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Newsletter, 9/27/22; Social Media for eCommerce

marketing strategy

“E-commerce isn’t the cherry on the cake, it’s the new cake” Bob Howland

7 Easy Steps to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy

Social media marketing can help you build engaged audiences where your customers and target audience already spend their time.

Or, it can be a time-consuming obligation that spreads you thin, resulting in a drain on time and money rather than the asset you’ve seen it become for many established brands.

The difference is having a social media marketing plan that keeps your actions focused, along with a process that enables you to execute without taking too much attention away from running your business.

But starting from scratch can be a daunting task, especially with so many different channels to build a presence on and the commitment that comes with it.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to walk you through how to approach your social media marketing strategy, along with tools and tips to help you pull it off… READ MORE

How to set e-commerce social media up for success

When social media first came onto the scene, it was designed for people to connect. But as the platforms developed and the user base grew, the money needed to be made, and brands found opportunities to participate and reach their customers in a new way. Nowadays, it seems unimaginable for a new business to open up without any social media presence.

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) model is still relatively new when compared to brick-and-mortar retail shops. For those that are solely based online, an investment in social media comprises a significant part of the marketing budget. When companies like Warby Parker and Casper first launched, the DTC model was fresh and unique. Nowadays, nearly every retail segment has a DTC brand and the competition is heavy with new brands.

In 2010, eCommerce sales made up only 4.2% of total US retail sales. One decade later, the number is now 11.8% and it’s only steadily climbing. In 2020, as the pandemic continues to prohibit retail companies from opening their stores, having an eCommerce marketing strategy seems more needed than ever… READ MORE

5 Practical Social Media Marketing Strategies That All eCommerce Sellers Must Know

ecommerce marketing strategy With more customers shopping online than ever before, and ever-increasing competition for attention, online businesses will only be able to maximize their success if they learn how to build on organic engagement in social media.

Don’t get me wrong, gaining organic traffic through search, and even conversions from paid ads, are still great ways to build a business. However, leveraging a community to build sales from organic engagement costs nothing more than your time. And besides that,there are plenty of tools available to help you along the way.

Here are five practical strategies you can implement straight away which will help boost traffic and sales through your social channels.

1. Create, Curate, and Share Awesome Content
If all you do through your social channels is promote your products, your audience is going to burn out on your pages and posts pretty fast. ….READ MORE

Social Media for eCommerce Businesses – Tips, Stats, Best Practices

Social media has become one of the most dependable and powerful sales tools for eCommerce businesses. Companies can go the patient route by building an organic following or the more direct route, with highly-target ad campaigns.

With 35% of millennials (and a significant number of older shoppers) making purchases via social media, there has never been a better time to get on board. Use this article as a guide for understanding the real value of social media for eCommerce, how to build an effective strategy, and tips & best practices for getting the most out of your social presence.

Why social media is crucial for eCommerce brands

The idea used to be that using social media in eCommerce was a bit wishy-washy; no tangible return to the business and “while it could work for some brands, it wouldn’t work for us”—this was a very common belief.   READ MORE

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Newsletter 9/20/22; Embracing and Sharing Joy!

Flip the Script on the Sunday Night Blues

 

Set the Tone for your Week with these 6 Pro Tips

Does anxiety creep in when you think about the upcoming week?  Do those thoughts get you to feel a little blue on Sundays?  The anticipation of what the next week has to bring can leave you feeling stressed and depressed.  Often people can get worried about unfinished tasks at work or home that need to be tackled come Monday morning.  Creating a work-life balance can be challenging with the demands of our jobs and our children’s school and activity schedules.  Some simple shifts can be done to help manage overwhelming feelings and take the dread out of the approaching week.  Practice these ideas to start your week on a positive note and gain joy back in your Sundays.

1. Be Proactive with your Tasks

Many people save Sundays as their weekend task day.  Try switching things up.  See if you can tackle your chores, shopping, and meal prepping on Friday night and early Saturday morning.  If you can tackle your task list early in the weekend, then you can spend the rest of your days off doing leisure activities.

