Here on the Porch, social media marketing is king. A strong social media plan is key to a healthy, robust presence on-line – which in turn leads to increased brand recognition, increased brand loyalty, more traffic, and ultimately more customers.

Using social media to grow your business can seem like a daunting task. But it needn’t be! Here are our 6 top tips for developing a strong social media presence:

• Have A Social Media Plan for Each Channel. Please people, don’t just create one type of content and blast it across every social platform! Identify your audience and your goals for each platform – they are very different creatures. Ensure your posts are true to your brand and strike the tone you wish to convey. Develop a calendar and stick to it.

• Create Meaningful Content and Deliver it Consistently. Quality content that excites and engages is worth its weight in gold. Make sure everything you post is valuable, relevant to your audience, helpful, and/or entertaining. And get it out there consistently!

• The Key Word in Social Media is Social – Interact! Engaging with other users on a regular basis is key. Like people’s posts. When people comment, reply! Comment on other people’s posts. Retweet. Give people a shout out! Encourage communication and conversation.

• Optimize Your Content with Visuals and Links. Visuals grab people’s attention, so don’t neglect this important piece of the puzzle. Photos, infographics, memes, videos – all valuable tools. Mix it up. Then don’t forget to drive traffic back to your site! Always link back to your products and services.

• Blog, Blog, Blog. We can’t stress this enough. Develop blog posts that are easy to read,  highlighting ideas that are interesting and thought-provoking. Creating original content in the form of blogs is a win-win! Don’t become overwhelmed, blogs don’t have to be long. Just do it!

• Get Your Entire Team In On the Action. Everyone has a valuable point of view and cache of experience, so encourage everyone to help your marketing efforts. Get them to blog and share their expertise. At the bare mimimum, ask them to follow and comment on the social profiles of your company and your clients.

We always say, marketing is more of an art than a science, and that is true! Take the human approach when developing your social media strategy – it will pay dividends!

As I sit down to write this, I am surrounded by a big mess… a very big mess. We are currently in the process of renovating our house. My washer and dryer are temporarily set up in my living room, my water is cut off for the day and I’m trying to figure out where in the already-crowded dining room to put the bathtub that is about to be delivered for the next month or so. My dog is barking at me because of all of the strange people working on our house and her restricted access to her yard, and my daughter wants to see what everyone is working on and try to figure out how she can “help.” Oh, and did I mention I’m almost 8 months pregnant?

Perfect timing, right?

When I feel like I’m literally on the verge of losing my mind in the chaos of change, I have to take a step back and realize that the mess is only temporary, and in the end, I’m going to have a beautiful home that is more spacious and more organized than it was before this mess began.

“Change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma

Without change, there is no progress, and this is true in all areas of life – whether it be personal or business. Is there a change that you know you need to make to help your business grow, but you are avoiding because of the mess that comes along with it? Perhaps you need to grow your team or change your org structure? Or it’s time to move to a new or larger location? Or there is a process that you have had in place, but it is no longer working? Is it time to take your marketing to the next level, or really focus on branding your business?

Well, consider this your invitation! Come join me in the chaos of change. There is no better time to make positive changes than NOW! And believe me, your future self will thank you for it.

What should I blog about? I asked my friend, as we texted this afternoon. “Instant connections,” she said. “Whether it’s a business or a personal relationship. Like a friendship born in a seedy Grand Prairie volleyball warehouse.”

It’s true. We became friends three years ago in a cold, remote, loud volleyball warehouse where we spent an entire weekend watching our daughters play for the same club team. We bonded quickly over our disdain for the helicopter parents in attendance and the absurdity of the diet our girls were forced to adhere to. By the next tournament we had a wagon full of inside jokes that we shared … and we were off.

Today she is one of my very closest friends, even though our daughters are no longer close, and volleyball is but a distant memory.

What causes people to gravitate to each other? And what enables those authentic connections to endure? The same can be pondered in business – what causes people to gravitate to businesses or brands and maintain that loyalty?

Brand loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. Brands that cultivate loyalty find ways to emotionally connect with their customers. How is this accomplished? Here are three things to consider:

1. Focus on what your brand does best. If you try to be all things to all people you’ll end up being nothing to anyone. Be bold. Be unique. Differentiate your brand around what makes you, YOU.
2. Serve your customers. Wow them. Take care of them. Listen to them. Serve them. Give them reasons to come back to your brand again and again.
3. Determine what your brand stands for and deliver on your promise. You must become relentless in your dedication to deliver on your brand promise. Every day.

