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The Truth Behind ADA Compliance and Why You Shouldn't Worry (Part Three!)

2/3/2021

 
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This blog will be dedicated to our continued discussion about what it means to be ADA compliant and the best route to follow when pursuing that goal. More questions will hopefully be answered for you, and more advice will be provided on this difficult topic that has little legal ground and ruling to guide anyone through the process! 

Hello, my dear and wonderful Summerville! How are you, dear readers? So glad you've made it to the Creative Consulting blog. We hope that where ever you might be, that you're happy and well! Also, if you're finding yourself reading one of your very first Creative Consulting blogs right now, please note that this blog is part three of an ongoing discussion about ADA compliance, and to fully get out of it what we feel is best, we encourage you to go back and read the first two blogs in this series!

How are you doing so far in your 2021? Are you still working towards your business goals? Have you been following the plans you created for yourself last year to find success this year? After how tumultuous 2020 was, outside of making some of the most necessary and important goals for yourself and your business, it might have been hard to see a bigger picture while walking into 2021! This blog is, of course, a safe space for all of our readers and fellow business owners. If you were struggling with your goals and resolutions for 2021, we have one that you can work towards, and we won't even tell anyone that you made this resolution after the ball dropped! Why not strive towards becoming as ADA compliant as possible in 2021? 

Becoming ADA compliant, as we have been talking about through this blog series, is important ground to break for your company, while it is also very shaky ground at the same time. While it is something that is pressing for every website to have and heavily suggested to implement into your website by the WCAG (the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), we must remind all of our readers that there are still no official laws or rules about being ADA compliant. However, striving to make your virtual fingerprint enjoyable and accessible to anyone and everyone that visits your website is an incredibly powerful business move. Being inclusive in your web viewing audience is not only kind to humanity, but it can also help with your company's growth and sales. Being kind and growing exponentially at the same time? Sounds pretty perfect to us! However, while we have covered a lot of information on the topic, we wanted to finish out this blog series with just a little bit more about ADA compliance! 

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING ADA COMPLIANT? 
  • First and foremost the best thing about ADA compliance is that it benefits everyone, and allows all citizens to have equal access to everything on your website. 
  • One of the most important things in creating and building your company is knowing your target audience and continuing to increase it. Knowing who exactly benefits and wants your products or services makes advertising, developing more products, and keeping yourself above and beyond your competitors very easy. Allowing anyone to enjoy and view your website will increase your target audience without hesitation, allowing your business to potentially grow exponentially. Not having an ADA compliant website can lead you to lose millions of potential customers due to their disabilities. Not only is this incredibly offensive to this audience, but you are also standing in your way of continued growth as a company. If someone is unable to navigate your website, unable to access it, and unable to contact you, this will automatically turn them off and turn them away. It could even cause this individual to move onto your competitors. 
  • Not being ADA compliant according to the most recent requirements can lead to your company being hit with some significant lawsuits or fines that could lead to serious money issues or even bankruptcy. 
  • According to the Corporate Web Services Blog, a safe harbor clause does exist that allows the content on your website to remain the same unless it has been altered or created after 2018. If it has been altered after 2018, then it must be brought up to current ADA compliant standards. 
  • Having a fully ADA compliant website can benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. Making a website easy to navigate and access helps all users. Also, ADA compliance can help your standings with your SEO and Google Rankings. 
  • Not only are you making your entire potential and current customer base happy with an ADA compliant website, but you are also improving your reputation. Word of mouth can be the most powerful advertisement tool, and a pleased customer who truly enjoyed their experience working with you and who felt included will be very likely to share that outcome. They will feel appreciated and valued, which will inspire them to come back for more, especially if they've come across one website too many that wasn't ADA compliant. This will make your website stand out. Just the knowledge and fact that you put the effort and the time into guaranteeing that your website is ADA compliant is a really big deal. It is yet another way to set yourself above and beyond your competitors. In a sense, becoming ADA compliant can be its version of good free press for your website and your company. 
  • For all of our fellow designers, builders, and coders alike ADA compliance in this current stage might seem very overwhelming, and you might be dreading the workload that could be coming your way. However, the silver lining is that in making these changes to your website, you might be ending up with a higher quality of code and product overall. Not only will this offer all the benefits that come with being ADA compliant, but it can also help your website have fewer bugs, faster loading speeds, and a much higher SEO ranking! 

WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE RISKS OF NOT BEING ADA COMPLIANT? 
While this topic is still an incredibly grey area, that doesn't mean taking the risk of not being ADA compliant is the way to go. There are still many risk factors that you could be facing. Remember, Creative Consulting can help you through the process and you must be very careful when approached by online poachers or online ambulance chasers. Their sole goal is to target websites and business owners unaware of ADA compliance and scaring them into paying huge sums of money for their so-called safety. Well, we guarantee that this is very false information. However, if you are choosing not to be ADA compliant and choosing not to make these adjustable steps, that's a different situation. 
  • You could end up with a huge lawsuit in your lap from another professional or the individual unable to view your website because they need it to be ADA compliant. 
  • Legal fees could be heading your way. 
  • You could be facing high costs of rebuilding your entire website to comply with the ADA compliance guidelines. 
  • Your company could face some very ugly public relations issues, leading to a bad reputation, loss of clientele, and a drastic drop in sales. 
  • To avoid a lawsuit, you might instead face a settlement outside of court which can be just as expensive as a court case. 
  • You would be ostracising a huge group of individuals who deserve the right to view and access your website for your goods and services. 
  • You could be facing civil fines in the $55,000 or more range that will be paid to the government if you do get into legal issues. 
  • If your brick and mortar storefront is ADA compliant, but your website is found not to be, your entire staff could be made to take an ADA compliance course. 

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT NOW? 
We are not downplaying the fact that ADA compliance hasn't been important since the use of the internet became widespread and used by millions every day. However, as the years go on and we all become more and more connected thanks to the overwhelming and impressive power of the internet, now might be more important than ever to be ADA compliant. 
  • We've all be at home way more thanks to the pandemic, and using our computers and smart devices to work from home and to entertain ourselves. Imagine running into an important website or platform needed to proficiently do your job at home, but due to the lack of if being ADA compliant, you are unable to. Not only can this be frustrating and potentially embarrassing, but this can also lead to difficulties at work and potentially being let go, causing you to lose very important income. 
  • Millions of children are still participating in distance learning, using their smart devices and the internet to stay connected, learn, and experience life with their classmates. What happens if your child comes across a website that all of their classmates can enjoy, but because it is not ADA compliant, they can't? How will that damage their lessons, education, and communication with their classmates?
  • The pandemic has also caused us to see how many individuals use the internet to buy important products like medicine, medical equipment, tools, food, and other supplies. The pandemic has made us realize online shopping is one of the safest ways to go about running your errands. If an individual is unable to access a website with the products they need and they are unable to get in touch with someone because the website isn't ADA compatible, the outcome could be catastrophic! 
  • Remember that moving businesses remotely has been one of the main reasons why millions of businesses have been able to survive the pandemic themselves. However, not being ADA compliant can dry up your online customer base, leaving you as a business owner in a very dangerous professional position. 

The big takeaway that we want to give each of our readers to have from this blog series is the fact that becoming ADA compliant is simple, necessary, but nothing you should be afraid of. Work with the correct individuals, like us, to help you reach this goal and you could potentially see your business grow exponentially. Honestly, there is also no question about it. It is a company's responsibility to every citizen to allow them access to their website. It's the right thing to do, it's our duty to humanity, and not being ADA compliant is discriminatory, which is beyond unacceptable in our books. As online designers, what is also unacceptable is big web design moguls using scare tactics to prey on unaware and uneducated business owners. It is our responsibility, as business owners, to help them, educate them, eradicate fear, and bring everyone smoothly and safely into the kind and generous world of ADA compliance! 
Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!

