What's Your Story?

It does not matter how old you are, I am certain you have story to tell, and most likely it comes from an experience. A few weeks ago, I did a less than 2-minute video of my why, why I started S² Branding & Marketing, Inc. In that video I told a small portion of my story. I talked about my experience in different industries over the course of my career building and how each one of those different industries gained me knowledge and experience that will last me a lifetime.

The past is only a steppingstone towards the future. Looking back, I was always asked "where do you see yourself in X-number of years?" Now that I think about it, what a terrible question to be asked! Sometimes I do not even know where I will be the next day, let alone in a certain number of years. However, my answer has always been the same, to keep growing! Sure, it is great to have long term goals (which is what I think they meant by asking that question) but it's even more important to have short term goals! Ones that are easier to achieve quicker, in hopes, it gets you to that ultimate long-term goal.

However, sometimes life has a way at throwing a curveball, and suddenly what you thought your goals were or where you thought you would be in X-number of years, changes. Let me be the first to tell you... THIS IS COMPLETELY FINE! Change can be hard, but it can also be for the best. What you thought you wanted when you were 18 years old and graduating High School suddenly does not matter anymore in your 20's and beyond. The only thing that will remain the same is your willingness to keep moving forward, despite the change, and no matter what life throws at you. If you get stuck on the hamster wheel and find yourself unhappy going round and round, then GET OFF THE WHEEL! Change direction, take a risk, do something that scares you, because in the end it is going to be worth it. Most people do not think they have the courage within themselves, but they do! They just must dig deep, find it, and use it to achieve different or maybe even better goals!

I have always had a passion for learning how different businesses operate, that is why I took a risk to go work for a non-profit organization as the Assistant Director of my county's economic development years ago. That career move opened so many doors of possibility through networking that I never knew existed! Whatever you do, do not hold yourself back from moving forward, do not hold yourself back from telling your story, you will never grow if you stay where you are planted! Learn something new, take a risk and do not be afraid to change your goals as you grow! Tell your story, build your brand.

Well, Hello There!

I've talked about the importance of a logo, how to make a stand with your brand, the importance of maintaining your social media accounts and SEO... now let's talk about your website!

I. CAN. NOT. STRESS. ENOUGH. THE. IMPORTANCE. OF. A. SIMPLE. EYE CATCHING. EASY. FLOWING. WEBSITE!!

It is so, so, so important that when a potential customer searches your keywords in their web browser, that they find your website in return, and once they click on your site that they feel instantly attracted. The attractiveness is what is going to make them want to stay and explore what you have to offer! You are going to want to make your site as easy to navigate as possible so your customer can find what they are looking for quickly. Equally, and just as important, is having a kick-ass home landing page, an about you/us page, a blog if you're into blogging, an online shopping tool if they are buying a product from you, etc.

There can be so many layers within a website; however, you are going to want to make sure there are not too many or else your visitor is liable to get lost and then give up if they can't find what they are looking for within the first 30 seconds of being on your site.

Some attention grabbing tips:

• Have less than 2 minute videos throughout the site.

  • Especially if you are selling products. Demonstrate the products for your customer in a video while answering some commonly asked questions.

• Don't get too wordy.

  • Keep the verbiage on your different pages short, sweet and to the point. They are not visiting your site to read the life story behind your product or service they want the cliff notes and/or a less than 2 minute video to watch.

• Make use of bright colors, backgrounds and make each page unique.

• Have pictures, pictures and more pictures!

Make your website fun but professional. You want your customers to get a sense of welcoming and trust when browsing your site.

SEO: Where Are you?

What in the world is SEO? Well if you're a small business and haven't ever heard of this acronym then you need to read this! Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is THE KEY to being found on the web. How many times a day do you pull up Google and search for something, anything? Probably more often than you even realize. No matter what search engine you use, they all rely on KEYWORDS. The more specific the person searching is, the more accurate the search results are. However; most searchers will only use one or two words when they are looking for an answer, product, or service. Which is why making sure your website uses keywords based on what you have to offer as often as possible throughout your whole website is very important. It is what is going to get you to the top of the searches and drive traffic to your website and social media pages.

Google My Business, Google My Business, Google My Business is absolutely critical! If you do not have Google My Business (GMB) set up and attached to your website then you are missing out on so many business opportunities! It is similar to other social media accounts, the more often you post within GMB, the more you're going to show up in the search results. When you hire me & use Wix as your website provider we will make sure your Google My Business is set up and connected properly. Then and only then is when you will start climbing to the top in the search list! When it comes to the world of branding and digital marketing staying active within your social media accounts and having an updated website is one of the biggest steps to success!

Check out this Blog by Wix for even more information on SEO: Click Here!