Archive for May, 2023

How To Create Custom Illustrations For Your Website?

Gone are those days when you only needed to put blocks of text on your website and expect a boost in engagement rates. People are becoming more graphics-centric and believe it should be an integral part of every marketing stage.

That’s where illustrations come in. They are powerful visual elements that you can employ on every aspect of your website – homepage or blog posts. 

According to Springer, customers guided by texts and illustrations perform 323% better than those without. This is especially true if the illustration is placed on your sales page and places where you need to nudge your customers down the conversion funnel.

Note that an illustration can simply be a work of art with characters depicting your brand process. It can also be a combination of data visualizations created with geometric shapes and is useful for articles.

In this article, we will discuss ten important steps that will help you create a cutting-edge illustration.

10 Steps To Create Custom Illustrations For Your Website

Creating a custom illustration for any page on your website is a no-brainer, but you need a basic knowledge of how designs work. So it’s advisable you go through a few tutorials on Youtube to help you get a good feel of how things work. 

Regardless, we have simplified ten basic steps that will help you create awesome illustrations as a beginner or pro below.

  1. Finding The Right Tools

There are several tools for creating illustrations, but the best picks on our list are Adobe Illustrator (AI) and Procreate. AI is a vector-based design software that you can use to design logos, fliers, prints, infographics, and illustrations. And designers sometimes use it to convert raster-based images to vector-based art and vice versa.

Procreate boasts similar functions to AI, such as logo designs and illustrations. You can use Procreate to design artwork, including 2D and 3D characters, which are helpful for storytelling on your home and sales page. Additionally, you can get resources like anime and manga brushes for Procreate from platforms like Brush Galaxy, which makes the tool even easier to use.

  1. Brainstorm A Concept

Once you have a preferred tool, it’s time to brainstorm a concept. You should have a clear picture of how you want your illustration to look, what it should contain, the colors, fonts, and the message to pass. On a better note, you should first identify what page of your website you’re designing the illustration for.

If you’re creating one for your homepage, then you’re most likely going to be working with stats like previous sales data, completed projects, and many others. In some cases, it could be character or descriptive art, which is often useful for impressing new visitors to your website.

A blog post usually does not need overly complex visuals. So your illustration might just wrap around a single paragraph, statistics, or fact. The same goes for case studies and newsletters.

When you’ve figured out what type of illustration you need, visit sites like Pinterest for variations of your concept. Filter the results to get relevant ideas and visuals. You can also explore Canva’s library and Freepik for more.

  1. Sketch Out Your Idea

Don’t forget to sketch the ideas you’ve just brainstormed. Concepts are very volatile, and it’s quite easy to forget one or two at every click. If you have an iPad, you can download Procreate and use your pen to quickly create a rough prototype. Alternatively, you can do the sketches on a sheet of paper – anyone works.

Note that you’re not replicating the same concepts you’ve seen from other designers. You are only taking inspiration from their illustrations to create yours. So take note of the possible variations that can give your own design a unique look when sketching.

  1. Set Up Your Workspace

The workspace is where all of your designs take place. To enhance your productivity and creativity, you should put all the necessary elements here. For example, you can line up your color palettes on the left for easy access when you’re creating your illustrations. This saves you the stress of going to the color drawer over and over again.

Other things to include in your workspace include your preferred shapes, quick boxes, images, and the texts you will use. Another way to tweak your workspace is by adjusting the existing preferences.

  1. Start Designing

Now that you have your sketches, you can scan and upload them to Adobe Illustrator. Start by tracing out the sketch lines and get a basic shape in place. You only need to create a gray draft before adding colors and other elements.

Adobe Illustrator has a font-matching feature that comes with Adobe Sensei. Use it to dig out the best fonts and strokes to use for your texts.

  1. Work With Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes include rectangles, squares, circles, and stars. Often, most non-sketch illustrations start with these shapes and are further combined to create more complex designs. For example, you can use Adobe Illustrator’s “distort and transform” tool to bloat and pucker your shapes for a more artistic look.

When creating illustrator charts for in-article use, you can work with rectangles for the bar and circles for pies. 