To learn even more in-depth information and to stay up to date on ADA Compliance, please visit their website: https://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm
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Creative Consulting: A Spotlight on Madi Kirkwood

1/20/2021

 
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et to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.

Hello readers, and welcome back to the blog! From all of us at Creative Consulting, we want to wish you a very happy new year! We hope that this year is one for growth, learning, positive changes, and exciting things for you and yours. While starting a new year can be overwhelming, we hope that you look at it with hope and walk towards it with an open heart and open mind. Also, don't forget all the goals, resolutions, and aspirations you have for 2021 were made to accomplish throughout the year. Don't try and tackle them all in January, believe me! By the time the 31st rolls around, you'll already be stressed, exhausted, and ready to abandon your goals. Part of making plans, aspirations, and goals is creating a strategy and a plan on how and when to accomplish them. Make sure to stick to that plan as much as you plan on sticking to achieving your goals. Do this with both your personal and professional goals, and you'll be heading towards a wonderful new year. We are here to help you accomplish all of your business goals for 2021, too! Looking to rebrand? Build a website? Have a logo designed? Create a social media play? Add blogs to your SEO? We are here to help you with all of this and more!

What better way to start a new year than introducing a brand new member of our team? While we ushered out 2020, we ushered in a brand new member of our team who arrived right on time and has been a perfect addition to our team. Summerville and beyond, it is my pleasure to introduce you to the one and only Madi Kirkwood! From one Maddie to another, it is my personal honor to write about and introduce you to her. From her very first day at the office, we could all tell this Summerville native was going to fit right into our crazy and creative team. Madi is still settling in, but she has put the first finishing touches on her office, has dove headfirst into her position and learning more about it, and is already coming up with incredible ideas to help move the company forward.

I do have to share my appreciation and admiration for my fellow Madi. A few weeks ago, a bunch of us were working at the conference table chatting and sharing ideas. Madi was working with me on these interview questions and having a hard time answering all of them. Talking about yourself is difficult, and letting someone (practically a stranger still at this point) write about you and share it all with the wide-open web is difficult and brave. I appreciate all of my fellow teammates for being such good sports and letting me share a peek into their lives. Madi and I share the love of Bullet Journaling and I admire her organization, her creativity, humor, and the dedication and hard work she has already given and shown in just the few short weeks she has been with the creative team. To jump right from graduation into a full-time job can be difficult, but to someone who has gone to school full time, worked, and had an internship all at the same time, this new time of transition for Madi will be a piece of cake. It is a joy to have her on the team, and I look forward to all the incredible things she is going to be doing for the company and all of our clients!

Name: Madi Kirkwood

How long have you been working at CC: Almost one month!

How did you hear about the positions: My professor from CSU sent me this way last month whenever the SEO Specialist position opened up, and I applied right away!

What do you do for CC: I am the Search Engine Optimization Specialist

What is your favorite part about working for CC: I love the team & how close everyone is here. A good team and communication are the backbone to any striving business, so I am extremely excited to continue to grow closer to everyone here!

What have you learned since you worked at CC: A better question is, what haven't I learned? I am continuously growing and learning more about how I can sharpen my skills and gain more knowledge every day!

What is your favorite part of your workday at CC: My favorite part of my workday is accomplishing a goal that I set prior to that day. It is incredibly encouraging to be able to succeed in the things I set for myself.

Favorite memory at CC so far: Any time I'm laughing with our team! I have loved being able to connect with my coworkers and learn about our shared humor!

Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC): Guerin's Pharmacy has held a place in my heart since I was in middle school. Memories of getting ice cream in the summertime or a cold glass of bottled Coca-Cola bring back amazing nostalgia.

What is your educational background: I graduated from Charleston Southern University in 2020 with my Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design & a minor in Business Administration in Marketing. I try to continue my education as much as possible because of my ever-changing field. I specialize in not only SEO, but I am also a branding and advertising designer!

What are your hobbies: I enjoy being crafty & doing digital illustration in my free time. I also like to play Indie style video games, going out in Charleston with my friends (socially distanced & masked up, of course!), and actively practicing self-care!

What is your favorite color: My most used color palette is a combination of shades of reds, blues, and yellows. I would say those are my favorite colors!

Interesting Facts about you: I am allergic to pineapple!

Favorite Food: Anything that has to do with potatoes, they're the most versatile food & I am a sucker for some good mashed potatoes!

Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville: Honestly, nothing beats my grandma's cooking, but if I had to choose, Eva's on Main is a wonderful place to go for a homemade meal!

Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville: Going to the beach and going axe throwing are some of my favorite things to do!

I don't know about you, but after I interviewed Madi and read through this, I had the strangest urge to go axe throwing and grabbing my favorite potato dish! I know I say this after every introduction, but I love how much more I learn about each of them when I get to write about them!  I also enjoy how I can see each of my teammate's personalities shine through in how they answer. These blogs always make me smile, so I hope you are too! Cheers to January, Summerville! I look forward to another exciting year of bringing you the best Creative Consulting can give! Until next time Summerville, stay safe and stay caffeinated!

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Buy Now, Save Later: And A Very Merry Creative Consulting Christmas (Part One)

12/26/2020

 
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The end of the year will be here in no time, and with only a few weeks left to spare, end of the year spending could help your upcoming tax season be much less painful! 

Hello, Summerville! Welcome back to the blog writer's desk! While we are all ensconced with holiday cheer and joy, we know many of our readers and fellow small business owners are figuring out the best steps, plans, and decisions to make their companies bigger and better in 2021. We know many of our small business peers are trying to wrap up this crazy year as best as they can, planning for what they can, and figuring out and planning for the best ways to save money on their upcoming 2020 taxes. Oh yes, we are going there already. As much as you might hate it now, we promise you'll love us for it later! With so many small businesses being passed up on small business loans and other opportunities this year to help them through what the pandemic left behind, pinching pennies and saving what you can might be the difference between getting your head far above water and doggy paddling. 

Like we said, we're going there. Tax season is going to be here much faster than we realize. We'll celebrate New Year's day, blink, and all of a sudden April 15th will be here! It will seem even closer for those who paid their taxes on the extended day of July 15th. Instead of having a whole year to prepare for 2020 taxes, it suddenly became 8 months to prepare. Four months makes a big difference when you're a business owner, you know that and we know that. So give yourself an early Christmas gift and jump on board for being prepared now.

Don't worry, you're not alone. We are already wrapping up our year, deep in planning mode for 2021, gearing up to be as prepared as possible, and ready to jump-start on whatever 2021 might bring us. So, as an early gift from us to you, we wanted to help you get organized with some tips, suggestions, and even a checklist for how to make 2021 your best year yet. In this two-part blog, we are going to be covering it all! This first part will be dedicated to how to save some nickles and dimes now to make tax season less painful, and part two will be an end of the year checklist to help wave goodbye to 2020 in the strongest way possible. 

Buy It Now, Save Later! 
Our passion is to help companies grow to their full potential and beyond, creating a powerful brand, voice, and social fingerprint. We offer website design services, graphic design services, social media management, search engine optimization services, and much more. Each of these services is beneficial for companies who wish to grow and expand, and to rise above their competitors. Each of these services is also what we are very passionate about. We continue to grow, study, and learn about the latest trends to continue to offer the best of each service. Have you or your company been considering a new website, a new logo, a new rebrand, someone to manage your social media services? Now might be the perfect time to sign on with us! Purchasing a new website or a logo design this year can be used as a business expense to help lower your 2020 taxes for next year! Up your game against your competition and begin bettering your business, all while saving money for your growing business now! 

