My top blogs of 2017 were incredibly personal and a bit painful to write. I narrowed last year’s blogs down to the top 5. In each of these my passion and commitment to small business is evident, as is the sacrifice and growth that comes along to it. So, take a gander and if you would be so kind…let me know what you would like me to write on in 2018.

Why you should quit your job
I got a bit of blowback on this one, apparently I shouldn’t be encouraging people to quit their job (they hate) to do something they love. I started 8THIRTYFOUR when I was in my mid (okay late) 20s and my age played a major factor in the beginning. As we age we become more risk adverse and this was something I most definitely didn’t contemplate at the time. Your happiness is more important than your age, so make the leap, be happy.

It sure is lonely
I wrote this blog when I was dealing with employee issues and I was at my wits end. I was frustrated, felt abused, disrespected and hurt – the outpouring of support that resulted from this blog, seriously restored my faith in humanity. It was obvious I wasn’t the only one experiencing these feelings.

❤️

Motivation in loss
This blog still gets me choked up. Losing Murphy, was and is one of the hardest life moments I have had to overcome. He was with me during my divorce, bankruptcy, move, multiple jobs, the start of 8THIRTYFOUR and more. He was my constant companion and he loved me when it felt like no one else did. Finding the lesson in the loss was difficult, but this blog and the responses from it…made all the difference.

Dress to impress
Let’s be honest, we are all judged by our appearance and in the professional world you can’t afford to be lazy about it. I was inspired to write this after we passed a dress code policy at 8THIRTYFOUR. I want my employees to be comfortable but first impressions are everything. Adding some wardrobe staples to your closet will make all the difference…and stop using the excuse you can’t afford it – I showcase multiple affordable options.

How to give a memorable interview
For anyone entering the workforce or those that are looking for a refresher/tips, this blog hits all of the key points while also being wildly entertaining…ok, mildly entertaining. After our second or third intern interview, my managing director and myself looked at each other and said “what just happened?” How could simple etiquette not be applied to all human interaction, much less an interview?

I really, really, really want to get your feedback on the Small Biz Musings blog. As much as I entertain myself with my own writing…I hope it gives you some worthwhile information and tips.

Feel free to email me directly, kim@834design.com.

Hello everyone seeking a job, connection, friend, mentor, advice – stop bugging everyone. Make it happen yourself.

No one owes you anything. They certainly don’t owe you their time, an introduction or advice.  This past week, I have received numerous emails from individuals relocating to the area. Apparently they googled and I came up, lucky me.

This blog isn’t to discourage you from reaching out and connecting with business owners or leaders in the community, but it is to tell you to develop a better strategy.

If you are moving into a new city and need to find a job or build a network, here are a few tips:

1. Research organizations and groups to join. If you’re in marketing look at the American Marketing Association or the Public Relations Society of America. Google exists for a reason, so use it. Google “Networking events in Grand Rapids, MI” or “Professional associations in Grand Rapids, MI.” I just literally gave you the search terms, stop being lazy.
2. Use LinkedIn to connect to professionals in your new city. Are they involved in the orgs that you want to be involved with? If they are on the board of the association, then ask to sit on a committee or volunteer. Be useful, if you can offer value to another professional they will be willing to assist you.
3. Attend events. Go to local young professional or old professional gatherings. Join a hall and meet your neighbors, drinks help pave the way to great conversations.

These are just a few ideas, because you are capable of thinking of additional. Subscribe to the local business publications so you know who the major players are in town and get cracking.

To be clear, I mean public speaking not just talking out loud. Although I do excel at that regardless if I have an audience.

This week, actually today, I am talking to a group of professionals at OrgPro on measuring ROI on marketing efforts as well as personal branding. The latter is my most favorite topic in the world, see here and here and here.

For those of you that can’t possibly imagine getting up in front of a group of people…suck it up. If you are a business owner or have anything to do with business development, community engagement or marketing – you need to be front and center with your peers. Honestly, if you are trying to grow your network then you need to position yourself as a leader and you do that by being the one standing and talking…not sitting (just so we are clear).

Here are a few ways to get started.

