Marketing & Business Strategy

How did your business develop? Think about it. That’s right; sit down for moment (you’re probably already sitting), and think about your business at its infancy. Did you have a business plan? Were you funded? Did you create a brand guide from the start?

Are you laughing right now? Good. Laughing is good for you. But if you are, chances are you grew “organically.” Little-to-no outside funding and an awful lot of “fake it till you make it.” Well, you’ve made it. Congratulations! Now it’s time to stop faking it.

If you think we ask a lot of questions on our website, just wait till our first meeting. We’re a curious bunch, and we can’t wait to get to know you. The most important question is deceptively simple: “What’s your story?” We’ll help you flesh out the details, and then plan for your next chapter. No undefined business-model jargon, no short-vs.-long tails… just you, where you are now, where you’re going, and how you’ll get there.

For a chuckle and a list of phrases we promise you’ll never hear from us, check this out. (http://www.forbes.com/pictures/ekij45gdh/most-annoying-business-jargon/)

But no promises on whiteboards. They’re fun.

As it happens, one of our members has a background in journalism. It’s scientific fact that journalists make friends with other journalists (or at least we've found it anecdotally true!). Public relations is all about, well, relations. But for once, it’s not all about who you know, but what you know. We already know what makes journalists tick: a good story. Your story. And there are better ways to tell it than with a mere press release.

As with everything in business, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for public relations. That doesn't mean you get to not have a strategy. We'll work with you to create a tailored one for your people (sometimes known as “target client segment,” but we hate that) in your community (sometimes known as “demographics”). And as a welcome gift, we'll even give you a calendar. You're going to need it.

Typically speaking, most of our clients initially fit into one of two personality types regarding their approaches to social media:

1.) You social butterfly, you. You're all over the place – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, Reddit, and of course your blog is always updated… nobody can keep up with you!

2.) You're more of an introvert. You might have a Facebook page with your business information, but that’s about the extent of it. If people want to find you, they will.

Does either scenario sound a little familiar? There’s a happy medium to be found here. Not to get all yogi-ish on you (although, to be fair, Megan also maintains an integral yoga practice), but business, like life, is about balance. We'll help you identify which platforms are going to be most effective for you and your business, and then we'll create some guidelines to ensure you're well liked, but not so involved in cyberspace that you're forgetting about your bottom line (after all, a “like” on Facebook doesn't immediately translate to added cash flow!).

We've heard advertising called a "necessary evil" more times than we care to remember. And we don't get it. Advertising is a platform, so climb on it and sing your heart out! You've already invested so much in your baby, and your baby is growing. You have a lot to be proud of, so go on... brag a little. People will want to find out what all the fuss is about. And here's the real secret to successful advertising: advertise when you're busiest. That's right. Momentum only yields more momentum -- that's what makes it so great!

But it can also be overwhelming. After all, there are so many options. Direct mail? Print? Online? Radio? And even if you choose "all of the above," to which neighborhoods should you mail your piece? In which publications should you advertise and why? You get the idea. Imagine if you had someone doing all that research for you on your behalf. You could skip all the sales pitches and high-pressure phone calls and just focus on running your business. Well, now you can. And Megan WAS one of those advertising salespeople in a past life, so she knows all the ropes.

Success is very rarely an accident, and never so in business. So let's plan your success. We fancy ourselves artists, in a way, and we specialize in mosaics. Through luscious, fun conversation and day-dreaming, we help arrange all the various scenarios that will comprise your big picture. And then we'll put together a devilishly simple plan to implement all those details. But we're in it for the long haul -- unlike so many other agencies out there, we don't just draft up a plan and then leave you. If you ever need any help along the way, in the words of Bill Withers, Lean On Me. (Admit it, now it's going to be stuck in your head all day. You're welcome.)

You know who your most avid brand ambassadors are going to be? Your employees. (Because you're going to be the kind of company that people will love working for, after all!) So make sure they know your brand strategy, too. From social media to internal marketing (the most important of all the marketing arenas, after all) to how to speak to the press, we can teach it. And we'll provide snacks.