Creating authentic connections and maintaining a successful brand that brings loyal customers to your door is key. Does your brand measure up?

We are passionate about branding here on the Porch! If your brand isn’t speaking to your customers the way it should, give us a call. We can help.

Customer experience is a daily topic on the Porch. Those who know me are probably like “smh” that I would say I learned about customer experience from Disney Princesses ‘cuz mama be like, Hey, Cinderella, what’s the story all about … you know, the Suzy Bogguss song?!?! No? Well, Google it …

Did you know Millennials ranked Disney number one in the latest Brand Intimacy Report***?

***Survey was not by the Porter family nor was the Porter family surveyed for this report.

Why did they rank Disney number one you ask? Millennials tend toward “escapism and the need for respite” during this point in their lives. Disney delivers. The Disney brand rocks it with Millennials, children, teens, parents, grandparents and everyone in between.

My latest experience at Disney World brings me back to why the most powerful brands are the ones that have mastered customer experience, among other things.

Three customer experience takeaways from Disney:

1. Hire people who love their jobs and continually give them reasons to love it. They have to love it. There are people of all ages touching Disney Princesses and their hair and clothing for hours on end. Random lils asking questions about the Princess’ movie or last episode of their Disney Junior show. Upon each interaction, there were smiles and dialogue about the show and questions about whether they liked the outcome of that episode or if they knew what Belle’s favorite book was. My favorite answer, “Yes, princess, your hair is the same color as mine.” Swoon.
2. Consistently deliver on the brand at every touch point. When you call the front desk or housekeeping or the restaurant at a Disney property, you always hear, “Welcome home.” If you ask, “Are you open tomorrow?” You will most certainly not hear, “We are off tomorrow. Sorry.” Take note friends.
3. Words your team speaks matter. You are called your highness or majesty. Your children are called princess or prince or your highness every time you turn around. How can you not love being at Disney?

Customers and clients are the new royalty. The quality of customer experience you must offer to compete in your market and win is of the utmost importance — now more than ever.

Dream big marketer. Be A Champion.

Disney, you got me hook, line and slipper.

The term “Pick Six” has long been associated with big success:

• In horse racing, Pick Six is a wager in which a bettor picks one horse in each of six races, leading to a big payout.
• In football, Pick Six refers to an interception (pick) being returned for a touchdown.
• In lottery terms, Pick Six refers to the big payout that occurs when six regular numbers are picked.
• In wrestling, Pick Six is a ranking system used by the Ring of Honor to determine championship contenders.

Big. Successes.

And so, in honor of our sixth year in business, we on the Porch formulated our own Pick Six … for business success, big success!

1. We’re picking Brand Architecture. It’s so important. When was the last time you really evaluated your brand? Is it due to be re-visited? We can help you look at it in a fresh way to ensure you are capitalizing on what makes you unique.
2. Number two on our list of picks: What have we been up to on the Porch? We had an extremely rewarding experience (and an absolute blast) at the PowerGen Trade Show in Orlando with our rocking client, TodoModo. Check out our blog about the experience!
3. Number three involves talking, and lots of it. What have we been talkin’ about? Maximizing your marketing! We spoke about that very thing at the Arlington Board of Realtors‘ Meeting January 27th.
4. What we are off our rocker about? The Super Bowl! The Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots will face off in this colossal battle February 5th and we know what we will be serving at our soiree: The Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan and Chipotle Popcorn, a chili bar (seriously genius idea – thank you Food & Wine Magazine) and Iron Skillet Peach Crisp. A Texas menu if we’ve ever heard one.
5. Highlights from the Porch Team bring us to our number five pick. Our rocking’ interns, Grace and Rachel, have been an impressive breath of fresh air around here – and we are enjoying watching them weigh their next steps, as their graduation dates are rapidly approaching!
6. And our final pick: The power of the referral in gaining new clients. We are continually amazed and humbled that our Porch family continues to grow through marketing and referrals. Thank you for all you do to keep our Porch rocking!

Please keep those many referrals coming. We are so grateful. Join us on the Porch via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our blog here.

Thanks, friends, for riding the sixes with us. Here’s to another wildly successful year!

The beginning of a new year is always a great time to have a brand review and create a fresh approach to achieving your business goals. Growth is always a goal for any business, but as your business grows and develops, you need to check and see if your brand reflects the business as it is today – not what it was last year or the year before.