While we are talking about saving your company money, here are some other things you and your small business could be doing right now (after signing on with us for a website or logo project, that is) that can save you some serious tax headaches come April 15th. Please remember to save all of your paperwork and receipts, and make sure everything is documented and dated properly. This will save any confusion if anyone tries to challenge you when you make these financial decisions, and they will make your tax advisor and preparer very thankful for your organizational skills! 
  • Check all of your withholdings
  • Look for every deduction applicable to your company 
  • See if there is any pandemic tax relief that carries over from this year into the next. 
  • Double-check to see if any tax law has been changed that could benefit your company, and take advantage of that. 
  • Collect your tax credits, and if you have missed this in the past make sure to research what tax credits your company will be eligible for in the future! Don't let these get away from you! 
  • Fund an HSA. 
  • Add to retirement contributions.
  • Buy business equipment and supplies. 
  • Establish retirement plans if you don't have them yet for you and your employees. 
  • Donate to your favorite local charities. Donating items and property can get you a bigger write off than money in some situations. 
  • Sell off your losing stocks.
  • Give your employees year-end gifts and bonuses.
  • Look into purchasing vehicles that are energy-efficient, or look into buying property.
It might be a little different, but with so many great opportunities to save money on your upcoming taxes, this feels like digging into your couch for spare change and coming up with fist fulls of twenty-dollar bills! We hope following these suggestions not only help you save money, but also help give back to your community and employees! 

As a little sneak peek at what our next blog is going to be like and some things to start thinking about now, here are a few things you can start doing to revamp your business and save money going into 2021.
  • Negotiate with your vendors. Many of you might be working with other small businesses that have been hurt by 2020. If you are seeing changes in your product billing, your shipping expenses, and even on products that your company uses every day, don't just let that go. Contact your vendors and see what can be done to get a hold of these prices and if they can do something better for you! 
  • It's so easy to get into the habit of buying extra products for the office. Too many fancy pens, extra envelopes, file folders, and much more. While we wouldn't recommend cutting down on things that make your employees happy (i.e. a fancy water cooler, softer toilet paper, snacks!) make sure you are double checking what your office is actually using and what it can let go of. 
  • Talk with your landlord. Through this crazy year, you've been providing them with rent and have remained a very loyal and kind tenant. Approach them to see if there is something that can be worked out about the rent itself. As a thank you maybe it doesn't go up in 2020, maybe rent goes down for the first month of 2021, or your utilities get taken care of? While some people might scoff at that, the only way to find out is to ask. You might be surprised at the results. 

There is still so much to share, so make sure you join us next time for part two of this blog. While it's so easy to let go this time of year and you just want to sit back and enjoy, please don't forget that there is still so much left to do! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about your end of the year business plan, please don't hesitate to reach out and chat with us! We are here to help make this year and every year the best year yet. We are right with all of you who are burning your 2020 business candle at both ends, believe us, but we know the work and dedication is worth it! We are dedicated to helping our company grow to help yours become the best it possibly can! Until next time Summerville, make sure to shop small and support our community. Make sure to contact us if you are looking to design a new website or a new logo, and never forget to stay extra caffeinated this holiday season! 
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Creative Consulting: A Spotlight on Maddie Casto

12/18/2020

 
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Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.

Hello, Summerville! Welcome back to the blog writer's desk for a very special edition of the blog. This is our very last team member spotlight (for now) and one of the very last blogs of 2020. While our beautiful little town is aglow both day and night with holiday decorations, people (safely) shopping and enjoying their surroundings, and everyone getting excited for the holidays, I will be officially taking over this blog. That's right! The blog writer herself will be stepping out from behind the pen and you will get the chance to get to know her a little better! I thought it would only be fair since my wonderful teammates took the time to let me interview them. While the appeal of being the mysterious masked writer for Creative Consulting does have a nice ring to it, I do have a substantial amount of FOMO (fear of missing out), so I thought why not? Let's jump into this thing, shall we? 

Hello, everyone! My name is Maddie Casto and I am the blog writer for Creative Consulting! I was born in raised in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Wright State University with my BFA in Musical Theatre. I moved to New York City in 2012 with some of my best college friends, and we all dove into the world of the New York Performer; catering and auditioning. I didn't realize that once I settled into my very overpriced and tiny apartment that I would spend so much time in my polyester tuxedo and waking up at ungodly hours to stand in the line (in ALL weather) with everything I own to sing and act as best I could under two minutes for a bunch of strangers. Sometimes I'd have a great audition and a great catering shift, other days my audition bag would break in the middle of 8th avenue and a guest would "accidentally" splatter salsa down my all-white (oh yes, we had all white catering tuxedos too!) catering outfit in front of the high strung party planner. I was one of the lucky ones, though. I lived with some of the best people I've ever known, got to explore New York City like a local, and I did get to perform.

No one really tells you that once you get to New York that you'll be spending a lot of time moving away from it to go work while finding a (hopefully nice and clean) sublettor to fill your room and pay your rent while you're gone. Everything was worth it though, I've learned that more times than I can count. On top of multiple regional roles, I got to tour the United States with a children's show called "How I Became A Pirate", I got to perform in Las Vegas and Flordia with a jukebox musical called "The D*Word; Ditched, Dumped, Dating, and Divorced", I worked at one of most beautiful resorts in the United States singing some of my favorite music, and all along the way I continued to work and meet some incredible people while I was doing what I loved. At the end of my contract at said beautiful resort, I happened to send in my headshot and resume to a brand new theater in Charleston, SC for a brand new 1940s Musical called "Boogie Woogie Bugle Gals", and the rest is history. Thanks to this brand new theatre (34 West Theatre Company), Charleston became home before I even realized it. I was very lucky to do four shows with them back to back, hopping back and forth between New York City and Charleston between each one. Then, I met a redheaded chef, fell in love with him and his two very fat cats, and Charleston officially became home. I was in the middle of a wonderful artistic community, I loved this city, and I loved the person I was experiencing it with. I had grown up going to Myrtle Beach every year (don't hate - North Myrtle has a lot of charm!), but this was an introduction to a beautiful and bustling southern town that I didn't expect. I fell in love with so much, and fell in love hard. (Hello - can we talk about the food?!)

One thing many performers won't tell you or talk about is their time in-between shows. That's because it's not the most glamorous or mentally healthy time for a performer. Granted, if a period in between a show is your chance to see your family and friends or go on vacation, that's a totally different story. If you come off of a long contract, get a chance to settle in back at home, and a chance to recover, and still don't have your next show lined up? That's the danger zone. Your bank account starts getting low, your anxiety starts to get high, and you're curious if you'll ever work again. Many performers (not all - we are all very different and all have different paths) have what we call "survivor jobs" aka jobs that help pay the bills but aren't performing jobs. The best survivor jobs are the ones that you love and help ease that time in between shows. They are even better when you get to work with incredibly talented, hilarious, and kind people that inspire you and push you to be better. That's how Creative Consulting kind of fell into my lap - like many things in my life. All by chance, luck, and being in the right place at the right time.