  1. Prioritize Brand Consistency

Brand consistency means presenting your brand across all channels the same way. The importance of brand consistency is instant recognition. And that means anywhere your customers or previous website visitors see your designs, they know it’s you.

A quick way to implement consistency is by creating a reusable template for your illustrations. You should also maintain the colors you use, your inscriptions, the logo, and the design pattern. 

  1. Go 2D And 3D If Necessary

While most illustrations are already pretty good without adding extra aesthetics, they don’t have to look paper-like or rigid. For more realistic and expressive designs, you can use tools like Procreate and Adobe Illustrator. 

Also, note that not all of your illustrations need to be 2D and 3D. For example, illustrative pie charts and statistics for email content should be as simple as possible. Blog illustrations can take it an inch further and go 2D. 

  1. Review And Edit

Once your illustrations are ready, sleep on them and review them for extra details. You should also test them across different devices and screens. Importantly, your file size matters a lot since they will be going live on your website. 

So ensure you optimize each byte without affecting the illustration’s quality while also prioritizing your page-load speed.

  1. Use Pre-built Templates

Instead of creating everything from scratch, you can alternatively use pre-built templates. Some sites like Freepiks offer both premium and free templates which you can edit. All you need to do is insert your data where necessary.

If you are a bit versed in graphic designing, you can do some tweaking to the colors, shapes, and other elements used. 

Conclusion

Illustrations are so important and almost indispensable if you want to create a quality experience for people on your website. Adding them to your blog posts is even more crucial and can help enhance engagement.

To create a custom illustration, you need to brainstorm and sketch a concept. Afterward, open up your design software and set up the workspace. Scan the sketch and start designing. Finally, add the finishing touches.

Featured Image by upklyak on Freepik

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How a Business Idea Generator Can Help You to Turn Your Dreams into a Successful Startup?

The entrepreneurial landscape is awash with potential, yet one of the most significant challenges entrepreneurs face is identifying a viable, market-ready business idea. 

This is where a Business Idea Generator comes in. It’s a tool or service, often AI-powered, that provides novel business ideas based on specific parameters like personal interests, industry trends, and market gaps. 

As an aspiring entrepreneur, leveraging such a tool can be pivotal in transforming your dreams into a successful startup.

What Refers to a Business Idea Generator?

The Business Idea Generator uses advanced algorithms, industry data, and sometimes, human intuition to generate a list of potential business ideas. These generators come in several forms:

  • AI-based generators: These leverage machine learning and big data to produce business ideas based on trending market needs and gaps.
  • Human-curated idea generators: These are often platforms where experienced entrepreneurs share unique business ideas based on their experience and market understanding.
  • Industry-specific generators: These generate ideas within specific industries, taking into account the unique dynamics and trends of the selected field.

However, using a Business Idea Generator is not without its pros and cons. On the positive side, these tools can inspire creativity, provide a wide range of options, and save time. 

On the downside, the ideas generated may lack originality, and there’s a risk of receiving an idea that’s not a good fit for your skills or interests.

The Role of a Business Idea Generator in a Startup Journey

Business Idea Generators can be instrumental in various stages of a startup journey. They spark creativity and innovative thinking, helping you to think outside the box and explore areas you may not have considered. 

By offering a variety of unique business ideas, they open up opportunities for niche markets and innovative solutions. 

Some successful startups, such as “Airbnb” and “Uber”, were born out of unconventional business ideas that addressed a specific market need.

Turning Your Dreams into a Business Plan with a Business Idea Generator

Turning your dreams into a successful business involves more than just having a great idea. Here are some steps to follow:

  • Use a Business Idea Generator: Input your interests, skills, and market trends you’re curious about.
  • Evaluate the ideas: Not all generated ideas will be perfect. Evaluate them based on feasibility, your passion for the topic, and market demand.
  • Select the best idea: Pick an idea that aligns most with your dreams and seems viable in the current market.
  • Validating Your Generated Business Idea

After generating and selecting an idea, the next crucial step is validation. This involves confirming that your idea is not just good but also has a real demand in the market. Here are some methods of validation:

  • Market research and competitor analysis: Understand the market size, customer preferences, and the competitive landscape.
  • Customer discovery and validation: Conduct surveys and interviews to understand your potential customers’ needs and responses to your business idea.
  • Minimum Viable Product (MVP) testing: Launch a basic version of your product/service to gauge customer reactions and gain feedback for improvements.