1. Event attendance. If you want to speak in front of a certain group of people, then you need to actually attend the orgs/associations events. Get to know the president, event chair and other board members. When chatting with them, let them know that you would love to see a speaker on such and such topic. Follow-up at a later day and volunteer to either speak or pull together a panel.
2. Write. If you are not writing or blogging about what you do or what your specialty is, then why would anyone ask you to speak? You have to illustrate you are an expert or at least know what the hell you are talking about. Reach out to local publications, submit op-ed pieces, blog for another site – do something.
3. Sit on a board. Getting involved in an association or peer group gives you the unique opportunity to assist with programming. You obviously don’t want to be self-promotional but you can volunteer when it is a fit.
4. Reach out to your local Chamber. If you are a member of your local Chamber, then reach out to their events staff and let them know you are interested in presenting on a few different subjects. They may not have something right away, but they now know you are interested.
5. Pull together your own peer group. A few years ago, I started a group along with two other women that discussed leadership. We were responsible for the topic each month, but we invited a variety of different people to participate. Why not do the same? If you love finance, then create a group that talks about numbers. Position yourself as a leader and the rest will follow.

The more organizations, associations and community happenings you are involved in the larger your network will become and opportunities will then present themselves. Remember, personal branding?

Jerry Maguire, eat your heart out.

As a business owner you need to constantly ask yourself, “is this a good investment?” or “what is the ROI?” Marketing is one of those activities that proves more difficult to show return on investment, which is why it is usually the first to get chopped. I’m here to tell you not to do that.

According to The CMO Survey from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, only 31 percent feel they can prove the long-term impact of marketing spend quantitatively. Proving ROI is hard, but not impossible and we frankly love doing it. No really, we freaking love it.

Here is the deal; when determining return on investment for marketing activities, keep in mind the multiple variables that influence outcome. Brand awareness, customer lifetime value and touch points (over 7 are recommended) are all ROI factors. The easiest way to measure ROI is through analytics, which requires companies to invest in digital marketing such as SEO, SEM and social media. Traditional efforts such as billboards and print advertising are not trackable unless tied to inbound marketing.

Measuring and optimizing metrics on each marketing channel such as, email, social media and website provides early indicators of success (or failure) of marketing campaigns to better track and predict their cumulative impact on customers’ purchasing decisions in the long run.

With Google Analytics alone you can see:

• How many people are visiting your site
• Where your visitors live
• Which devices they are viewing your site from.
• Which websites are sending you referral traffic
• Which marketing tactics are driving the most traffic to your site
• Which pages on your website are the most popular
• How many visitors you have converted into leads or customers
• Where your converting visitors come from and go on your website
• How you can improve your website’s speed
• What blog content your visitors like the most

All of this information shows what marketing efforts are working and what isn’t. This then allows you to change your approach to increase ROI and concentrate efforts where the most impact is. What goals do you have set up for your company? What do you consider success?

Get involved.

I met with a potential client this past week and we started talking about networking, being a connector and building valuable relationships. I know I have talked about this in the past, but it is worth a repeat.

If you are in sales or own a business and are the sole business developer, you need to understand it is about relationships not landing work. If your focus is only on the money, you won’t be successful.

Also stop randomly emailing, calling and using LinkedIn to sell – it only pisses people off (see former blog).

You need to be visible, which requires creativity and creating your own opportunities. People will take meetings from people they have know or have heard of. If you want something, give something.

Here is how I did it.

• Years ago, I approached WGVU and asked them if they would be interested in a monthly segment on The WGVU Morning Show With Shelley Irwin. The segment would feature community events, non-profits and small businesses. I had met the host Shelley a few times and figured what the heck. 8 years later, Your Biz Your Town is still going strong and it gives me the ability to profile great companies – some that may need 834.
• Personal branding – read up on it here and why it is important.
• If I am asked to speak, I do it. Even if it isn’t the right audience, practice makes perfect.  My first speaking engagement was at a nursing home where I talked about the history of Grand Rapids.
• I started a blog to share experiences on running a business, things I know, don’t know and people I think are badass. By profiling other businesses I have the opportunity to share their story and introduce them to 834.

I share this with you, so you understand that to get something, you must give something. Always provide value and you will reap the benefits.

Mondays seem to hang over our heads mocking and taunting us as we enjoy football and relaxing on Sunday before heading back to work. As a business owner, prepping for the work week is incredibly important as we are often pulled in a hundred directions first thing in the a.m.