I had been doing some social media work of my own ever since I moved to Charleston in 2015 (again by sheer luck!) and realized that it was not only artistically fulfilling, it was also something I could take with me anywhere. I could get a show tomorrow (well, maybe not TOMORROW, thanks pandemic!) and take my job with me. Ironically it was social media that lead me to Creative. They posted a job advertisement on Facebook, and I just figured why not? I applied, interviewed, and now a year and a half later here I am, part of the crazy and wonderful Creative family, still learning every day, still being creative, and incredibly thankful. 2020 was a doozy for performers, as you can imagine. While there are some performing opportunities out there, I personally don't feel safe about those opportunities right now. With family members and loved ones in those danger zone ages, being engaged to a chef who works at a very popular restaurant, and just being honestly a little afraid of this pandemic, I have chosen to put performing on hold until it's safe (for me) to do so. This is why Creative has been such a saving grace this year. I've been creatively fulfilled, I have a wonderful community of creatives around me and a job. These three things have been taken away from a lot of people due to the pandemic, and because of that, I count my blessings every day. 

So, that's me! Now when you visit the Creative offices and you hear someone who is (naturally) a very loud speaker and could potentially be caught singing a show tune or two, you have a better idea of whos behind it. This is also a big virtual hug to the Creative team, and to the whole arts community. You've inspired me with your perseverance and the fact that we are in this together. Since I owe my teammates the same kindness that they gave me - please find my questionnaire filled out below! 

Name: Maddie Casto 

How long have you been working at CC: 
About a year and a half. 

How did you hear about the positions: 
I happened to see a job posting on Facebook that they had put out looking for a content creator and blog writer. I filled out an application, and about a month later I had my first interview with Meg and Stephen. Like I mentioned in Rebekah's blog, I didn't think I was going to get the job, but looks like the universe had a different idea! 

What do you do for CC: 
I am the blog writer! 

What is your favorite part about working for CC: 
The incredible people I work with. They're hilarious, so creative, intelligent, passionate, and I love that my job is another unique creative outlet. In another life, I wanted to be a writer, and by chance, this job is letting me do that! 

What have you learned since you worked at CC: 
I would have to write an entire blog on this topic! I do feel that I learn something new every time I'm in the office. One of the great things about working for CC is that it is a collaborative learning environment.

What is your favorite part of your workday at CC: 
Working with this incredible team! Also, there is NOTHING like how it feels when you've finished writing your blogs for the month. 

Favorite memory at CC so far:
Right after I started working with CC, it was their 5 year birthday, and Meg and Stephen threw a huge birthday party with incredible food and invited clients and friends to help celebrate. Seeing that room full of people who loved and supporting the business and meeting the clients was such an exciting experience. However, there is a new great memory that I make almost every week - and I am so thankful for that. 

Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC): 
OH MAN - can I tell you, I love so many, but my new favorite obsession is the Cuban Gypsy Pantry. The FOOD! If you haven't tried it yet - GO NOW! 

What is your educational background: 
I graduated with a BFA in Acting with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. 

What are your hobbies: 
Journaling, reading, playing video games, spending way too much time with my cats, watching movies and TV

What is your favorite book, color, song, movie: 
Favorite Book: The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert/Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens, and the ENTIRE The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher
Color: Red + Purple
Song: I have so so many. My dad was a radio DJ in the 70s and 80s and my mom introduced all the musical movies to me growing up. I feel like if I name just one, I'm betraying so many others! If There's A Rock Tie Me To by Snow Patrol is one of my all-time favorite pop songs - Roses Turn is one of my all-time favorite Musical Theater Songs. 
Favorite Movie: Basically anything with Tom Hanks in it or basically anything on TCM or AMC. 

Interesting Facts: 
I am an only child, I've moved over 20 times in my life, my dad was a radio DJ in the 70s and 80s, I'm distantly related to Jacques Cousteau, I've met Rosemary Cloony's Brother (George Clooney's dad!)

Favorite Food: 
Asian and Mexican food! 

Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville: 
Cuban Gypsy Pantry, Chez Nous, Rutledge Kitchen, Chubby Fish, NICO, Raw 167, Jackrabbit Filly, EVO, Millers All Day, The Daily, Bucher and Bee, Edmunds Oas 

Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville: 
Shopping, try new restaurants, spending time at the beach, spending time with my little family, and finding new coffee shops! 

Thank you so much for coming on this journey with us - and here is to the continuation of learning more about our crafts, supporting one another, to a new year, and to working towards new and exciting things together as a community. Thank you for adopting me, Summerville, and for being so supportive of the company that has been so incredibly kind to me. Now that you know almost everything about me, back I go behind my pen! Until next time Summerville, find the silver lining in your life, and stay caffeinated!

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Don't Lose Sight of Your Website

12/9/2020

 
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​Having the strongest tools in your online marketing toolbox should be one of your top priorities for your business. Having a strong, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to use website should be one of those incredibly sharp tools!  

Hello, Summerville! Welcome back to the blog writers desk and welcome to December! How excited are you to drive and walk around our cute little town and see it decorated to the holiday nines? Don't forget to shop local and shop small this year. 2020 has been a hard year for all of our local businesses, and right now more than ever they need your love and support. Our incredible town has something for everyone on your holiday shopping list this year. Personalized and unique gifts, gift cards to your favorite restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries, and fun (socially distanced and safe) activities, and much more can all be found right here in the sweet tea capital of the world! Don't forget, shopping locally and supporting local small businesses help support our neighbors and our local economy. Investing in it is an investment back for you! Also, if you don't feel safe shopping or ordering in person from all of your favorite local businesses, many of them are selling their products, gift cards, and services on their websites! Many local artists are also selling their goods on Etsy, on their websites, off of their social media pages, and more! If you need any recommendations on where to shop this year, please reach out to us, visit your favorite local Summerville websites, and ask around! Make this holiday a very special one, regardless of how difficult it has been for all of us!

Speaking of online shopping, social media pages, and websites we wanted to focus on sharpening one of the many important tools you need to have in your small business toolbox this time of year, and all year round. We need to start the conversation about having an excellent website. After making it through all of your online holiday marketing planning these last few months and putting all of that into action, it's time to get ready for the upcoming new year. We know how busy this time of year is for you, but we also know you understand that work for a small business never stops. All of us at Creative are constantly pushing ourselves and working towards how we can better ourselves to help our clients, and how we can help our clients grow to their next level of business. One of the many steps we help our clients grow and prosper in, what one of our tops services is, and what we promote very often our on social media pages is having a strong, functional, and beautiful website. As the 2018 and 2019 winners of the Readers Choice and Berkeley County Best Web Design Firm, we wanted to dedicate one of our very last blogs of 2020 to the many reasons why having an excellent website is so important. 

[Introduction, Please!]
In today's world where almost all first introductions and interactions individuals make with a new company, restaurant, or service start with a Google search, having an excellent website is a must. This will be your introduction to most of your new clients, supporters, and consumers. It is more likely for a curious individual to turn to their web browser to look for what they need or ask for an opinion through their social media network than any other forms of search. Having a welcoming, easy to navigate, and beautiful website serves as that first handshake in these situations, and automatically gives you credibility to these new hopeful potential clients without you having to lift a finger. Google helps with these introductions too, especially if your SEO is top-notch.

However, if you don't even have a website, that can be a fatal blow to your company and a huge loss in clients and sales. The amount of organic traffic your company will receive by having a website is incredibly important and can be stronger than print, radio, or TV advertisement in many cases. However, if you are only using print, TV, and radio advertisement and don't have a website, this will automatically cause you to lose credibility too. It will seem strange in today's world that you wouldn't have a website. Potential customers want to learn more about your services, your prices, and how to contact you without having to go digging to find it. If this isn't readily available through a website, it is highly unlikely that they would choose your business over someone who does have a website with all of this information. Having a website is one step closer to knowing and trusting the company behind the website before even choosing to work with someone.