Moving from Idea to Execution: Building Your Startup

With a validated business idea, the next stage is to build your startup:

  • Develop a business plan: This should detail your business model, marketing strategy, revenue model, and growth plans.
  • Gather resources and form a team: Identify the necessary resources and the right team to bring your idea to life.
  • Seek funding: Depending on your needs, seek out investors, apply for loans, or bootstrap.
  • Launch and scale your business: Start small, measure progress, and gradually scale your operations.

Potential Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Despite its benefits, using a Business Idea Generator comes with potential challenges. You might end up with an idea that doesn’t resonate with your interests, or perhaps the idea is too broad, lacking specificity. Here’s how to handle these issues:

  • Lack of personal connection: If you don’t resonate with any of the generated ideas, don’t despair. You can always adjust and tweak the ideas to better align with your passion and skills, or try using a different generator.
  • The broadness of idea: If the idea is too broad, take time to refine and narrow it down. Focus on a specific target market or niche to make your idea more precise and actionable.

Do’s and Don’ts of Using a Business Idea Generator

As you navigate the entrepreneurial journey, a Business Idea Generator can be an invaluable tool. However, it’s essential to use it properly to maximize its benefits. 

Here are some do’s and don’ts when using a Business Idea Generator:

  • Do’s:
  1. Do consider your interests and skills: While the generator may offer a promising business idea, it must align with your passion and skills to increase the chances of success.
  2. Do validate the idea: No matter how good the idea seems, always validate it through market research and customer feedback before investing time and resources into it.
  3. Do be open-minded: An idea might seem outlandish or far-fetched at first, but with a little creativity and ingenuity, it could turn into a successful venture.
  4. Do use it as a starting point: Use the generated ideas as inspiration and tailor them to suit your vision and the needs of your target market.
  • Don’ts:
  1. Don’t blindly follow the generator: Remember, it’s a tool to spark inspiration, not a definitive guide. Always use your judgment and intuition.
  2. Don’t ignore market trends: While considering the generated ideas, keep an eye on market trends and demands to ensure your business idea has potential for success.
  3. Don’t rush into execution: Take your time to evaluate and refine the idea, build a robust business plan, and gather necessary resources before jumping into execution.
  4. Don’t neglect the competition: Even a unique idea can face competition. Research your competitors to understand their strategies and identify ways to differentiate your business.
  5. Don’t forget about scalability: Choose an idea that not only fits your immediate goals but also has the potential to grow and evolve with time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a Business Idea Generator can significantly influence your startup journey. It can stimulate creativity, help identify unique opportunities, and accelerate the ideation process. 

While it has its challenges, with careful usage and by complementing it with personal intuition, market research, and validation, it can indeed turn your dreams into a successful startup.

Remember, an idea is just the beginning. It’s the execution of the idea through a well-devised plan that ultimately determines the success of a startup. 

So, use a Business Idea Generator as a launching pad, but rely on your skills, perseverance, and adaptability to navigate the entrepreneurial journey ahead.

Featured image by Lala Azizli on Unsplash

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How On-Campus Housing Security Is Transforming Thanks to Technology

For many, living on campus during college is an integral part of the university experience. Social engagement and academic sharing by living on campus enable students to enrich this period of higher education. Thanks to on-campus residence, students can access multiple educational extras including seminars, conferences and lectures, libraries, sporting activities, and university clubs. Communal living permits students to form lifelong friendships with peers and form closer relationships with faculty members.

Fortunately, residential technological advancements are not just limited to private residences, apartment complexes, or hotels. Now universities are integrating technological solutions into on-campus dorms to improve comfort, efficiency, and security.

Security is one of the principal concerns for parents when children leave for university. Violent crimes and mass shootings experienced across the nation at schools and on college campuses have shocked and worried families sending sons and daughters off to college.

