague—that’s perfectly fine. Now, take a company like State Farm for example. Their motto is, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” This messaging sets up a character—a good neighbor—and emphasizes the themes of trust and reliability. Their commercials, while entertaining, always remain consistent in their message: You can count on State Farm to be there when you need them. 
 
After a while, themes become what consumers subliminally associate with your brand. Thus, after years of consistent message, consumers associate positive sentiments (i.e. trust, safety, community) with State Farm. 
 
Dialogue
 
We’ve already seen a few examples of how brands use dialogue to story tell in this article. TOMS’ “one for one.” State Farm’s “like a good neighbor.” A few more examples would be Geico’s “fifteen minutes could save you 15%” or Disney’s “the most magical place on earth.” Dialogue is a concise, potent aspect of storytelling. It’s used to further the theme and most often delivered by the main character. Dialogue is the message in brand messaging. 
 
You can use customer testimonials as your dialogue. Or, you can use written text. A local Charleston business, Baker Roofing Company, bought out several billboards along the highway. They read: Billboard 1, “We shall do good work.” Billboard 2, “At a profit if we can.” Billboard 3, “At a loss if we must.” Billboard 4, “But always good work.” This slogan is adapted from a quote by Collis Potter Huntington. Thus, this dialogue began as a spoken phrase and has the cadence of natural speech. 
 
The key components of good dialogue are authenticity and personality. Your brand message should be unique. This helps people remember your brand and differentiates you from the competition. Before coming up with dialogue, you should have a pretty good understanding of your brand voice. This is the tone inherent in everything your company publishes, from newsletter to social media to website content. Understanding your brand voice will help you keep dialogue consistent and authentic. 
 
Know Your Audience
 
Just as authors pen novels in different genres, brands must tailor their stories to their consumer base. A middle-grade author would not employ the same narrative strategies as an adult thriller author, would they? Similarly, you need to understand what will hook your consumer base’s attention. If your target audience struggles to understand what your company does and why they should invest in your services, then the main goal of your storytelling should be articulating why your company exists. What purpose do you serve? How can you help them? Similarly, if your target audience wants to be entertained and appreciates a bit of humor, your brand storytelling should crack a joke (just not at your brand’s expense). Consumers want to be seen, heard, and understood. By telling the right story, you can accomplish all of those things. 
 
Streamline 
 
If you’re checking out at a grocery store or withdrawing money from your bank, more than likely you’re not interested in hearing a story. And, if someone approached you to tell you a long-winded story, you might even feel accosted. The same is true of consumers. They have lots of things to do and places to be, which is why you should be respectful of their time and try to tell your brand’s story in as few words as possible. As well, position your story in an area where they’ll be more receptive to listening. For example, your brand’s storytelling shouldn’t take over your entire website to the point that potential customers cannot easily navigate to purchase products. 
 
How do you know you have a good story? 
 
A brand’s storytelling will not draw in every consumer. But, done well, the story should bring in those who are in need of your service or product. Good stories have the elements we discussed above. They are well-thought, well-executed, and (eventually) well-received. They should be easy to understand and useful. As well, they should prompt an emotional response (and preferably not anger). 
 
To begin crafting your brand’s story, start with the original purpose behind the brand. This is what you’ll highlight within the story. From there, flesh out the necessary details. Character. Theme. Dialogue. When you’ve finished painting the broad strokes, test the story out on someone unfamiliar with your brand. Incorporate feedback. Try again. Large corporations have entire teams and test groups, but you don’t need all of that. Anyone can tell a story. That’s the beautiful thing about stories.  
 
For more marketing and branding expertise, the Creative Consulting blog has you covered! Feel free to give us a call and set up a consultation. We are dedicated to helping you determine which marketing strategies will work best for your business or brand! Be sure to return for our 

​Hello, Summerville! Welcome, business owners! We’re happy to have you here on the Creative Consulting blog where you’ll find the most relevant information about marketing your business in the digital sphere. From building an outstanding webpage to graphic design to managing your social media to optimizing SEO to building a cohesive brand identity—Creative Consulting covers everything you could possibly need to know to take your business to the next level. 
 