That being said, if you do have a website but it's not pleasing to the eye, difficult to navigate, lacking information, and lacking contact information, this will also repel your potential customers. No one wants to spend extra time nor do they want to get frustrated by having to dig for information, get confused on how to interact with your website, or not finding any of the information they are looking for. You want a design that's pleasing to look at, explains exactly what your company does and what it offers, who customers can talk to, all while staying true to your unique brand.

[Sense of Easy, not Urgency]
You have a strong, beautifully crafted, and easy to navigate website - now what? In 2020, the pandemic has kept many people out of brick and mortar stores, and kept them to window shopping on their phones and computers from the safety and comfort of their couches. This trend has been powerful and popular even before the pandemic hit. Physical window shopping is slowly becoming a thing of the past while the power of scrolling and Google search shopping is slowly starting to take its place. It's easier, faster, and a gateway to finding new products and services at the click of a button. It's also a huge time saver and potentially a huge moneymaker for your business. Where does this all start? With a strong website.

While many new clients might find out about your products and services thanks to your social media pages on Instagram and Facebook, they will still be lead to your website landing page to decide if they're going to buy from you and what they're going to buy. Having a website can also expand your customer base. You or your brick and mortar shop might be located on the west coast, but having a website could allow you to sell your goods across the country or even globally. You are opening the market to anyone in the world, or where you personally choose to ship to, by having a website.

In this day and in this year, where the pandemic has made it hard to hold onto a brick and mortar location, a website can free you up from the responsibilities that come with it and the rent you have to pay to keep it. If you have a strong website backed up by an incredibly active social media and SEO presence, and you can ship your goods and products anywhere, you don't need that brick and mortar store unless you want it. On the other hand, if your company offers a service and you prefer to operate mobile out of a car or company vehicle, a well-crafted website can continue to promote your services while also avoiding a brick and mortar location.

[A Conversation Worth Having]
We've talked about the importance of communication in many of our blogs. Responding to comments or messages on social media in a very timely manner, responding to emails as quickly as possible, and giving your customers a place to start a conversation are some of the most important practices a business needs to have and provide. Having a website allows this communication to happen with ease and allows it to be organized for you and instant for your customers. It provides the information needed to contact you with any questions, problems, and concerns right away. Adding a chatbox can provide quick and 24/7 customer support instantly, too. This also allows, subconsciously, for your clients to connect with you and trust you with ease and without causing a headache.

Don't forget that a website not only makes the process easy for your clients, but it also makes your job easier too. That's the dream right there, isn't it? Once you create your stunning website and keep up with its maintenance throughout your company's lifetime, you're set to go. At this point, you'll have nowhere to go but up. A website will also be a godsend for your marketing team, who need all your love this time of year. Once you've established an excellent website, planning for sales, holidays, and new products will be so much easier for them. They have a landing page to display these changes, the ease to direct new and returning clients on where they can buy your goods and services, and an established brand to base all of their marketing off of! What a relief!

We understand the hesitations in hiring a company like ours to build, create, and manage a website. We've heard and understood all of them. However, if you want your company to continue to grow, have credibility, if you want people to know who you are and what your company does, continue to make money, and make a good first impression, a well-designed website is the way to go. We are here to chat with you about any questions and concerns you might have about building or redesigning your website and to help get you started. Creating beautiful websites is one of our many passions and something we hope you're getting excited about! Let's get started taking your business to the next level with the website of your dreams, contact us today! Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!
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Rebranding Is Not An Ending; It's a Rebirth (Part Two)

11/25/2020

 
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In part two of this blog, we are going to be discussing the best ways to go about successfully and painlessly rebranding your company. 

Hello Summerville, and welcome back to the Creative Consulting blog! We are excited that you've returned to continue learning more about the importance and sometimes necessary steps of rebranding your company. In the first part of this blog, we discussed some of the many reasons why your company might need to rebrand. While the idea of rebranding does come with a negative connotation, we hope that our last blog has helped normalize the idea that more often than not rebranding is very refreshing and can be incredibly successful and exciting! We know it can be scary to even consider this idea, but we are here to help.

We can speak from experience and say that as we've helped many of our client's rebrand, that it is a very successful and positive step for your business when it's needed. It is an opportunity to learn even more about who you are as a business owner, express what makes your company unique in a whole new way, and reconnect with why you started your business in the first place. Rebranding is not starting from square one, it's reinventing the square itself. If you don't think your company has a brand or a very strong one, think again! Your brand holds much more power than you think, and it does deserve the time and appreciation to reflect your business. Let's get started on rebranding with some of the most successful and pain-free ways possible! 

In our last blog, we talked about how one of the very first steps in rebranding is usually the need for a new logo. Remember, rebranding is much more than just changing your logo and crossing your fingers and hoping everything is going to be alright. This is going to be a multiple-step process, and you need to invest the same amount of time and energy into each of these steps for rebranding to be successful. Somewhere along the way, your branding that worked in the past has stopped working, and this needs to change! 

[WHO YOU'RE SPEAKING TO]
As we mentioned in part one of this blog, one of the many reasons why a company should go through with a rebrand is because their audience is or has changed. Remember how we've mentioned those incredibly important, easy to find, and free analytics that all social media platforms give you? Please pay attention to them! Make note of who is responding to your social media posts, who is buying your products, and who spends the most time seeking you out online. If it's not the audience you expected or intended, that's okay! Don't be afraid to embrace a whole new group and demographic of customers. They are here to buy your product. With the free research that so many platforms give you, allow that to power other forms of research. Research what is attractive and what attracts your new group of customers. What appeals to them in marketing and what is the best way to reach them? Have you been operating mostly off your website, but this new audience loves Instagram and Facebook? Then it might be time to start a new overhaul of what your brand looks like and how you're reaching this new audience. 

It's important to know and understand who this new audience is so you know exactly how to speak to them and sell for them. This can also be a situation where competitors have popped up with new products that are directly getting in the way of your company, and they are creating new competition that you never expected. Embracing and focusing on this new audience can help you build up a strong relationship with them and put you ahead of these new competitors. What is the most difficult part of this step? Time. You have to pay attention to these changes, learn about your new audience, and adapt to what this audience needs. In the long run, this will be time well spent. 

[IS THE NAME IN THE GAME]
We might be throwing around the idea that changing your company's name has to be apart of the rebranding process and that it is very simple to do. Please by no means walk away from this blog series thinking that is the case. To rebrand, you do not have to change your name if you don't want to. If the name is still working and has become a staple to who and what your company does, don't throw it away. Changing your companies name can be one of the most dangerous choices in rebranding. This decision needs to be thought through with extreme care. If a new name is something that you and your company are working towards, then you should also consider a plan for introducing the world to this new name. Plan out how to successfully explain that the company that used to be known as "A" is now "X". Heading to the drawing board and brainstorming is one of the best ways you can go about coming up with a new name. According to Hubspot, some of the greatest ways to do so are: 
  • Take a word and use it in a new way
  • Change the spelling of a word to make it stand out 
  • Create a brand new word
  • Consider using other languages
  • Create a fun and exciting acronym with your team
These are just a few starting points in renaming. They're simple, ways to help you focus all of your ideas, but there are still many other ways in going about the renaming process. Don't limit your creative endeavors with this. 

