It’s been one month since we said goodbye to 2019 and welcomed in 2020. Have you kept up with your new year’s resolution? If it was to stay updated on all of our marketing tips, then we have you covered! Entering a new year can be a busy time for small businesses, and we want to make sure that everybody sees the tips and tricks we’re sending out.

This month, we have a whole lot of great tips for you to enjoy! We cover social media as that continues its domination of the marketing world. Other topics include what influencers do for small businesses, how stock photos impact your content, and how to find the best subject line for your emails. Finally, Jackie has a great video on how to set manageable expectations through SMART Goals.

As we forge on into 2020, let’s make sure we start off on the right foot. Read on to find out how to improve your business!

Images are a fixture in media, and today’s consumers have a keen eye for what’s real and what’s not. A bad stock photo distracts the consumer from the content. People will often judge content based on stock photos, which could devalue your content if the images aren’t quality.

It is so easy today to take high-quality photos with a smartphone. Therefore, many businesses are choosing to use their own photos in their content. Customers respond well when it looks like real people using the product or service you’re promoting.

If you must use stock photos, make sure you pick out the most natural-looking ones. That means don’t use images where a person is looking directly at the camera. You also want to knock out images that have unrealistic settings or clothes. And always avoid pictures where people are in awkward poses.

While using stock photos can be the easier method, natural-looking photos pay off in the long-run. You will form a closer bond with your consumers as they take notice of the real people doing real things.

Think about your favorite product. It could be beverages, apparel, cars — anything. Chances are you’ve seen it endorsed by a celebrity or well-known professional in that field. Influencers are similar to an endorser in that they help reach more customers.

Influencers differ from endorsers in a few ways, however. An influencer is probably not as well-known as a celebrity. If you’re thinking about Michael Jordan signing off on Nike shoes, then think again. Instead, influencers have a small, targeted following online. Their followers trust them when they endorse a product.

We recommend trying influencer marketing for your business! Research popular influencers in your field, such as bloggers, YouTubers, or Instagrammers. Then reach out and ask them to partner with your company to promote your product or service.

If an influencer promotes your product, make sure they link back to your website. Backlinks from popular influencers improve your SEO because the Google algorithm loves authoritative backlinks!

Every year, social media grows more and more. The popularity of organic social content has led to paid advertisements on each channel. There are quite a few social media options available — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and more!

How do you know which social media channel your business should advertise with? After all, not every channel is the right fit for a business. In fact, certain channels can help or hurt your chance of success, depending on what industry you’re in!

In the video below, Robert breaks down which social media ads work for certain businesses. You can also read our in-depth blog on the subject!

You’ve gone ahead and crafted a brilliantly clickable email to send to customers. You think it’s perfect, but for some reason, people aren’t opening your emails! One of the big reasons people don’t open emails is because the subject line isn’t enticing enough.

A good subject line entices the reader and makes them want to click on the email. That way, they’ll see all of the wonderful content you have.

But how do you know which subject lines will appeal best to your audience? The best way to find out is by A/B testing! You can segment your email list and try two different subject lines. Then you can see which email more people open.

You’re probably going to want to try a few different rounds of A/B testing. Let that data guide you in writing your subject lines!

Your small business has goals. That’s only natural, right? You set objectives, and you want to meet them. Sometimes, business owners will shoot for the moon. That can lead to disappointment and anger when certain expectations aren’t met. But there’s a way you can set manageable goals for you and your business that will help you grow!

To do this, we recommend using SMART Goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. They are small steps you take to map out how you will meet your goal.

Jackie goes in-depth on how to set SMART Goals and what you should be doing to meet them in the video below!

We want to help your business grow and engage with more customers. Navigating a good marketing strategy can be overwhelming, though. Let us help you!

Frontier Marketing works with small businesses in McHenry County and the Chicago area to improve their marketing strategy!

If you want to see how we can elevate you to the next level, send us a message on Facebook or give us a call.