Snapchat- a commentary: is it the new TV and the new ads

I have recently jumped back in with both feet to Snap chat.  I love it.  It has changed some of my habits with media, which I find an interesting thing to “watch”. I would consider myself a busy, hard working adult.  I am by no means the busiest but lately  I only have about an hour of “chill before bed time” these days.  My old habit is to watch TV in bed, this has been my favorite thing to do for YEARS.  I still love TV, however on certain nights of the week when there isn’t a favorite show on, I will just go deep on my social.  I will watch all the snap stories, scroll forever on Instagram, search around Twitter etc. I am beginning to watch my  habits change, this evolution has occurred over the last 6 month or so.  And I find it fascinating.  If you told me last year I would trade in my precious TV time for watching strangers (and friends)  on Snapchat- I would have told you, you are nuts. I will continue to monitor this from a marketing and time spent perspective to see where this takes me. I am a student of life and this is very interesting.

Additionally,  just in the last few weeks, Snapchat has added ADS to your story feed.  When I first heard the news, I thought “ugh” but  I have experienced it for the past few weeks and  I like the ads.  The creative is very good, lively and fun-like Snapchat. I think that is the KEY- the creative should match the environment.  If you hate advertisements, you can tap through it, which I think is good for the user feeling in control.  This is not as good for the advertiser.  I will be interested to hear more about the data in the coming months  and percentages of people who swipe by or view the ads.The cool factor will carry the wave for awhile, but in the end the clients need for a strong ROI will override the cool factor.

When the discussion turns to the ROI for clients the term target-ability will come up.  Snapchat is a younger tool, Snapchat started out for kids and today more adults and businesses are prime users. I wonder when the UBER target-ability will come into play. Many of the ads that I am served are not directed at me.  Although I am very flattered they think I am so young and hip.  That being said, many of the messages are wasted on me because I am not 15. I can still appreciate a good ad, but I will be very curious to see where the target tool will go with Snapchat.  They have a lot of information about the user, so the ads could be incredibly targeted- some day.  This product continues to get a lot of press, chatter and attention- more to come.

 

 

Half year-check in & Happy Fourth of July

Happy FIRST of July.  The year is about half over for the year 2016.  A nice long weekend is coming up, as we observe July 4th on Monday and many businesses are closed.  It is a great time to assess the plans you made in the beginning of the year and see how you are tracking.  I am spending some time reviewing my work plan and life plan to see how I am doing today.  This is not  time to say ” bad Alison”,  but to look at -what is working, what needs a tweak and what do I need to completely revamp and re-energize.  To be honest with yourself and understand that: things come up, plans change, customers needs change-today more than ever our business culture needs to recognize the shifts and adapt towards them or with them.

One of the areas I am working on is,  this,   sharing opinions, ideas  and knowledge with you.  This,  on line page that goes into the universe.  Sometimes it strikes someone and they enjoy it and gain some nugget of info- that brings me joy.  Sometimes,  I am just clicking away for my own enjoyment.  But I like to do it, I think it has value, so I want to continue to find away to make this more of a priority.  This is one of the things that seems to fall off the list when life gets busy.  I need to find a away to make this more manageable.  So what does that mean? Shorter messages, setting an alarm in my phone ” time to write something” – not really my style.  I like to write when it strikes me.  I am sure, I am not alone with this,  I follow many people on social media who talk about this topic.
I will give this some time to marinate and hopefully something will come to me that will help me improve on this for the later half of 2016.

So- HOW are you doing with your business plans for 2016?  What one small change could you make today to help get you moving the direction you desire.  The year isn’t over.  You have time to effect WHATEVER you put your mind to .

 

Have a Happy Forth of July- God Bless America

Things I say and believe

Happy Friday. I hope everyone had a productive week and is ready to recharge for the weekend. I think we all have things we say ” all the time”, things that we  become known for saying.  I thought I would keep things light and share some of my “sawhill-isms”. Things I learned and adopted as my personal code from an early age in marketing and sales.