2. Spend some Time on Yourself… READ MORE

How Do I Find Joy When I Am Stressed and Overwhelmed

Ok, let me start by saying I’m a pusher. Not the kind selling drugs around the schoolyard, but the kind whose natural response to difficulties in life is to put my head down and push my way through. I’ve pushed my way through anxiety and exhaustion, pain and sadness. In my freshman year of college, I pushed my way through both studying and partying, so hard that I ended up pulling a muscle in my chest during finals and requiring painkillers. Then I pushed through that too, taking my finals while dosing up on Percoset.

During graduate school, finishing my thesis (on the topic of joy!) took so much effort that I holed up in my apartment for nearly a month, sleeping four hours a night and taking a break only for a couple of hours to see my mom for Thanksgiving. In my first year at IDEO, out of my depth on a complicated project, I cried in the bathroom and then returned to my desk and kept working, never asking for help lest anyone think I couldn’t handle it. Once, I got so sick on a research trip that a coworker found me huddled on the floor of a car dealership bathroom. (That was low.) READ MORE

The Science Behind the Joy of Sharing Joy

Positive experiences happen to us every day, yet we don’t always take full advantage of them. Have you ever noticed that it could be a great day (you had eight hours of sleep, it’s the weekend, had a great conversation with a friend, etc.), but that it takes just one harsh word from someone or one piece of bad news to ruin the day? Research by Shelley Gable and Jonathan Haidt suggests that we have three times more positive experiences than negative ones. What keeps us from fully capitalizing on all the good in our lives, making us a slave to the bad?

Researchers have identified two main tendencies that keep us from experiencing, extending, and expanding our joy: negativity bias and habituation. The negativity bias refers to our mind’s innate tendency to give more weight to the negative; Roy Baumeister has shown that we tend to remember and focus more on negative experiences. Habituation, discussed in research on the hedonic treadmill, refers to the fact that while we receive boosts of happiness from new positive experiences, over time, we get used to these experiences and they no longer have the same effect. READ MORE

Defining Happiness: The Four Elements

The reason is understandable; it refers to an internal human experience, all of which to some extent are subjective.

It may be preferential, therefore, to use the word ‘happiness’ as an umbrella term. In doing so we can use it as a reference point, rather than a simple noun.

We could agree that to be happy is essential to feel ‘well’; that is, the sense of living through a ‘good’ experience, or a ‘good’ life.

So, what constitutes a feeling of ‘wellness’? There are four key elements I suggest are not only essential but primary in a life that can be described as happy.

1. Exhilaration, 2. Resilience, 3. Meaning, 4. Transcendence… READ MORE

 

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Newsletter 9/14/22 – Lifestyle; Healthy Habits

12 Habits of Super-Healthy People

Have Breakfast

1/12

It’s important for a bunch of reasons. It jump-starts your metabolism and stops you from overeating later. Plus, studies show that adults who have a healthy breakfast do better at work, and kids who eat a morning meal score higher on tests. If a big plateful first thing isn’t for you, keep it light with a granola bar or a piece of fruit. Just don’t skip it.

Plan Your Meals

2/12

It’ll help you save time and money in the long run. Block out some time, then sit down and consider your goals and needs. Do you want to lose weight? Cut back on sugar, fat, or carbs? Add protein or vitamins? Meal prep keeps you in control. You know what you’re eating and when. A bonus: It’ll be that much easier to skip those doughnuts in the breakroom at work.

Drink Plenty of Water…

READ MORE

Five healthy habits net more healthy years

Are healthy habits worth cultivating? A recent study suggests healthy habits may help people tack on years of life and sidestep serious illnesses, such as diabetes and cancer. After all, if you’re going to gain an extra decade of life on this earth, you want to enjoy it!

What did this research focus on?

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health looked at data from more than 73,000 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) who were followed for 34 years, and more than 38,000 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) who were followed for 28 years.

In a previous study using the same data, these researchers found that five low-risk lifestyle habits are critical for a longer life expectancy. The more of these habits people had, the longer they lived… READ MORE

Meditation to Boost Health and Well-Being

Practicing mindfulness and meditation may help you manage stress and high blood pressure, sleep better, feel more balanced and connected, and even lower your risk of heart disease.