I created the following routine for myself to feel better prepared when Monday morning hits.

1. Break out tasks per day. What do I need to do each day of the week. This will change as the week progresses, but at least you have an idea of what your schedule holds and can plan accordingly.
2. Schedule emails. To avoid overwhelming and annoying my staff or clients on a Sunday night, I utilize Hubspot’s Sidekick to schedule out emails. I can send updates, confirm meetings and follow-up on outstanding items.
3. Map out my calendar. Depending on my workload for the coming week, I will reserve time in my calendar to get shit done. If I need to follow-up on a press release, put together a proposal, etc. I know I have the time set aside.
4. Read. Sundays are my day to read one of several business books I have started. During the week I am fully focused on meetings, strategy, management, etc. and I don’t have the time to read. Sunday, while watching football, I try to catch up and apply what I am learning to the company.
5. Write. My favorite time to write is Sunday. Whether I am writing for 834, Small Biz Musings or Huffington Post, my head is clearer and I have less distractions on the weekend.
6. Meal prep. Each Sunday I whip together a few meals that I can then take for lunches throughout the week. If you don’t have a crockpot, get one. It is so easy, throw some chicken and ingredients together to cook throughout the day, place in tupperware containers and you are set.

By prepping on Sundays, I am able to increase my productivity throughout the week and feel less overwhelmed. What is your routine?

I think everyone should have a blog, whether it is personal or company focused. I started Small Biz Musings, so I could talk about my journey as a business owner and the success and failures I encounter. Whether you want it to be specific to the industry you are in or a lifestyle blog, start one.

Why? Because I said so…and 5 other reasons.

1. Therapeutic: When I sit down to write a blog I am able to write my thoughts and perspective on a certain topic. Even if no one reads it, I was able to put my opinion out there and maybe help someone else in a similar position.
2. Education. Before I write, I research the topic to see what other people are saying. There will always be someone else who has written on the same thing. Be sure you offer your point of view and how it differs from others. Take the time to educate your readers, the 3 that you have.
3. Visibility. If you are smart about how you push your blog out once it is written, you can gain a lot of visibility. By using your personal social media channels you can post your articles and drive traffic back to your blog site. It takes time to build an audience, so don’t be discouraged. Also set up an email service that will notify your subscribers when you post a new blog.
4. Fun. It really is fun to be able to write something and then publish it yourself. I have no idea how far-reaching the blog is, or if that many people read it – although my traffic says people do – but it is incredibly rewarding personally.
5. Courage. It takes serious kahunas to put your thoughts out there for all to read. By allowing others to read your thoughts and critique, you are building character. It isn’t always easy to take the feedback that others give us and look at it constructively, however that is how we learn and grow.

I really do encourage you to start a blog, no matter what is happening in my life, I find time to publish at least once a week.

Content rules the world, you know this, your mom knows this, hell…even your dog knows it. Content done well, can drive sales, build brand awareness and has countless other benefits. Every blogger, marketer and Joe Blow has advice on blogging and generating content. So, before you believe Daryl in the cubicle next to you, check out the best worst advice ever given and do the opposite.

1. Write it like a research paper. Lots of words and words and words. Everyone loves reading boring papers. Truth: Even your professor hates it.
2. Content is only written. Video, infographics, images don’t count in a content plan. The more words the better, think 1500 or more. Truth: Everyone loves a good meme, gif or infographic. Pictures are fun.
3. Frequency is overrated. Your readers like to search for your content and be surprised when it will post. It’s like a fun scavenger hunt with no prizes. Truth: Post the same time every week, preferably 2 posts a week.
4. People will find your content. No need to share on social media, include in your email signature, send out an email blast or promote through additional channels. Truth: Every time you publish a blog, it needs to be shared on every social channel you are on. Schedule out an email blast once a month that outlines all the blogs published within the last 30 days.
5. Optimization isn’t important. SEO is totally just a fad. Also, the internet probably won’t be around much longer. Truth: Each of your posts should be built on keywords relevant to the topic you are writing on.
6. Planning is silly. No need to develop a calendar that outlines topics you will cover for 3 to 6 to 12 months. Truth: Um..yes, you need a plan to build the foundation. Create categories that relate to the topics you are writing on.
7. Take content from other sources. Plagiarizing isn’t frowned upon, it is welcomed! Take that content from another blog site and publish as your own – good job you saved yourself considerable time. Truth: All content we generate is influenced by something we have read or seen, however the words need to be your own. If you want to share an article, then link to the original source and share your thoughts on the article.