1. Be kind and respectful to everyone. The intern today could be the CEO who hires you in 10 years.
2. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Look your best, show up on time and be prepared-always!
3. Do business with people,  who do business with you.  Whenever possible I like to return the loyalty and buy goods and services from my clients. I just believe with my whole heart is the right thing to do.
4. Do everything with a smile.  Dealing with people can be tough some days. Handling every situation, both good and not so good with a smile, will keep things moving forward in a positive direction.
5. Do the hard things.  Most people get tired, lazy and bored- they will give up. Send the thank you notes, remember birthday’s and anniversaries, pick up the phone or drive over, offer assistance and ideas with out expecting anything in return to your best customers (that comes back to you 10x), actually listen, with your ears and heart-you will learn so much.

 

I will continue to share my “sawhill-isms” and I would love to hear some of yours.  Have a great weekend!

 

Sometimes you have to re-pot yourself to grow

I have a small tree in my home that has been struggling  in the last year.  The leaves fall off, it looks spindly no matter what I did.  I gave it more water, less water, more sun, less sun, nothing seemed to make it happy again.  Until recently, it occurred to me that I have never re-potted it.  That lovely little tree has been in the same pot since the day it came home.  I don’t know how many years ago that was, but it was awhile.  And just like that,  I popped it into a new pot with fresh soil.  I could almost hear a little sigh of relief that it would now finally be able to grow again.  I was hindering its growth by keeping it in the same small pot.

Sometimes life is like that, especially personal relationships and business relationships.  We stop growing where we are planted and we need to be re-potted.  I know people that have  been fired from their jobs, or lost a business,  that is an abrupt re-potting. I have experienced both business and personal abrupt re-potting in my own life, so I know what I am talking about.  And trust me, I was one unhappy plant at the time.  But I can say from my own personal experience, from each of those uncomfortable times I grew- I grew in glorious ways.

People are typically adverse to change, they get in a comfy spot and settle in.  In business today that can be deadly. Words in today’s business landscape are: nimble, agile, evolving etc none of which says, “grab a blankie and nestle in”.  Its hard.  How can you look at your business critically and recognize where you need to grow and change. Take a hard look at the things that keep you up at night.

Here are some things to think about:

Could you focus more time on cultivating new clients, if you fired that one that drains you?

If you gave up some control and brought on a partner or investor,  what could you gain?

What growth could you see if you left your first location for a new, bigger, prime location?

What could you out source so you have more time to do ” your thing”?

What do you need to learn or get better at to be more successful?

Sometimes life will change your pot, sometimes we do it for ourselves- when we decide to grow,  we can do it anywhere!

 

Vacation Perspective on business

First off I am back!  I took a vacation. First full week off in so many years I can hardly count.  It was hard to go, but I loved it so much.  It was good for my mind, body and soul.  I am the type of person who likes to go places and do things.  But I was unprepared for how much I loved this vacation.  Lots of firsts for me: new country, new adventures- it was fabulous.  I think everyone needs to get outside their safety zone, and keep growing.  My wish for  everyone is to  have at least one vacation this year that feeds your soul.

Every morning I would walk the beach to think, relax and see what gifts the ocean brought me that day.  I like to look for shells, it makes the walk more interesting when you collect prizes. So, while on one of my walks, I was looking for this certain shell that another girl had found the day before.  I picked up shell after shell- they were broken, imperfect in some way.  I held out hope, eyes scanning for the one, big, perfect shell.  I could find plenty of small ones that were perfect but the big one was not to be found by me.

This made me think about businesses today.  Everyone wants the million dollar over night success business.  The Mack Daddy- Super Duper, Huge Business.  But like those big shells, it is very rare.  It takes so much work, time and patience to build. If you are a big business or a big shell, you have to withstand a lot of turbulence to make it on to the shore in one piece. The ocean tides, storms and mother nature are not unlike business competition today.  Many big businesses are broken with poor quality and bad press like  Lu Lu Lemon.  Or they are crumbling under their own weight and are filing Chapter 11, like the parent company of Eastern Mountain Sports.  Some times, too big isn’t, too good. Lu Lu Lemon and Eastern Mountain Sports, at one time were at their peak, today there are some cracks in those shells. Businesses can change owners, management, location and more..but they are never the same.