Meditation and mindfulness are practices — often using breathing, quiet contemplation, or sustained focus on something, such as an image, phrase, or sound — that help you let go of stress and feel more calm and peaceful. Think of it as a mini-vacation from the stress in your life! Stress is your body’s natural alarm system. It releases a hormone called adrenaline that makes your breathing speed up and your heart rate and blood pressure rise. It kicks us into action, which can be a good thing when we’re faced with a real danger or need to perform.

But that “fight or flight” response can take a toll on your body when it goes on too long or is a regular occurrence. Mindfulness meditation provides a method for handling stress more healthily.

Meditation can improve well-being and quality of life.

Recent studies have offered promising results about the impact of meditation in reducing blood pressure. There is also evidence that it can help people manage insomnia, depression, and anxiety… READ MORE

10 Important Reasons to Start Making Time for Silence, Rest and Solitude

Practice becoming an observer of your thoughts. The human will is strengthened whenever we choose not to respond to every actionable thought.

It’s amazing how tuned out we become to the motor of the air-conditioner and refrigerator — the sudden silence is a startling reprieve. Likewise, we become numb to the buzz of our technology-saturated world.

Smartphone users check their device every 6.5 minutes, which works out to around 150 times a day. Silence is replaced with a cacophony of communication, and solitude is replaced with social media.

Indeed they’re an endangered species: silence and solitude; yet great revelations and benefits are found in them. Here are ten:

1. Bypassing Burnout
Too often, our culture assigns self-worth to productivity. Whether it’s asking what your country can do for you, or what you can do for your country, the question remains — what can be done? It’s a one-way ticket to burnout… READ MORE

Nutrition, Health, and Lifestyle: Issues and Insights

 

 

 

 

 

 

Separate fact from fiction and fads as you learn about core nutrition concepts and how to evaluate not only personal food choices and overall dietary patterns; ns but nutrition-related content in the media and advertising. Such topics include fundamentals of a healthful eating pattern, nutrition labeling, dietary supplements, fortified and “super” foods, plant-based nutrition, and nutrition and fitness. The course will also include an overview of nutrition fundamentals as they relate to human health.

During this course, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Analyze and evaluate your food and beverage intake using a recommended online or cell phone app nutrient database.
  • Research a dietary supplement of your choosing using credible informational websites as well as evidence-based medical literature.
  • Personally examine the concept of energy balance through the determination of your calorie needs, intake, and expenditure.

Syllabus

Week One: Just What is a Healthy Diet? A Balancing Act

Week Two: Nutrition Labeling: Facts, Claims, and Challenges

Week Three: Dietary Supplements: Evaluating the Evidence

Week Four: Functional and “Super” Foods: Their Role in Optimal Nutrition

Week Five: Plant-based Nutrition: Controversies and Considerations

Week Six: Nutrition and Fitness: Facts, Food, and Fuel

Week Seven:  Food Allergies and Intolerances:  Separating Fact from Fiction

READ MORE

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Newsletter, 9/6/22 Become the Authority in Your Niche

How To Become A Recognized Expert In Your Niche

People tend to listen to those who know best. When asking for advice, where do they usually go? The experts of their respective industries. One has to be creative, persuasive, and well-informed to become a figure of authority, expertise, and influence.

While the traditional pathway demands degrees and certifications that cost valuable time and money, there are a few alternatives worth trying:

1. Specialize and niche down.

2. Be a source of valuable content.

3. Stay relevant and move alongside the trends.

4. Join virtual events or create your own.

5. Get featured in prominent publications.

READ MORE

6 Guaranteed Ways To Position Yourself As An Authority

There are so many choices and options today when people are looking to solve a challenge or problem. So just how do they make that choice?

They go to the trusted expert or authority who has established a relationship with them and has proven their expertise on their topic.

So when your community needs someone that offers the products or services that you do, will you be the authority that they turn to?

Perhaps you are unsure about how to establish yourself as an authority on your topic.

Fear not.

I’m going to share six guaranteed ways you can position yourself as a trusted authority with your community, industry, and/or topic. READ MORE

11 Ways To Build Your Personal Brand And Become The Authority In Your Niche

As an online business owner, you probably know the importance of branding. Branding is one of your most powerful tools as a business owner, so you want to use it effectively. To get the most out of branding, you’ll want to focus on building your brand, as well as your business brand.

Your brand defines who you are to your audience. Your personality, your interests, and your goals are all represented by your brand. You already have a personal brand, whether you’ve actively worked to develop it or not.