Here are some tips for checking up on your brand for this year: 

• Does your brand reflect the personality and values of the company? If you don’t think it does, customers certainly won’t either. While the mission, vision and values of your company shouldn’t change often, shifts in your business or marketing strategy may affect the brand. A brand review gives you the opportunity to align it with your mission and vision so that you are connecting with the right people and growing your business year after year. Integrate your brand into everything you do – from answering the phones to your website design to your business cards – every customer touch point needs to be considered.
• Get feedback from external sources and be aware of how your company is perceived. People make decisions based on emotions so you need your brand to emotionally connect with your audience and feel assured that they know the who, what and why of your business.
• Review your brand standards and make sure every element translates across all delivery channels to ensure your brand is consistent.
• Define your key messages and make sure every member of the team knows what they are so they are aware of and can effectively communicate your brand attributes.

Completing an annual brand review will ensure that you are staying true to your brand, which will help ensure customers come back again and again.

Come see us on the Porch if you are in need of a brand review. We can ensure that your strategy and activities are aligned with your brand to maximize success!

We are giving thanks for so much. We on the Porch are feeling very grateful. We have the best clients, amazing business partners, wonderful colleagues and the most rewarding professional work imaginable. AND, we get to do what we love Every. Single. Day. It rocks!

Our Team is grateful for all of you. And more!

Some beautiful words from the Rockin’ Roller: “I am thankful for our freedom. As I am ready to head to my childhood home to spend Thanksgiving with my family – my husband and daughter, my parents and my sister-in-law, niece and nephews – my brother will not be there because he is currently, voluntarily deployed to Kuwait where he is an Army Blackhawk pilot. I am thankful that there are people in this world like him who selflessly serve and risk their life so that we can enjoy freedom in this country. And I am thankful for amazing people like my sister-in-law who give everything to keep life as normal as possible for their three kids while he is away. And I am thankful for all of the veterans – including my dad and grandfather.”

The Rocketeer says, “This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for my education, my family and my health. If I have learned anything from this year, it is that life is way too short and can be taken from us at any moment. I’m so thankful for the people I surround myself with every day.”

The Rock is thankful for, “Family, friends, a flexible job and, most of all, living in a country where we are free to celebrate the things we are thankful for.”

We celebrate our Rock Artist when she says, “I am thankful for my health. I just had my five-year checkup with my oncologist and I am an official five-year breast cancer survivor! Health is definitely something I did not used to take for granted, but I’m grateful every second of every day now. I am also thankful for our daughter – for my husband and me, being parents is the biggest joy in the world. Watching our six year old learn how to read, make friends and teach us (adults) how to see life from a new perspective is just amazing.”

• Family
• Friends
• Community
• Opportunity
• Charity
• Kindness
• Dallas CASA
• Teachers and coaches
• and last, but not least, comedians and laughter!

Our Chief Rocker weighs in: “I am so grateful for our team, family, clients, advocates, U.S.A. and Thanksgiving! This holiday rocks. My children continue to amaze me. Coming off Grandparents Day for my freshman and a blessed day with our lil. A highlight from last week was when our intern didn’t know who Snoop Doggy Dog was. I am forever grateful for always learning and gaining a new perspective. I am humbled to work with such great people in a country that allows me the opportunity to run my own business. I am very grateful that I can do this without sacrificing time with my family.”

The Future Rocket says, “I am thankful for opportunities I have. The opportunity for me to be positive and happy. The opportunity to go to class everyday and learn something new. The opportunity that I have to make healthy choices and be active every day. The opportunity to look at events as a chance to better myself, rather than something that will take up my time. Looking at everyday events as a chance to become a better person rather than looking at things as a chore, because so many people would love the chance to go to class early in the morning or go to the gym, but don’t have the opportunity to do so.”

Our Back Porch Rocker wraps it up by saying: “I am thankful for the insight, clarity and perspective that this year has given me. Sometimes, when things fall away, you are given the gift of rebuilding better and stronger than before.”

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. From our Porch to yours!

Friends, it’s that time of year. The leaves are falling, there is a chill in the air and we are simultaneously looking back at our fifth year in business and looking forward to our next rockin’ year. But before we wrap up our year-long celebration of fives, we want to share these last five branding and marketing vibes from the Porch:

1. Gearing Up. Did you know that the Small Business Association suggests that as a general rule, small businesses with revenues of less than $5 million allocate 7-8 percent of their gross sales to marketing? And did you know that an international media strategy agency predicts that advertising spending will reach $179 billion in 2017? This is a 6.3% increase – the largest since 2010. Rock on with your marketing self.
2. Looking Forward. The new year is around the corner! We are fully engaged with our clients finalizing their 2017 marketing plans and budgets. We are ready for a banner 2017!
3. Rocking Our Talent. Our rocking team has it in spades! In 2017 we will continue to give our clients the very best we have to offer. Led by Julie’s second-to-none marketing vision and backed by Vanessa’s stellar branding and advertising expertise, Ann Marie’s excellence in public relations and communication, Tara’s extensive marketing and client management capabilities, Allison’s rocking graphic design capabilities, Jacqui’s blogging and wordsmith acumen and Darcey’s lead-the-charge management ensure that our clients are in excellent hands.
4. Gratitude. Don’t think we don’t know it – we have much to be grateful for. Rocking clients who are true partners, hard-working and creative team members, talented business associates, loyal friends, and loving, supportive families – we are thankful for each and every one of you! Special thanks to our PeopleResults client partner, Shelli Walker for the invitation to speak at the first ever Arlington Chamber of Commerce Women’s Alliance’s Business in a Box workshop. Gratitude!
5. Celebration. Five years. It’s a milestone. We celebrated this and more yesterday at our end-of-the-year team jam session.

Thank you, friends. Keep those many referrals coming. Join us on the Porch via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our blog here.

Get ready for more rockin’ branding and marketing vibes in 2017 party people in the house.

I am always learning from my kids. While I try to guide them and nudge them in the direction I think is best for them, the truth is, being their Mother teaches me so much more than I could ever teach them.

Just this week, my high school age daughter was talking to my sons about the difficulties of middle school. Although there were tough days, she actually bore it pretty well, and came out of it with some very sage advice for her brothers on how best to navigate it. And I couldn’t help but notice that it sounded a great deal like the branding advice we give here on the Porch:

“Know Yourself” – It’s a broad, sweeping statement as it relates to being a kid, and the same is true of business; but it is the best piece of advice one can give in both instances. I sadly witnessed many kids trying too hard to be something they weren’t to gain acceptance from a particular group or person. Middle school sharks can sniff that behavior out, and savvy consumers can do the same thing! Embrace who you are and run with it. It is so much better than trying to be all things to all people.

“Be Consistent” – I almost got whiplash watching the roller coaster friendship ride, I can’t imagine how hard it was to live it. The one thing my daughter struggled with the most were girls who were friends in some circumstances but not in others. Friends need to know they can trust and count on each other, just as your customers need to know they can trust and count on you. Be consistent in your messaging. Be consistent in your interaction. Be consistent in your delivery.

“Be Original” – This advice may go against the survival instinct of any middle schooler, because fitting in is everything at this age; but I watched my daughter make original choices over and over again, and I think it served her very well. She chose electives and activities that truly interested her – not just those that “everyone else was doing.” As a result, she has a wide cross-section of friends, and she is a much more interesting person for having taken that route. Branding demands that your business also be original. You must stand out from your competitors. Make bold, original choices. You will be remembered for them.

“Have Depth” – This last one isn’t my daughter’s advice, it’s mine. My daughter has tremendous depth of character, and I admire it immensely. So do her friends. Your business must have the same layers of meaning and purpose to create a sense of emotion around your brand.

Know Yourself. Be Consistent. Be Original. Have Depth. Important branding choices for your business. Important choices for living your life.

Rock on, friends!

Your brand is one of the most important parts of developing or reinvigorating your company. The process of branding examines the emotions you want your customer to feel about your company and its services.

Branding means different things to different people. When working with Clients, we on the Porch serve it up this way:

Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer.

One of the steps in our branding elaborative is defining brand affiliation. This is done after the vision, personality and positioning are established, because all these factor into the affiliation.

Brand affiliation is best described as what “club” customers are joining when they choose your company. Humans are compelled to affiliate with people like themselves, people they admire or people they aspire to be like. Brand affiliation is what you want other people to think of your company when they learn they are aligned with you.

Once your affiliation is established, you can position yourself in environments that share your affiliation. Say what?

Depending on your company, that might be more complicated than it seems. Here’s an example from our very own Porch:

We want to work with forward-thinking, passionate business leaders and entrepreneurs. We want everyone to have a knock-your-socks off, head turning, register-ringing marketing strategy!

So how do we do that, and maximize our affiliation?

1. We live, breathe and sing marketing strategy and insight with anyone that will join us on the Porch.
2. We provide marketing implementation.
3. We align ourselves with groups and organizations like Vistage, WBENC, NEW, Community Partners and liked-minded business owners.
4. We conduct workshops like our Chief Rocker’s November 4, “Business in a Box” workshop at the Arlington Inspired Women Luncheon.

Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be. Define it and Rock It. Every Day. All Day.