The impact that blogs deliver and continue to deliver via website traffic and valuable information to site visitors is huge. Make sure the advice your following is tested and don’t listen to anyone named, Daryl.

Designing is not a skill I possess. I do, however, understand the importance of integrating visual content into every aspect of your communication tools. A recent article by HubSpot states:

When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of that information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65% of the information three days later.

So what does that mean to us as marketers or business owners? Write less, show more. At 834, we harp on you to create quality content consistently on a weekly and daily basis. That doesn’t mean it has to be all written, tell your story in other ways. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Infographics. Have a lot of statistics or a complex process you are trying to communicate? Infographics are the way to go. MassPlanner writes: Infographics are liked and shared on social media 3X more than other any other type of content. Can you really argue with that stat?
2. Video. I am not talking 50k video projects, just your smartphone, a stand, a remote and the addition of your logo at the beginning and contact information at the end. Did you know that according to Syndacast, using the word “video” in an email subject line boosts open rates by 19%, click-through rates by 65% and reduces unsubscribes by 26%.
3. Images. We incorporate header images into every single blog we create for our clients. The image represents what the blog encompasses as well as catching the attention of a potential reader. The Kissmetrics‘ blog writes, content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without relevant images.

Need more proof? Just look at the fastest growing social media networks – Pinterest, Instagram and SnapChat. All of these are built around, what? That’s right…imagery, video and infographics.

What is your visual content strategy?

For the first time in my 36 years (I know…it took me that long), I traveled overseas to spend 2 weeks in a foreign country. The country of choice? Spain. The trip was full of a lot of firsts for me and I can’t help but compare everything I do back to 834 and running a business.

Here are my takeaways from my whirlwind of a trip, besides the amazing cheese and sangria.

1. Understand your customer. Understand their behaviors, needs and schedule. Prior to arriving in Spain, I did a lot of research on the history, culture and attractions…I apparently missed the information about the country shutting down for a siesta. Depending on what city we were in, this meant from 2 or 3:00 p.m to 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. the ENTIRE community shuts down. Now before you lecture me on being culturally appropriate…keep in mind that the majority of places we visited were larger cities or tourist attractions – this is how they make their money. Hotel bars, shops, restaurants, town bars, tours and everything else closed. Compare it to Mackinac Island shutting down for 3 to 5 hours. How would a tourist respond? As a business owner or brand, it is important to cater to your customer or client…and that means communicating with them based on their needs and wants…not what works for you.
2. Communicate. This seems like an obvious…but many of the places we chose to visit in Spain, whether it was a restaurant or an attraction did not have websites, updated Facebook or social media channels. This reminded me of the often stagnant Facebook pages or websites that brands will throw out there with no maintenance or messaging strategy. Why aren’t you blogging? It is your job to make yourself accessible with important information, like contact info & hours. It is also your opportunity to educate your target audience – if the content is there…they will read it. Once you frustrate a customer…they won’t easily reengage.
3. Be memorable. While we were in Barcelona, we came upon this little restaurant in a long row of restaurants…there was nothing exceptional about it. The menu was ok, the location fine…but the human factor was what blew us away. The host and more than likely owner, made us feel like we were the most important people in the establishment. He was funny, engaging and attentive. We chose that restaurant because he stood outside the patio and chatted with us and I really liked him. It was our best dining experience in Spain and it wasn’t because of the food, it was because of the experience. Companies need to create a personality for their brand and carry it through a customer’s entire interaction. Be memorable and they will keep coming back.

Spain was full of learning experiences. Perhaps the most important for me was learning to appreciate another culture, traditions and people.

Spain taught me to relax, slow down and take a deep breath. Life moves at a different pace there and being able to reflect was perhaps the greatest gift Spain could have given me. I still think the siesta makes no sense, perhaps if just one bar was open…I would have been able to adapt.

In case you ever need to order red wine with ice in it: Vino tinto con hielo. That’s right folks, I brought some serious class to Spain.