Access Control for Increased Student Safety

Technological advances now permit the use of fobs, keypads, keycards, and mobile entry credentials. Keyless door locks now eliminate the need for students to carry keys or keycards. Doors can be opened using biometric scans or credentials in a smartphone app. This increases property protection, impedes unauthorized access, and significantly reduces the need to change locks because of lost, stolen, or misplaced keys. 

Access to common areas such as fitness centers, student lounges, study rooms, or pools can be equipped with secure entrance technology facilitating controlled entrance to all areas within on-campus housing facilities.

Technological security access systems also provide several other benefits such as logging who enters and exits a building and facilitating rapid entrance thanks to automation. 

Anomalies such as repeated use of entry credentials can be quickly identified and verified alerting university officials if access credentials have been stolen, cloned, or shared.

Cloud-based access control systems permit remote management from anywhere so that doors can be locked and unlocked at any time from anywhere eliminating the risk of students being locked out and vulnerable. 

Stolen credentials can immediately be disabled so that they cannot be used by bad actors. Credentials granted to service providers and maintenance professionals can be deactivated once tasks have been completed.

Security Video Monitoring

Campus security has always been a priority at educational institutions, but today’s generation of students has grown up in a world where video recording is the norm everywhere. This facilitates the use of video security monitoring within and around dormitory buildings. While privacy does remain a concern, pathways, parking lots, entrances, and exits that are a part of university housing facilities should all benefit from video security surveillance cameras with these areas benefiting from proper lighting. 

Now school video security monitoring systems integrate AI. This permits universities to use automation to monitor potentially suspicious behavior in real-time. Causes for worry can be identified rapidly with alerts sent to security personnel facilitating immediate intervention. Emergency responses become proactive instead of reactive. This greater level of monitoring helps to create a safer environment for students.

University dormitory administrators are also able to identify occupancy rates and times as well as usage patterns. This information can lead to better use of housing resources such as water and electricity increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and saving money.

Security video monitoring systems can integrate biometric facial recognition to improve access control efficiency and increase housing security. These systems can also be programmed to send security alerts informing residential managers and security personnel of a need for immediate intervention should unauthorized entrances be attempted, or suspicious behavior be detected.

Cloud-based video systems can permit security personnel or residential managers to view video feeds from school security camera systems remotely using mobile devices and video analytics can send notifications to security staff and local authorities.

Dorms Are Smarter

Thanks to greater connectivity, the IoT – Internet of Things together with machine learning algorithms and AI are able to collect massive amounts of data and analyze it in real time. Residential managers and building administrators can improve property management and services offered. For example, heating and cooling systems can be better managed thanks to data collection and analysis of energy consumption and occupancy patterns. Smart lighting for increased security can be tailored to meet traffic flow. Automated rapid access controls reduce building entrance time and security procedures are improved thanks to data collection and analysis.

Data collection and analysis through IoT also allows for quicker maintenance and upkeep. Smoke, carbon monoxide, and fire detection sensors can alert authorities and first responders immediately. Heating and cooling systems can signal malfunctions in real time so that repairs can be addressed promptly.

Improved Connectivity

Students require better, faster, and more reliable Wi-Fi connections along with cellular signals. Apart from completing coursework, greater reliability in connectivity also permits students to remain in contact with friends and family members, alleviating parent worries. 

Campus dorms are now boosting connectivity with better networks and routers. Students benefit from stronger signals for personal needs but so do security processes and personnel. Better connectivity permits those responsible for security and safety to benefit from monitoring without interruption and to use remote security solutions such as lockdowns should the need arise.

Alarm Systems

While alarm systems are regularly used for smoke, fire, and carbon monoxide detection, student security does not end with these three threats. Alarm systems can notify students and administrators of unauthorized accesses or break-ins, intrusions, broken glass, gunshots, and dangers in general.

Cloud-based alarm systems send out mobile alerts in real-time and offer the possibility to program automatic lockdowns or evacuations when called for. Internal and external locks can be managed to contain specific threats to a limited area within the dormitory.