Today, we’ll be discussing a widely known but rarely understood tool in marketing—the QR code. You’ve probably seen these strange, black-and-white boxes posted to the sides of lampposts, lingering on the backs of business cards, or even looming above the highway on massive billboards. At first glance, these unassuming squares can resemble their technological cousin—the barcode—but they’re actually far more advanced. The potential applications of QR codes have yet to be breached, but the average business owner can already benefit from its existing capabilities. We’ll explain what a QR code is, how a QR code works, and how to use QR codes to expand your business’s reach. If you’re interested in learning more, read on!
 
What are QR Codes and How Do They Work?
 
First, the term QR code is actually short for quick response code. Quick response code was developed in 1994 by Masahiro Hara, the chief engineer of a Japanese automotive company called Denso Wave (a subsidiary of Toyota). Hara developed the code as a method of tracking parts and parcels through the production, manufacturing, and distribution process. QR codes contain more information than the standard bar code (e.x. locators, identifiers, trackers) which can all be read by a machine. The QR code utilizes four standardized encoding modes: numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and kanji. Several factors inherent to the QR code design (including the surrounding white space, the position of the black pixels, and the anchoring black squares) allow the code to be scanned quickly and from virtually any direction. 
 
There are two types of QR codes: static and dynamic. As you might have inferred already, static QR codes are codes which cannot be altered or changed after being generated. This might apply to QR codes which share a coffee shop’s WiFi password or QR codes for entrance to a mass event like a concert. Meanwhile, a dynamic QR code can be altered or changed after being generated, as many times as needed. The dynamic version lends itself to customization and increased ability to track advertising statistics. 
 
Though QR codes were created in the 1990s, the United States has been slow to integrate their use. While countries like China have been using QR codes in their payment systems and day-to-day life for decades, we’ve only caught onto the brilliance of these black squares in the past few years. Apple programming their cameras to read QR codes in 2017 and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 played a large role in introducing QR codes into our society. Many restaurants switched to paperless menus with the help of QR codes. 
 
The truth is: There are an endless number of applications for QR codes. They can be used to determine an object's position in three-dimensional space for augmented reality. They can be used to establish “virtual stores,” which unfold before potential customers wherever the QR code exists. Giant companies such as Walmart, Procter & Gamble, and Woolworths have already undergone making the concept a reality. QR codes can store bank account information and can work in tandem with a payment provider application to facilitate transactions. They can be used to log into a website, board a flight, order food at a restaurant, and join a WiFi network. Best of all, QR codes cannot be hacked. 
 
We’re only just scratching the surface with what QR codes can do. And, when it comes to advertising, there may be no better way to establish a personal connection between consumers and your brand.
 
Applying QR Codes to Your Business
 
The wonderful thing about QR codes is that users need only scan the code with a phone camera to unlock the code's information. This makes the user end of the interaction incredibly simple and streamlined. On the brand’s end, there are a multitude of places you can take a user once they’ve scanned. You can choose to direct a consumer toward a website or a landing page. You could also direct consumers toward the download page for an app. You could pull up multimedia (i.e. video, audio, image) or a discount code or promotion. If you’re participating at a business conference or engaging in networking opportunities for your business, you can use QR codes to quickly exchange information. Whatever you choose to do, you want to make sure you establish a clear Call-To-Action (CTA). Users should be able to determine exactly what scanning a QR code will do. Some businesses use QR codes to expand their SMS or email list, but we wouldn’t recommend doing this. Anytime consumers scan a QR code, while they are trusting the creator of the code, they haven’t given their express permission to be a part of any mailing lists. 
 
QR codes do not obtain any personal information from the phones which scan them, however they do provide some insight to their creators. QR codes can report on where and when they were scanned, which gives advertisers an increased comprehension of which areas are proving to be highly engaging and at what times, too. The major reasons for using QR codes in an advertising campaign are the ability to build direct connections with consumers, collect first-party data, and ass attribution tracking to ad channels. If you use the same QR code on a billboard and a mail card, within a given time span you’ll have the requisite data you need to determine which campaign is better suited to your efforts. 
 