When you're considering changing your name, a lot of the time that also comes with changing your slogan. Please consider why you are changing your slogan before actually doing so. If the slogan no longer matches your services and what your company represents then, by all means, changing it is appropriate. If you are sick of the slogan because you've seen it and said it for so long, consider hitting the brakes before changing it out of annoyance. If the slogan is still working, still catchy, and your customers still love it, there is no reason to get rid of it. Instead, put some new life into it and rediscover why the slogan is so important. If you decide to change your company's name, make sure it fits the current or new slog you've created too. 

[WATCHING YOUR Ps & Qs]
Rebranding might go much deeper than what your customers see. This can be the most difficult part of the rebranding process, as this can touch on some very real and personal aspects at the core of why you started your company. Over time, as most companies do, you will evolve and change. Your products and what you're working towards can completely change from what they were when you started. This is a change in your vision. Your vision is the map as to why your company does what it does and the reason behind every decision you make. If this changes, your branding needs to reflect this. If your vision changes, many other aspects will change including your mission, your values, and the overall voice of your brand. 
  • Your company's mission is how you're going to succeed with your vision. It is the statement and guidebook on how you work every day to successfully do what your company has sought out to do. Once your vision changes, your mission will need to change along with it and support what's next. 
  • Once the mission and vision of your company have changed, your values will change along with them. Changing your values isn't a bad thing, it's a change and a redirection as to why you're doing what you're doing, why you're providing your services, and why your goods and services make life better. Once this domino effect of changes happens, your values will need to reflect all of this change as well to successfully direct your whole rebrand. 
  • Finally, the last domino to fall in this process is a change in your voice. If how you're working, why you're working, and who you're working for has changed, how you speak about and represent your products and services will change. How you speak about your products and services will change when you redirect who you want to buy your services and products. Also, if you've changed the very core of why your company exists, this will drastically change the tone of your interactions with the world at large. That's alright! Let it grow naturally from these changes and freely embrace this new voice. 

How are you feeling after reading this, readers? We know that rebranding can come off as a mid-life crisis or a personality swap. While that's how it might look on the surface, that is what you want and need to avoid. When rebranding, think of it as captaining a strong ship. The rebranding process is deciding to turn the wheel and create a new map to avoid oncoming storms and to finally find that treasure you've been searching for. It's a process that cannot be done alone or on a whim. We urge you to take both parts of this blog very seriously when thinking about rebranding. If it is still something you want to do, but it's just too daunting to do alone, we are here to help you take these important steps! Please feel free to reach out! Until next time, stay safe and caffeinated Summerville!

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Creative Consulting: A Spotlight On Michael Andrew Hatchell

11/18/2020

 
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Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.

Hello Summerville, and welcome back to the blog writer's desk! We are taking a break from your normally scheduled program of learning more about the social media and marketing world, and welcoming you back into the personal offices of Creative Consulting! I'm not sure about you, but the fact that there are only a few weeks left of 2020 seems pretty crazy, right? This year has sped by, and in many ways, that is really alright! Before I get too ahead of myself and dive into the Holidays (hold me back, I am ready for some tensile and fake snow!) I am trying to soak up the last bit of fall right here in the heart of Summerville. Have you recently taken a walk around our adorable little square? It is still emerald green, the fountain is bubbling, and all the shops have their doors open and ready to welcome each of us. I just took a walk with a cool cup of joy from Cuppa Manna and enjoyed a little slice of Summerville. If you haven't done that recently, I would recommend it for your next break during the workday. 

I am also very excited to get back to one of my favorite series of blogs I have written for CC, our spotlight on each of our team members! I know that I say this in every blog, but it so refreshing to learn and read more about my coworkers, especially if they are newer to the company. Creative has come to a very exciting threshold that many young businesses work towards. We are growing and planning for something big, and every time I'm in the office or talk to my teammates, it feels like we are standing on a precipice of something very exciting. One of these exciting things came in with our newest team member, Michael Andrew Hatchell. Andrew, who is our Customer Relations Manager and Marketing Specialist, has given so much to Creative in the very short time he has been with us. Hiring Andrew meant that our relationships with our clients could become more hands-on, more time could be delegated to new ventures, and more things could get done on a day to day basis. Andrews's expertise and fresh new ideas have been an exciting part of the Creative work week, and I have enjoyed working with him. 

Being a blog writer is a very unique hat to wear, while my background is in the arts, I spend a lot of my time learning and researching about a whole slew of topics that I personally had never spent time on until this job appeared. Just like any artist or writer, writer's block is very common. I spend more time brainstorming and staring at my blinking cursor than I care to admit. My Creative team has always been so supportive when it comes to helping me brainstorm and come up with the next new and exciting topic for my set of blogs every month. It has also been fun to sit one on one with Andrew almost every week brainstorming about our clients in a whole new way. If you are a new client with Creative or a perspective one, and you haven't met Andrew yet, you will truly enjoy working with him. He supports and loves the business, he is always excited to learn, and always excited to talk about food and his beautiful family. I am so excited that he's joined our Creative family, and I look forward to seeing what wonderful things he has in store! Dear readers, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Michael Andrew Hatchell! 


Name:
Michael Andrew Hatchell

How long have you been working at CC:
Almost two months!

How did you hear about the positions:
I reached out to Stephen organically. I didn’t see a job posting, just walked in, and handed him a resume. Then I just waited semi-patiently for a call.

What do you do for CC:
Marketing strategy and customer relations. I analyze all the statistics for the client’s website and social media so I can come up with a formula to increase the business’s outreach.

What is your favorite part about working for CC:
The people are already some of the best I have ever worked with.
Everyone is so nice, very helpful, and extremely talented. I feel fortunate to be a part of Creative Consulting.

What have you learned since you worked at CC:
I studied marketing in college but what you learn in the books is very different from real-world application. I have learned a lot about how to take the information I got from college and really apply it to helping businesses grow in the greater Charleston area.

What is your favorite part of your workday at CC:
Meeting with existing and prospective clients. I love meeting new people and learning about them. Everyone has such an interesting story and nobody is the same, so it keeps you on your toes.

Favorite memory at CC so far:
We are in the midst of conducting a case study around videography.
We had a film crew in the office and was able to finally meet everyone face to face.  

Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC):
It’s not fair in my opinion to have a favorite here in Summerville.
There are so many great businesses and they all have different specialties. The most recent discovery though would have to be Patrick the Groomsmith. Highly professional and one of the best master barbers I have had the pleasure to get a haircut from.

What is your educational background:
Graduated from Limestone University with a BS in Business Administration where I majored in marketing. Currently, I attend Webster University and should graduate with my MBA in the summer of 2021.

What are your hobbies:
Other than being with my 4-year-old, I love to cook and play instruments. Really anything music-related. I also enjoy the outdoors, so hunting, fishing, and golf are up there on the list.

What is your favorite book, color, song, movie:
Being that I spent a good bit of time in school recently, I don’t have much pleasure reading going on. I most recently read “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins and absolutely loved it.

Interesting Facts:
I was in the Navy for nine years. There, I traveled a lot and got to experience a plethora of different cultures and food which is some of my favorite things!

Favorite Food:
I’m not a picky eater by any means, but I do prefer home-cooked meals. On Saturdays, you may find me in the back yard running my smoker. I love making and eating barbecue.

Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville:
Another tough one. It depends on my mood but I love Poogan’s Porch and 843 BBQ. 843 BBQ is a Korean restaurant and sushi bar. Great for date nights. Poogan’s Porch is great food and is awesome for a late breakfast on Sunday mornings.

Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville:
My wife and I love to just go walking around Charleston and seeing the sites. After five years of living here, my wife still can’t believe we only live 30 to 45 minutes from downtown Charleston (depending on traffic).

I don't know about you, but after I went back and re-read Andrew's interview while preparing this blog, I was craving BBQ and a nice walk around some of my favorite places in Charleston, how about you? This blog, while it does give you an insight into Andrew's passion and humor, you'll have to meet him in person to really see and enjoy it. Summerville, keep your eyes open for this gentleman. If you don't know him yet, he will become a staple in the area. He is here to support your business, help you grow, and help Summerville grow and prosper in some very new and exciting ways! Again, many thanks to Andrew for spending the time working with me on this blog, and helping me be better at my job every day! I hope you all enjoyed another visit with me and another of my teammates! Until next time Summerville, find the fun in the puzzles you come across in your life and stay caffeinated!
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Creative Consulting: A Spotlight On Capers Leaver

11/9/2020

 
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Get to know the hilarious, hard-working, and creative individuals that make up the Creative Consulting family one blog at a time.

Hello again Summerville, and welcome back to the blog writer's desk! I am here to bring you yet another wonderful blog introducing you to another team member and family member of the Creative Consulting family! As October draws to a close, we are trying to enjoy every moment of fall that we can. Have you taken a walk up and down the main square of town? It's covered head to toe in some of the best and most creative Halloween decorations we've ever seen! Every shop has its own flair of All Hallows Eve, luring us in with the promise of delicious treats, candy, or just some spooky fun. While Halloween and all of our frightful fun might be a little different this year, there is still something magical about this time of year that nothing can get in the way of. One of the most magical things we love to see every day is how vibrant and alive Summerville seems to grow every day. More shops are bustling, restaurants are getting back to their normal business, and even a few new potential budding businesses might even begin popping up. It feels like fall has brought in a cool breeze of fresh air, and it's something we've all needed.

I continue to sit happily from my writer's desk watching the town of Summerville bustle around me, taking everything in. While I continue to research and dive deep into a myriad of topics for each of our clients to make each of my blogs better than the next, I love to look up and watch the town float by for a few minutes. It's refreshing, thank you, Summerville. One of my most favorite projects of this year has been these spotlight blogs. I say it every time I sit down to write one, that I love continuing to learn more about my teammates. Each interview and blog is more surprising than the next, and it opens my eyes to these incredible individuals sitting around me helping Creative Consulting grow one day at a time. Each of them truly put the heart and soul of creativity into our name, that's for sure!

For this blog's feature, we are spending time and interviewing one of the very first company members, Mr. Capers Lever. Capers was on the welcome wagon when I joined the team and has been an incredible support to me personally since day one. If you didn't know, my blogging work is closely connected to his work with SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Every important keyword and piece of information that is trending or relevant right now that lives within each of my blogs is key for the work he does every day. For the last year and a half, it has been a joy to work with him. I have also never met someone who loves Dunkin Donuts as much as him. If you're reading this Dunkin, I wanted to let you know that I work with one of your biggest fan's and he deserves at least one or two free treats this week. He is the definition of a professional, but he always knows when to make you laugh at the most perfectly timed moments. He also tends to keep you on your toes and surprise you with every little fact he shares about himself or what he's up to during our Monday meetings. Going through this interview was no exception to that - Capers continues to surprise me and make me laugh out loud. I hope you enjoy reading this blog and Capers' interview as much as I enjoyed writing it! It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Capers Lever!

How long have you been working at CC:
5 years

How did you hear about the positions:
From Stephen as he was starting the company.

What do you do for CC:
I do pay per click advertising and search engine optimization.

What is your favorite part about working for CC:
Being able to work from anywhere at any time. The internet connects us all and allows us to be in separate places while still having the ability to communicate and work effectively.

What have you learned since you worked at CC:
I've learned the importance of having a very good team and diversity of thought.

What is your favorite part of your workday at CC:
I've always liked puzzles and most of my job is finding logical solutions to real-world puzzles. So I get to sit down with a coffee every morning and solve problems.

Favorite memory at CC so far:
My favorite memory is being here to see Creative Consulting grow from where we started to where we are now.

Favorite Summerville Small Business (besides CC):
Cuppa Manna, within walking distance of the office and great coffee.

What is your education background:
My degree from CSU is in Computer Science. Many of the skills help to understand SEO on a deeper level.

What are your hobbies:
I collect hobbies. I pick up and put down hobbies regularly. I have played sports for almost my whole life. Beyond that, I've done everything from mixed martial arts to golf, and everything in-between.

What is your favorite book, color, song, movie:
The Eragon series of books were my favorite. Favorite color is blue. I love music way too much to pick one song, my favorite band is probably Pink Floyd. Favorite movie is Book of Eli, Denzel is the GOAT.

Interesting Facts:
I was a classical pianist for 4 years.

Favorite Food:
Bulgogi, I love Korean BBQ

Favorite Restaurant in Charleston/Summerville:
843 a Korean BBQ Place, imagine that.

Favorite things to do in Charleston/Summerville:
The most fun thing to do in Charleston is to go have some food and drinks somewhere that fits your fancy. The atmosphere here is one of the best in the world.

What an incredible guy, am I right? I think one of the most surprising things to me that I will have to ask a few more follow up questions about,  is about his time as a classical pianist. With my background in performance and music, that will be a very fun rabbit hole to go down. Also, I have never heard Charleston better described than how he answered his last question. The atmosphere here really is one of the best in the world, isn't it? What a great reminder of all the beauty that is right here around us and all within such a short distance! Again, many thanks to Capers for spending the time working with me on this blog, and helping me be better at my job every day! I hope you all enjoyed another visit with me and another of my teammates! Until next time Summerville, find the fun in the puzzles you come across in your life and stay caffeinated!
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Facing Facts and Numbers: Lead Generation Vs. Exposure

8/19/2020

 
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Curious about lead generation and exposure for your business? Not sure what the difference is between the two or what they can do for your online marketing? We are here to answer all those questions and more! 

Hello, Summerville! We hope this blog finds you happy and well. This has been a very exciting few weeks for us, and if you've been following our social media pages (which if you're not - catch up!) you'll understand why! We've started a new local business feature, we've started a brand new video series answering all your business questions, and more! Stephen was also a recent guest on Invest Local!, a fantastic local podcast. Visit their website to hear Stephen give the insider scoop on what it's like to run a top-tier, full-service agency that handles client's brands from a hands-on and personal approach! We have so many exciting things coming our way, and we are so thankful for the amazing community of Summerville for helping us make it all possible! 

One of our most recent posts on social media was dedicated to Lead Generation vs. Exposure. Did you know that there are two main types of digital marketing? That's right! Lead Generation and Exposure are those two main types. Lead generation seeks out new leads or sales and exposure grows your audience and brings awareness to your business. We wanted to dig a little deeper into these ideas and talk a little more about how both can help your company grow and why they're so important. If you want to know which focus is best for your business needs, reach out to us! We can help you understand the strategies used in each type of marketing, and help you create your custom system. 