The smaller shells, can easily glide over the rocks, catching the wave to make it to shore successfully.  I was able to collect many beautiful little shells. Just as their are many  successful smaller businesses that are thriving and growing, providing excellent products and services.  I’m sure you can think of a local restaurant you love, where the food is perfect every time.  A local car dealer that goes out of their way for you with service, providing you a loaner every time.  Small shells, beautifully perfect!

 

Beach Morale:

If your business is a small, perfect shell be proud.  Know you have the swiftness to ride the waves of change easier than your bigger competition. If you are a large business, and have not been beaten by the sea, be grateful. Take care of your customers and employees they will help you weather a storm.  For any business, be ready for any storm and catch the wave of success Mother Nature provides.

 

 

 

 

Marketing Math-does it ever add up?

ROI- Return on Investment. Since I started working in advertising and sales , this is a common question.  20 years ago the tried and true way to know your advertising was working was because customers brought in your coupon from the newspaper. Fast forward to today and a long list of advertising channels, how do you figure your ROI and what to spend?

There are many formulas out there that will take into account all your expenses and help you get to the penny.  A solid rule of thumb is 5-10% of your gross, if your business is under 5 million a year in gross sales.  This will vary  by years in the business, strength of your category and your own level of comfort.

Where are you spending your marketing dollars right now? Make a list of everything from google ad words to hiring a media consultant.

Question: Do you know where your leads are coming from? Do you know where your sales are coming from? And are they coming from the same place?

Marketing works in many ways:

Branding will get you on the consumers “mental list” of choices.  I need to buy a new bed, I am familiar with these 5 stores because I have seen them on television, heard them on radio and saw them online. This type of advertising builds a relationship through the selected medium.

Call to action or price and item medium, attempts to urge a customer off the “i’m thinking about buying a new bed” into ” that’s a good deal,  I want that bed”. Newspaper still does this very well with auto dealers, liquor stores or any business that needs to showcase more than one item and price point at a time.

Geography and search advertising has grown into an affordable and highly targeted advertising tool.  Google ad words have saved  businesses money. When it works, the ROI is amazing. The trouble with it is, it waits for you to want it, “the bed”.  If you already had a list of stores you are  familiar with from brand advertising, and you are  googling the closest store to buy the bed, it is unlikely you  will switch your course of action because of a google ad.   However,  the geo-target-ability is phenomenal.  If I am looking to get my nails done it does me no good to see a place in NYC when I am in Boston. I don’t care how good it is, I need that service here and close by.  For the most part Google knows where I am and serves me businesses close to where I am at the time of searching.

Ok, back to your math.  Once you have listed how much you are spending with each advertising source, tool or adviser, match that up with where your sales are coming from. You know where your customers are coming from, right?

Car dealers do this in a simple way, they check the car radios of customers, people who come in for service or for a test drive. They use that information to help them make marketing decisions.

You can simply ask customers where they heard about your business.  It’s not always accurate since people are busy and bombarded with so many media messages.  But it’s a start.  Starting a dialogue with good customers will give you lots of valuable information, you can use to attract more of those good customers. If you are only using one advertising channel ,this is a great test or validation that you are advertising in the right place.  The ROI results will be pure.

Now take a hard look at the spend vs results. Does it add up?

Many large advertisers have switched main stream media dollars into digital advertising. There definitely seems to be a trend in that direction, but be careful.  Mc Donald’s and Coke have millions of marketing dollars to play with, you may not.  If you do, that’s fantastic, and please call me. What I am suggesting is a more modest approach, that will vary by business and individual strategy.

From the information you just learned, identify your most successful brand advertising channel and continue with that.  This will continue to put you on the mental list of target consumers. Then add in your geo and search, so when they are ready to buy and they search, they find you.  There are many digital options and this landscape continues to change daily.  We will talk more about re-targeting and Facebook advertising and more as we go on.

My hope for today is to give you something to think about and a basic plan to start sharpening your adverting ROI. Feel free to send me questions, I am happy to answers as many questions as I can for you.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression

I learned this at a very young age and has served me well  in work and life. I learned that you always need to look professional for interviews, for meetings and basically at all times.  I am grateful for wisdom I got from my parents,like their advice and help building a business wardrobe and first briefcase.  They invested in me to give me the best chance of success in business.