Most QR codes require a connection to the internet. You’ll want to keep this in mind when choosing locations for your codes. 
 
QR codes have evolved in the decades since their inception and now offer perks like brand protection, anti-forgery protection, and increased traceability. There are companies which specialize in assisting businesses tailor and apply their QR code strategy across their business platform. Next, we’ll examine a few cases where businesses applied QR codes to their benefit. 
 
Examples
 
One of the best examples of integrating QR codes into a business structure is Instagram’s name tags. Once scanned, name tags allow users to quickly and easily identify the user they want to follow. Instead of searching for their username (potentially spelling the username wrong, missing an underscore or a period, etc.), name tags simplify the entire process. As well, in Instagram’s case, they were able to alter the appearance of the QR code to be on-brand and appealing. This is a huge aspect of using QR codes, as you want to incite the user to scan the code and they’re more likely to do so when the code is pleasing to the eye. This feature could also be used cross-platform, allowing users to post their name tags on other social media sites; thus adding more followers to their account and bringing more users to Instagram. 
 
Another example is when Amazon Go stores implemented the use of QR codes. Instead of waiting in life for a limited number of cashiers, customers could check out on their own time using QR codes. This cuts the shopping time for users in half and leads to a more positive shopping experience overall. 
 
 
This has been a shallow overview of the possibilities inherent to QR codes and we’ll definitely be returning to this subject in the future to delve deeper into it’s wonderful uses. Until then, consider the benefits of using QR codes in the expansion of your business. QR codes are inexpensive to make and easy to use on both the user and the developer’s end. The potential to learn more about how consumers engage with your business—as well as to convert consumers into customers—is an appealing draw to QR codes. We hope you’ll give them a try soon!
For more marketing and branding expertise, the Creative Consulting blog has you covered! Or, give us a call and set up a consultation. We are dedicated to helping you determine which marketing strategies will work best for your business or brand! Be sure to return for our upcoming posts on CRMs and co-branding! Until next time, thank you for reading!

Hello, Summerville! Happy July! If this is your first time visiting our blog, here you’ll find the most up-to-date information about marketing your business. From building an outstanding webpage to graphic design to managing your social media to optimizing SEO to building a cohesive brand identity—Creative Consulting is a one-stop shop for taking your business to the next level. 

Today, we’re going to break down the difference between two types of advertisements: Exposure vs. Lead Generation. There are dozens of different marketing terms and strategies you’re probably eager to learn (and we’ll be delving into CPC, CTR, PPC, CRMs, and every other acronym you can think of in later posts), but before you can become an expert you’ll need to understand the basics. 

What Are Exposure Ads? 

Like the name suggests, exposure ads are advertisements which have been placed in an exposed environment. With these, the advertisers’ objective is to place their ads in strategic locations to ensure as many eyes as possible see the ad. They can be innocuous (think: paper mail catalogues) or ostentatious (think: billboards). They can be stagnant (think: television commercials) or interactive (think: mall kiosks). And, while these ads can target a specific audience, they can also reach a broad range of audiences, as their viewing really is a matter of potential customers being in the right place at the right time. 

Example

Company ABC is a fashion brand. They’re hoping to market their clothing to consumers between the ages of 18-25. They decide to employ the use of exposure advertising by purchasing paid ads on TikTok (which will appear once when the user opens the app), by purchasing paid ads on Facebook (which will appear on the side of the screen while the user is scrolling), and by purchasing a billboard in Time Square (which will occupy the space for two weeks). 

In this scenario, Company ABC is expecting the money they spend on exposure to directly translate into a higher volume of consumers visiting their website and purchasing their clothing. This conversion is not guaranteed, however the assumption is that the more people are reminded of the brand, the more likely they are to purchase the brand’s products. 