Lead Generation
One of the most important things for businesses to gain through their marketing is to convert followers into clients. You don't want to waste time or money into an advertisement plan that doesn't get attention or any conversion. That goes against the whole purpose of why you have an advertising plan in the first place. With the way that the market is right now, and with so much up in the air, you want to make the most of your advertisement right now. Your goal, as always, is to attract the highest quality followers and leads that are going to turn into consistent and supportive customers. 
  • Education is key! Your audience is smarter than you realize and you want to take advantage of that. Accord to Forbes, people are wanting to learn more and continue their education now more than ever thanks to how much time we are spending at home. Allow your audience to learn more about you, what you can offer, and how your company can help them or their businesses become the best versions of themselves. Have you noticed how often we talk about education and how our company can benefit others? 
  • Exciting content! We've said it many times through our blog in our social media posts. Whatever kind of content you create, it needs to pop, grab your audience, and allow them to take action with it right away. Have them follow a call to action to visit your website or provide them with information they can use to improve their day and work-life right away. If you nurture this creative relationship and continue to create exciting content, your audience will keep coming back. They will want to be involved, supportive, and to see what else you might have to offer next. Inspire them, give them something beautiful or interesting to look at, and a reason to come back for more. 
  • Remember, lead generation is using your content to turn your followers into clients. What they see is what will help you stay in their focus. Free trials, webinars, and email blasts are other excellent examples of lead generation. You can use each of these tools to flex your knowledge, skills, and specialty and share it in unique and exciting ways. Think of these tools and ideas as ways of nurturing your key demographic and everyone you want to take notice of your company. You have to care for and nurture any plant you want fruit from. Your clients and their future purchases need to be cared for in a very similar fashion.

Exposure Marketing
According to Forbes, most new small businesses fail because they didn't have enough exposure in the beginning, to get the clientele needed to get them off the ground. Early exposure can help you get ahead of the game, ahead of your competitors, and help keep your head above water. The main focus is to grow your audience at a steady and productive rate. You need to understand and know your product and what demographic will be most likely drawn to your goods and services to make this a successful campaign. Once you understand that, you can begin to expose them to what goods and services your company offers, and why you're the experts in the world of your industry. It's an important process that needs to be seen in the early stages of your company and throughout its entire lifetime. 
  • With this kind of marketing, and within any successful marketing plan, you aren't waiting for clients to magically find you or have them come to you. Its time for you to skip the waiting period and go right to them. Invest in the proper tools, like SEO, to get you in front of your proper future clientele. 
  • Once you get in front of the right audience, the natural word of mouth will help the growth of your following. Once this is successful, you can begin using all different types of marketing strategies to continue your follower growth. You are looking to grow your audience with this type of marketing, not necessarily gain sales. But, in the long run, if you have more visitors to your company, the more likely it is to have more sales. 
  • When advertising, make your product worthy of your brand and worthy to advertise. Make your product stand out for what puts you above and beyond your competitors. Make sure you're doing so in interesting and unique ways that will grab the attention of your followers. 
  • You are building awareness about your business and your product when using this type of marketing. A great way to attract followers is to put time and effort into knowing what your reputation and brand is and to focus on those ideals. This is an opportunity for your audience to get to know you very well right from the start, and to inspire them to want to create a relationship with you. 

What is very important to remember is that both types of marketing are not only important to your business, but also to one another. Someone might be introduced to your company due to your exposure, and thanks to the efforts of successful lead generation, could become official clients. It can be difficult to pick and put either practice of marketing into successful action. We are here to help you make those decisions and to make that marketing dream become a successful reality. Have any questions? Please feel free to reach out, we'd love to hear from you! If you would like more in-depth training and someone to help you walk through your issues, we can help you with that. We offer individual social media training to walk you through on how to use each platform. If you or your company wants to take another step up in your online business world, we are here to make that happen. Don't hesitate to reach out. We are here and excited to help your company grow. Thank you for continuing to follow us, learn with us, and support us. We are here for you Summerville, no matter what! 
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Facebook Stories; Adding Them to Your Workflow (Part Two!)

5/1/2020

 
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We promised more information on the importance and joys of adding Facebook Stories to your workflow, and so we are going to deliver!

Hello again, sweet Summerville! Welcome back. We hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy. Keep washing those hands and practicing social distancing! If you have the chance, we also encourage you to support local businesses as much as you can right now. So many of the staples we love that are Summerville through and through need your love and support. Get carry out, pick up some coffee, and visit your favorite local artist's websites or Etsy pages! Every little bit helps right now, and we encourage you to pay it forward. If you'd like some recommendations about some of our favorite local businesses, please don't hesitate to reach out to us! We have been enjoying our fair share of our favorite Summerville things thanks to delivery and pickup!

Now, let's jump back into some work. Our last blog kicked off our blog series discussing the importance of Facebook Stories. We just had so much to share - we couldn't limit it to just one post!  Even though we are all smartly practicing social distancing, one of the many ways we can all stay connected is social media. We can stay close and remain in contact with as many people as our hearts desire thanks to social media. This is why it is so important. You can remind your audience that you're still here, you still care about how they're doing and that you and your company will still be here when all of this is finally over

YOUR CUSTOMERS; THEIR NEEDS
We've touched on the topic of customer experience and service multiple times throughout our blogs in the last few months. The importance placed upon it needs to become one of your top priorities. Good customer service is one of the top digital trends for 2020. How to listen and connect with your clients needs to evolve and grow over time. We love being heard, and we all love when our opinion is valued and listened to. Stories, videos, and going live on Facebook gives your client an in-person opportunity to give and voice their opinions. It opens up the floor to more of your followers to join in on the conversation and to agree and disagree with their peer's needs or opinions in a safe and productive environment. Take what your followers say to heart. If they aren't opinions or needs that you feel are in your companies best interest, that's ok. But acknowledging them means a lot to your customers. You can create images and stories to hype up announcements, new products, sales, and exciting events they can all attend - either online or hopefully soon, in person. When you go live on Facebook, you can see the comments your follows are making in real-time and you can physically respond to them. What an instant connection! You can answer questions, solve issues, express gratitude, and connect with your audience in real-time. This frees up time that you would be spending answering these questions and concerns via email or phone call, allowing you to get back to work.

ANOTHER CHANNEL
Being consistent is an excellent tool in branding and leading a successful company. Being consistent creates a subconscious connection between you and your clients and a sense of safety and trust that they can depend on. But, that doesn't mean that everything you post has to be the same. This can draw more of your follows to check out other platforms that you run your social media on, and is another tool you can use to get your customers excited. For example, you might only make announcements about new products, deals, and giveaways on your Facebook stories. But, you hint on all of your social media platforms that to view and learn about these announcements you have to view it on Facebook stories. This can then bring your Instagram or other platform's audience to your Facebook page and vice versa. This is a great way to cross-promote your social media platforms and to keep up traffic to all of your pages. Also, different audiences prefer different types of social media platforms. When creating any story, tailor them to the platform and the audience that prefers it. Not only are you speaking to your audience through your Facebook videos, but you are also speaking to a very specific group and demographic.

IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING
Just like Instagram, Facebook Stories live right at the top of your followers' Facebook feeds. They are the first thing that pops up once the app is loaded on their phone or computers. Staying at the top of their page and in their minds' eyes is very important and effective for your business. This is very similar to putting in the much needed time for SEO and getting your company in the top few results in Google searches. This is why you need real and in the moment, not perfect, videos. The more honest they are and the more you draw in your audience, your stories will remain in a consistent spot in their feeds.

Are you getting excited about the potential Facebook stories can bring to you and your company? We hope so. Even if you're still a bit skeptical, now is a great time to try out the many features Facebook stories can give you. Have fun, be bold, and be honest. Your audience, customers, and fans love and support you for a reason. Let that reason shine through your posts! Don't let your audience forget about you, and don't forget about them. We hope you're doing well, Summerville. We miss seeing you and look forward to enjoying our town together very soon. Stay safe, stay smart, and stay home!

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