As the “parent” of your business,  you want to give it that same best start. Before you flip the “we are open sign” have you done everything you can? Let’s think about this for a minute,  What thoughts do you have when you see dirty floors or shelves not full and merchandised? Today MORE THAN EVER, that first impression is critical.  An unfavorable experience could result in negative word of mouth or even worse online reviews on social media or Yelp.

There thousands of studies that will tell you the psychology of store layouts, colors and lighting.  It is all designed to make the consumer feel a certain way and act a certain way.  I am sure its very scientific but it boils down to “Stay a while and spend your money!”

Before you advertise, before you invite people to walk in or click/search- be ready. Here are some basic things to do before opening.  Depending on your business there are many more, this is a basic list to double check that you are ready to roll!

1. Infrastructure complete- clean and manicured building inside and out.  Shelves full and merchandised.  Power, water, phones  all working.  Signs hung, inside and out. Insurance paid.
2. Ready to sell- stock to sell and the means to collect payment.  Cash register, apple pay, square card reader, go to the bank and get small change.Pens, paper, bags and packaging materials.
3. If you are a online business-confirm hosting site can handle the massive amount of traffic you will be getting. Triple check all links that they work. Navigate in and out of your site to anticipate any issues.Does it work exactly the same on a computer, tablet and phone?  For launch day have your web hosting and design team on stand by.
4. Your team- does everyone know what the mission is? Does your team know the culture your new brand has and will cultivate.  Every smile, every question  is a chance to make a life long customer.
5. Spread the word-sharing your joy with family and friends.  Invite local civic leaders to stop by, ask community papers to do a feature, write a press release ( I have instructions on how to do that in previous blog), contact local media to place a grand opening schedule.  Radio is great for this because the added value is tremendous. Typically they will come out and bring prizes and excitement.  Sometimes community papers will promise a “feature” on your business if you commit to an advertising package.  This has value  because you are then seen as content.

Final Thought-

Don’t forget that you are a walking billboard  for your business.  When you own a business it is a BIG part of you.  Don’t let someone judge your business by how you look.  Be sure to look your best. Have you been  asked to speak at a school, civic organization, business networking event-have pride in your business and appearance. I went to an entrepreneur speaking event last fall.  I was excited to hear about why people decided to start their own business.  All were dressed casually, but one was in sweats.  I had a hard time focusing on her words because all I could think of was ” what were you doing before this, that you couldn’t change?”. I took my time, money to attend and park, plus  leave work early and you could even dress up a little.  Get my point….

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

 

Assemble your dream team

Life and business move pretty fast these days, so having the great team is critical.  If you are an owner or manager you have a great gift and responsibility of directing and leading your business.  The greatest leaders are getting information and input from key people in their tribe. But who are those influences….

What I am suggesting is don’t settle for the tribe that is in your geography but to build your dream team.  Who are the best at what you need-ideas, strategy, production, creativity…whatever you need to keep your business moving forward. You know what you are great at- do that. Lots of that. And get people to help do the rest.

I like this quote from Reid Hoffman:

No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you are playing a solo game, you will always lose out to a team.

More ideas, more energy, more influence will make ideas and strategies better.  If nothing else than to trouble shoot the idea on the table. What if you could turn great into incredible by tapping into your team?

Some things to think about:

• Are you hoping to expand to more locations: do you have a realtor in your tribe to keep an  eye on the market and great locations for you?
• Are you starting to sell on line and through social media channels like I suggested in my last post?  Who can help with that?
• Who is keeping you up to date on the latest trends?
• Do you have someone on your team that is a great trainer and motivator, are they doing the hiring?
• What business or spiritual books are you reading to inspire your soul?

Throughout my career I have had to assemble my own tribe, people I trust and  have great skills.  We have worked together, we have worked as competitors but they always remain a friend, sounding board and source of wisdom.

I challenge you to think about who is in your tribe, who should be on your dream team and who can help your business grow.

 

Are you buying and selling things on Instagram and Pinterest yet?

You will.