What Are Lead Generation Ads?
Lead generation ads are also quite self-explanatory. These types of ads collect data about the consumers who click on them and—if done correctly—transform those consumers into customers. Consumers might be asked for their name, email address, or other contact information. Think of these ads like an investigative journalist. A journalist must follow a lead—which is a small piece of information which points to something larger—in order to uncover the underlying story. These ads are, literally, generating leads which a company can then use to enlarge their customer base.

Example

Company XYZ is also a fashion brand. They’re hoping to market their clothing to consumers who are socially and environmentally conscious, regardless of their age. They don’t have much money to spend on advertising widely. Therefore, they decide to employ the use of lead generation ads on Facebook and Instagram Stories (which will ask for consumers' main environmental concerns, what they look for in a clothing brand, and their email address). 

In this scenario, Company XYZ is expecting the information they receive from consumers to directly translate into a better understanding of their consumer base, a personal connection from consumers to their brand ethos, and that the newsletters they send out to the consumers’ emails will generate traffic to their online site.

Pros of Exposure

Exposure advertising is advertising in the traditional sense. In this case, the phrase “out of sight out of mind” truly does apply. Exposure ads perform the much needed work of increasing brand awareness. Without brand awareness, consumers won’t think of your company when they have a need. 

In most cases, consumers have a need and an advertisement conveniently pops up in one of their social media feeds. A short click and the need is met. There’s a feeling of gratification on the customers’ end because the brand happened to be there when they were in need and saved them the trouble of having to search for what they needed. In this scenario, both the advertiser and the consumer were in the right place at the right time.

Another positive aspect of exposure ads is the ability to isolate demographics while also maintaining the possibility for diversity. For example, a company might be seeking consumers over the age of thirty-five, who have advanced degrees and disposable income. If this is the case, they might choose to advertise on LinkedIn or run a commercial on a home improvement channel. The placement of these ads can narrow the target audience while also allowing for unexpected consumers (i.e. those under thirty-five without advanced degrees but with disposable income). 

Cons of Exposure

Exposure advertisements are what most of us recognize as advertising. They are the kind we’re used to seeing (and ignoring). As of 2021, the average person is exposed to between 6,000 and 10,000 ads every day. And this number is only expected to increase. Over-exposure is a term for a reason—it’s when media coverage becomes excessive, to the point people lose interest. Counter-intuitive, isn’t it? 

Exposure ads should be well-placed and relevant to the consumer. Otherwise, you run the risk of alienating potential clients. 

Pros of Lead Generation

Lead generation ads are interactive. They require the consumer to engage with the advert, which weeds out consumers who aren’t genuinely interested in your company’s service or product. With lead generation ads, a company can amass a sizable amount of data on their consumer base, which gives them insight into what their customers might expect from them in the future. They can also compile an audience for an email newsletter, which will keep consumers informed about new promotions and products. 

Since these are form ads (and the results can be submitted without the consumer leaving the site on which they saw the ad), they can be run even when the company doesn’t have a website up and running yet. This makes lead generation ads a stellar option for companies looking to advertise on a budget.

These types of ads are most popular on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and (as of April 2021) TikTok!

Cons of Lead Generation

Sometimes a pro is a con and a con is a pro. A double-edged sword, of sorts? 

Lead generation ads, as previously mentioned, are great for weeding out consumers who aren’t genuinely interested. Unfortunately—they leave a ton of “so-so” consumers by the wayside as well. There are plenty of consumers who just aren’t willing to spend thirty seconds to a minute filling out their information. These consumers (especially if the company is operating without a website) can easily turn into lost customers. 

Which Type of Ad is Right for Your Business? 

As with any aspect of your business, before you can answer this question you’ll need to take stock of your priorities and your capabilities. What are your priorities? Do you want your products and services in front of as many people as possible? Or, do you want to build a database of consumers who are interested in your products and services? What are your capabilities? Do you have a large marketing budget to spend on diversifying your exposure and reaching untapped markets? Or, do you have a conservative marketing budget which must turn each and every ad interaction into monetary gains for your company? 