With the right personal branding, you can improve your sales and increase your audience. By giving yourself an awesome reputation among your audience, you give your business a favorable impression as well. 

Building your brand works similarly to building any other type of brand – it’s about putting your best foot forward. We’ve put together a list of the best personal branding tips from leading experts in marketing, to help you get started in the right direction… READ MORE

How to Build an Authority Website for the Longterm

Have you ever wondered why, in nearly every set of search results, a Wikipedia entry ranks on the first page, usually near the top?

That’s because the site has gone to great lengths to build authority at the domain, site and page levels. Google recognizes the value of Wikipedia’s rich content that links out to well-documented sources.

To create website, or domain, authority for your own site, it might benefit you to take a page from Wikipedia’s book. While your site may never have the hundreds of thousands of pages that Wikipedia does, the same principles apply.

In fact, niche sites have an easier time building authority. By restricting themselves to one niche, content creation efforts are concentrated on one specific theme… READ MORE

Posted on

Social Media for eCommerce

marketing strategy

“Ecommerce isn’t the cherry on the cake, it’s the new cake” Bob Howland

7 Easy Steps to Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing can help you build engaged audiences where your customers and target audience already spend their time.

Or, it can be a time-consuming obligation that spreads you thin, resulting in a drain on time and money rather than the asset you’ve seen it become for many established brands.

The difference is having a social media marketing plan that keeps your actions focused, along with a process that enables you to execute without taking too much attention away from running your business.

But starting from scratch can be a daunting task, especially with so many different channels to build a presence on and the commitment that comes with it.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to walk you through how to approach your social media marketing strategy, along with tools and tips to help you pull it off. READ MORE

How to set ecommerce social media up for success

When social media first came onto the scene, it was designed for people to connect. But as the platforms developed and the user base grew, the money needed to be made, and brands found opportunities to participate and reach their customers in a new way. Nowadays, it seems unimaginable for a new business to open up without any social media presence.

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) model is still relatively new when compared to brick-and-mortar retail shops. For those that are solely based online, an investment in social media comprises a significant part of the marketing budget. When companies like Warby Parker and Casper first launched, the DTC model was fresh and unique. Nowadays, nearly every retail segment has a DTC brand and the competition is heavy with new brands.

In 2010, eCommerce sales made up only 4.2% of total US retail sales. One decade later, the number is now 11.8% and it’s only steadily climbing. In 2020, as the pandemic continues to prohibit retail companies from opening their stores, having an eCommerce marketing strategy seems more needed than ever. READ MORE

5 Practical Social Media Marketing Strategies That All eCommerce Sellers Must Know

ecommerce marketing strategy
ecommerce marketing strategy

With more customers shopping online than ever before, and ever-increasing competition for attention, online businesses will only be able to maximize their success if they learn how to build on organic engagement in social media.

Don’t get me wrong, gaining organic traffic through search, and even conversions from paid ads, are still great ways to build a business. However, leveraging a community to build sales from organic engagement costs nothing more than your time. And besides that, there are plenty of tools available to help you along the way.

Here are five practical strategies you can implement straight away which will help boost traffic and sales through your social channels.

1. Create, Curate, and Share Awesome Content

If all you do through your social channels is promote your products, your audience is going to burn out on your pages and posts pretty fast. READ MORE

Social Media for eCommerce Businesses – Tips, Stats, Best Practices

Social-Media-for-eCommerce-Businesses-Tips-Stats-Best-Practices
Social-Media-for-eCommerce-Businesses-Tips-Stats-Best-Practices

Social media has become one of the most dependable and powerful sales tools for eCommerce businesses. Companies can go the patient route by building an organic following or the more direct route, with highly-target ad campaigns.  

With 35% of millennials (and a significant number of older shoppers) making purchases via social media, there has never been a better time to get on board. Use this article as a guide for understanding the real value of social media for eCommerce, how to build an effective strategy, and tips & best practices for getting the most out of your social presence.  

Why social media is crucial for eCommerce brands

The idea used to be that using social media in eCommerce was a bit wishy-washy; no tangible return to the business and “while it could work for some brands, it wouldn’t work for us”—this was a very common belief.  

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