 

 

Alison Sawhill‏@alisonsawhill

Soon I can shop in my mags! : Lucky Magazine and BeachMint: The collision of content and commerce http://www.retailwire.com/discussion/17744/lucky-magazine-and-beachmint-the-collision-of-content-and-commerce … via @retailwire

10:53 AM – 28 Aug 2014

 

A few years  ago I tweeted” soon I can shop my mags! ” after seeing a piece about a potential merger with Lucky Magazine and BeachMint . While we still can’t push paper in a magazine to buy things, we are getting closer.

Instagram and Pinterest are fast becoming the new magazines. I am not saying that magazines are dead, I love magazines.  I love nothing more than to sit outside or on my couch and flip through a magazine to read about new things or see beautiful things.  This obsession for magazines  came from my mother,  who also loves magazines.  There is something so luxurious,  about seeing your very fashionable mother wait for her WWD ( Women’s Wear Daily) or her latest Vogue . She would turn each glossy page absorbing the images, so she knew what was in, trending and popular.   But like with everything in life there is a natural erosion.  Even my mother who looks 45 but is 65+ gets her WWD on line and follows all her favorite designers on line.  I still love the feel of a thick magazine, I believe a lot of people still love that experience too.  Humans are tactile beings, in my opinion.

However,  the reality is,  our phones are making it easier to do and see what we like and want.  This culture change will continue to evolve more rapidly as younger consumers are more active in the marketplace.

So that brings us back to the original question: are you buying and selling on social media yet? If you have a product that can be showcased on line, perhaps could be an impulse buy to someone when they are scrolling through their feed-you need to be there.  Example: you are a jewelry designer, with fabulous statement necklaces and they are reasonably priced. Put them on Instagram and Pinterest with links to buy.  If I am scrolling and looking for spring items to spiff up my work wardrobe and I am struck by what you have, I would buy it in that moment. Why would I buy in the moment? I like it, you are presenting it to me on my time table and buying then saves me time of looking further,  so I have time to do other things. Just like buying the latest InStyle magazine to look for the new cute spring looks, I am scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram looking for ideas-sell it to me. Things I have bought from Instagram or Pinterest- work out clothes, T-shirts with fun sayings ( clearly an impulse buy, because who really needs that…) Shirts, pants, scarves…you get the point.

Ok,  let’s get to the practical- how do you start doing this?

#1 Do you have things you could sell on these platforms?

#2 Can you accept Paypal, credit cards, on line orders and ship?

#3 Create an account of Instagram and/or Pinterest if you don’t have one already for your business.

#4 Look at similar businesses to yours, what are they doing? Are they getting likes, comments and sales? Learn from that example, improve on it, and add your own spin to make it customized.

#5 Take great pictures of the items, highlighting what is most valuable, important or unique.

#6 Write a simple description of the item and include the link to where to buy , have the link go directly to that item so people can read more about it. Sizing, color options, material etc.

#7 Post regularly, change the images and items to be relevant.  Is it the time of year when people are planning vacations-post your workout book or new bikini line.  Keep it relevant and think about the user experience.  If it annoys you, it most likely will annoy your customers.

This is something you CAN do, you can out source it, but you can do it yourself.  This is a fast growing new channel of business.  Help the world find you-be out there!

Tell Your Story

Our ancestors would pass on information through stories.  Critical historical information was passed on for years.  Why is that important? People remember stories.  When something matters to YOU and it is told in a compelling way-people remember.

 

That is what you need to do with your advertising.

First: What is your story ?Second:  How are you sharing it?

 

Your story is who you are, what you do and what makes it,  and you special/unique. This is the story you want to tell people and have  other tell,  about you.

Long version– can go in a press release, article, the about page on your website, and your mother bragging about your success

Medium version– You Tube,  newspaper, magazine

Small version– TV commercials, radio commercials, Facebook

Flash version– Snap Chat, Instagram, meeting someone at a cocktail party

If you are not sure where to start or what your story is, you can look back in my blogs for the one on USP’s, unique selling propositions. That is a place to start  to help you get clear on your story, then add detail and emotion. No one can tell your story better than you.  Work with your team and fine tune it.  Then share it with the media channels listed above- and tell your story.

When you own your own business you are always telling your story-make it great so others want to tell it too!