Once you have an idea of what’s important to you and what you’re able to sustain financially, you’ll have a better idea of which type of ad is the best for your business.

Don’t be daunted! You don’t have to choose either exposure or lead generation advertisements. In fact, most successful companies operate with a mixture of both. As you make attempts and gather useful data, you’ll gain deeper insight into what works for your specific brand. ​

We’ve only scratched the surface with these two types of ads. There are countless other types, which we’ll explore together in the future. Until then, we hope you’ve found this helpful. For more marketing and branding expertise, be sure to return to the Creative Consulting blog, where we dive deep into the best marketing practices. Or, give us a call and set up an appointment. We are always more than happy to help you determine which marketing strategies will work best for your business or brand. Until next time, thank you for reading!

There are different types of ads you can use for your social media accounts to promote your company and its latest news. Are you fully aware of what your ad is actually supposed to do and what you're paying for?

Hello readers, and welcome back to the blog! We hope that you've been reading through our blogs and applying some new information that you've been learning to your everyday work week or your future marketing planning. Have you come across anything new that's been working well for your social media growth? We love celebrating these moments with you too, so feel free to let us know and share this with you! Also, if you ever have any questions or comments, always reach out! We love hearing from you. We love growing together with our readers, feel free to comment below or reach out!

Today we are going to talk about advertising on social media. While not everyone or every company uses it, or believes that they should, we truly believe there is merit, power, and belief to using ads on social media. There are a few different types of ads available to you, and depending on which ones you choose, you can get several different reactions in return. Some ads will drive more visits to your website, more clicks on the ad itself, more visits to your social media platforms, and more. However, it's very important to remember that social media does not mean you're going to get sales. Your marketing platforms are not sales, that is a different department of your company. While it is a huge help in getting the word out about your products and services, and to keep your audience up to date, social media and its ads don't mean you'll get guaranteed phone calls, visitors in your brick and mortar location, or a guaranteed number of sales. It will however help keep you in front of your target audience's memory and attention, keep you in competition with your competitors, keep a healthy and active relationship with your customers, and it will create a healthy and active online thumbprint for your company. The more you have of this, the more likely you will get more customers and sales, but it is not a set-in-stone guarantee. We've experienced issues with the actual names of ads being misleading, and we want to clear up some confusion on what you will be paying for and what you should expect.

Facebook is one of the leading tech giants when it comes to digital marketing, and depending on how much you want to invest and who you want to attract, this will choose what ad you want to create. You have three main options of ads; brand awareness and attracting new customers, lead generation and website traffic, and qualified leads with higher conversion rates. Brand awareness ads that grab new client attention are where many companies begin. This level of marketing usually costs about $150 to $300 a month. Lead generation and website traffic is your middle-tier marketing option and will cost between $300 and $750 a month. Finally, qualified leads with a higher conversion rate is your top tier of online Facebook marketing starting at $750 a month and up. Think these prices are a bit high? Do your research. Think about all the companies you see consistently on Facebook. Gyms, food delivery services, and audiobooks. They aren't getting that space for free. According to webfx.com, companies are spending between $200 and $800 a month on average on Facebook ads every month. Imagine if you're spending nothing while your competitors are spending within that average range for their ads. These companies already have a huge leg up on you!

• You might be wondering if spending this money on ads isn't directly getting you sales, what is it getting you? Lead Generation ads have been on our radar quite a bit, so we wanted to focus on that and what you will be paying for with a lead generation ad on Facebook. By Facebook's definition, lead generation is "the process of building interest in a business's product or services. On Facebook, you can create campaigns using a lead generation object that allows consumers to fill out a form called an 'instant form' with their contact information. You can also track lead conversion events on your own website using the Facebook pixel." These ads are getting your customers excited about your products, educating them about your products, and allowing you to collect information about them.
• This information is only as powerful as you're using it. Are you sending out an email blast with the emails being shared with you? Are you calling and reaching out? This type of ad is giving you information, not necessarily giving you or making you a sale. You can't set the ad and forget it, you have to follow through with it. These ads do, however, open the door for you to your customer. Receiving emails or phone calls from a company that a consumer has shared their private information with is much more welcomed than any unsolicited emails or phone calls. Remember, these ads are giving you leads that you have to follow through with. This type of ad isn't giving you automatic customers or sales. You've made the first big step and you've made a good impression on your target audience that responded to your ad. Now it's time to take the next step!
• These next steps could turn into a new client, a returning client, or just your next biggest fan. This is an ad process that allows you to nurture your target audience, both new and returning until they are ready to buy. Please remember that this is not an overnight process. It will take time for you to learn and adjust to this process, and it will take time for your social media algorithms to process, especially if this is the first ad you've run on Facebook or any other social media platform. You will need to invest money, patience, and time into this ad and let it grow. You will need to nurture the ad process, just like it's nurturing your clients and future purchases!
• What else do you need to know about lead generation ads? First off know that this type of advertisement can be an incredibly useful tool for any type and any size company. It will help increase your brand's awareness, help you find qualified leads, build relationships, and help to close deals. Investing in this type of ad allows you to find those direct qualified leads, the people who will click "buy" instead of letting something just sit in their cart. As we are sure you've experienced, it is very hard to find that perfect audience, but that is exactly what lead generation helps with. Lead generation cuts through so much white noise and helps get you right in front of your target audience. It does help grow your sales, your relationships with your customers, and helps your overall credibility grow. However, it won't do it on its own. As we've mentioned before, the ad won't do all the work on its own, you still have to follow through and put all the correct moving pieces of your marketing strategy into place, or it won't pay out as it should.
• Lead generation has been around for a long time, and it has grown and changed just like the consumer market has. It has changed along with the new trends of how consumers are now looking for their products and buying their products.  Is your lead generation up to date? Are you giving your ad enough time to generate the correct leads? If you are just investing in ads once in a whole and aren't consistent about it, then it won't work for you and will end up being a waste of money. For this type of very important and beneficial type of ad to work, you have to be consistent and you have to give it time!

Don't give up on your lead generation ads, and don't fall into the trap of "we've always done it this way!". Marketing and every moving part of it will take time to be successful and you have to let your whole marketing strategy grow with the consumer to be productive. Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!

You've been working hard on your social media platforms; you have a great marketing plan, you're investing in SEO, and you have a few ads running. However, you just can't seem to gain more followers! You've hit a follower plateau, so what do you do now? 

Hello, Summerville! Hello, readers! Welcome to the Creative Consulting Blog! Today we are going to be talking about the number of followers your business account has and what happens when you've hit that follower plateau. You've worked hard to have as many followers as you do today, why does it seem like the followers have just stopped? Don't worry! While Facebook and Instagram like to constantly change their algorithms on how and why people see your accounts, there is no need to worry just yet. You just need to follow a few steps and look into a few things to get those numbers up and rolling again.

While followers aren't everything, especially if your target audience demographic doesn't use social medial all that much. However, there are certainly plus sides for gaining and maintaining a healthy growth of followers. It's an easy way to market and share news and information with more people very quickly, you can engage and create more relationships with your customers, and more eyes on your products and services means more sales. Also, there are those special features that come with receiving certain followers like reaching the 10k follower mark on Instagram. Hitting that 10k mark allows you to (on your business page) add the swipe up feature to your stories that will take users directly to a desired website, you can go LIVE on TikTok once you reach 1000 followers, and you can start making money on your YouTube once you have at least 1000 subscribers. Many social media platforms have these types of follower incentives when you hit certain milestones. What happens when you've hit a bump in your followers across the board and you can't quite get out of that plateau? 

• One of the first places to start is to look at where your current content campaign is. Have you been using the same one for a while now? Remember that social media is constantly changing and trends are very important to pay attention to. Maybe it's time to revamp your content and your overall approach to social media. Are there new tools or trends you haven't tried yet? Have you ventured into using video in your content routine? What about stories, LIVE, Reels, IGTV, and even TikTok? Are you using all the social media platforms available to you that make sense to your brand? It might not be a matter of what you're putting out there, but how it's reaching your target audience. When giving your content a refresh, you're not necessarily rebranding, but giving it a spring cleaning. You still need to be consistent with your brand, but it's just time to try something new! 

 

• Has your target audience changed or evolved and you didn't even realize it? While we've all be home and on our smart devices so much this past year, new products and services had the very real opportunity to introduce themselves to new audiences across all social media platforms. Every target audience, depending on their age, will respond differently to your goods and services. You might be sharing the same information you have been looking at for years, you just need to find a new way to share it with your new followers! This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to keep track of who is following you. This is free information and an insight into how you need to start marketing if you've hit a plateau. 

 

• Pay attention to what time you're posting! If you're posting when your target audience is generally not online, it's very easy for your posts to get lost in the shuffle and they might not even be seen. This information can be found within your platforms, online, and you can even do some experimenting yourself and see when your audience responds the most. Make sure that your posting times make sense. If you're a breakfast-only restaurant, for example, posting the night before can remind your patrons to make plans the next day to come visit you. If you post at breakfast time, you've missed out on your audience as your patrons have already made plans and are already eating breakfast.  

 

• Remember how the state of the world is affecting your followers. According to SproutSocial.com, consumer behavior has drastically changed during traumatic events like 9/11 and the recession that happened in 2008. The pandemic has caused a very similar reaction. Think about how this has affected your audience, and how your content can reach out and touch them during these hard times. They don't want to hear about your sales and specials all the time, sometimes they just want human connection, and that can be a lifesaver for a brand. The pandemic has hit you, your employees, and your company too. Share that with your followers, and help them feel a little less alone! 

 

• Don't forget that you aren't just looking for a vast number of random followers, you want to have the right followers. Bots are out there in force, creating fake pages and following people to make their pages look impressive. These followers don't do anything for your company, they aren't buying anything from you. Focus on gaining the right followers and continue cultivating them as time goes on. 

 

• Remember that social media is a social world. You can't just spit out your social media content and just expect your followers to do all the engagement, you need to follow through with that as well and engage them back. You need to show the humans side of your social profiles! Liking, commenting, and sharing needs to come from your page as well. Be apart of your company's world and industry on social media, and be apart of your local community too. Being engaging will lead to others engaging back. Your engagement sets an example for your followers about how you would like to be engaged in return.  

 

• Are you showing the human side of your company on social media? Are you showing the behind-the-scenes of your business? People love secrets and they love to know what's going on! Let them be nosey with permission! 

 

• Paying attention to what has worked consistently, what is the bread and butter of your social content? You might be getting tired of it, but your followers aren't! Find a way to invest yourself in it so you are just as excited as your audience is again! If you're feeling stale, it will come off in your posts! 

 

• While social media is a fantastic free advertising platform, there is something to be said for paid advertisements, especially if you've never used them before. You might not want to use them all the time, but they can help you relaunch your social media and get it in front of the right audience much faster than just letting it sit out there hoping someone will see it. 

 

• Remember to stay positive and not to give up when you've hit these plateaus. They're growing pains. Remember to celebrate what got you to where you are, and celebrate the fact that you have the chance to keep learning. These plateaus don't mean you've failed, it's just time to learn a little more and try again. What can you learn from this experience? Also, a month-to-month comparison doesn't tell your full success story. Remember that trends come and go, what won't leave is is a strong and functional team that works well together. Fad posts and stories are funny for a moment, but they won't define your business if you keep working, improving, and growing. Don't let your frustration get in the way of this!  

Also remember reader, that everyone reaches a plateau or creative dry spell at some point or another. You are not alone and you cannot beat yourself up when you do hit that point. Moments of creative dry spells don't mean you aren't good at what you do. It means you just need to take a moment and learn a little more. It might mean you need to take a walk, enjoy a break, go and find things that inspire you, or it might mean you need a nap! The point is that you and your company are going to be okay, you just need to invest the time in the growing pains. Continue to grow and nurture your social media and you will see those numbers growing again soon! Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!