All Things Considered 

Security technology now aids administrators and college security personnel in providing a safer environment for university students. Parents can feel better about their children being away at college. Thanks to technological advancements being adopted within university housing, students enjoy a better-quality residential experience. Safety and security are increased allowing students to enjoy their university experience while focusing on their studies.

Featured image by Adrien Olichon on Unsplash

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4 Common Recruitment Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Corporate leaders and hiring managers are being pressed to exhibit tremendous patience, creativity, and determination right now. As of May 2023, the U.S. labor market is experiencing a serious glut of job seekers. According to government statistics, there are more than four million positions than there are available workers. In other words, it’s still very difficult to get people to even apply for advertisements, let alone fill seats.

There are countless reasons for the labor shortage. The Great Resignation (or Migration, as some call it), has certainly affected recruitment efforts. When people know they’re needed, they’re less likely to accept the first job they’re offered. And though mass resignations are expected to drop by the end of 2023, they’re still happening. Another factor has been a change in the way professionals want to work. When Slack conducted a survey on virtual work arrangements, 94% of respondents said they wanted remote options. That’s a hard sell for some companies and in specific careers like healthcare and manufacturing.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you’re without choices if you have openings to fill. You just need to acknowledge your biggest recruitment challenges and then find ways to bypass them. To help you start, consider the following hiring conundrums and how to overcome them.

Challenge #1: You can’t find qualified applicants.

You post on all the same job boards that have worked like a charm before. But your results? Well, they’re not exactly what you want. You keep getting hits from candidates who don’t even have the basic skills or experience you need. That’s a problem, because you can’t wait forever to build out your dream team and start to scale.

The first strategy to take if you’re in this boat is to consider hiring people overseas. As long as the work can be done anywhere by the right person, you’re good to go global. The only potential snag is that you’ll want to plan ahead. Bringing aboard employees from other countries requires a knowledgeable partner’s legal and financial savvy. For example, Oyster offers automated global hiring management assistance for its customers. Join forces with a global employment platform like Oyster and you won’t have to worry about being compliant with foreign regulations and rules. You’ll just get to expand your talent pool while mitigating your risks. 

The second strategy is to try novel recruitment methods. You might want to search for potentially qualified people on LinkedIn and send them a “cold call” note. Or, you could try smaller, niche job sites like those aimed at minority worker groups. Even if you get just a few more hits than usual, you’ll be ahead of where you would have been.

Challenge #2: You lose tons of candidates throughout the interview process.

It’s happened again: You’ve found some amazing applicants who’ve submitted their resumes. As your hiring team looks over all the candidates’ information, you get pretty excited. Why wouldn’t you, when you have so many possibilities? Yet by the time you reach the one-on-one interview stage, most of those candidates have gone elsewhere. The result? You have to start the process over again — and you’ve lost lots of time.

If this challenge sounds far too familiar, you probably have to take a look at your hiring journey. Many corporations have made it very time-consuming to move applicants through the hiring process. They’re not trying to be difficult, of course. They want to make sure they don’t end up with a bad fit. Nevertheless, their hesitation winds up hurting them in the long run because candidates don’t want to wait. According to Indeed, the average after-interview response time from company to interviewee is 24 days. Even if you’re in that sweet spot, consider moving more quickly.

With so many jobs available, high performers will take the best offer they get. Even if you can only shave a few days or a week off your hiring, you could see instant improvement. Be sure not to scale back too much, but do consider where you can tighten everything.

Challenge #3: Applicants don’t have the skill sets you want.

You’ve been advertising some positions for weeks. You’re getting resumes, which is good. However, you’re not getting anyone with all the skill sets you want. Although you’ve made requirements clear in your advertisement, you’re not seeing those requirements reflected in applications. What gives?

The answer may not be one you want to hear, but it’s one you need to consider: Your bar may be too high. In other words, you’re trying to get a unicorn employee. Do unicorn employees exist? Perhaps in some universe, but your chances of seeing one may be lower than you presumed. Consequently, you’re better off looking for someone who can be trained on the skill sets you want.

Think of this as a switch to hiring based on a talent’s potential. You’re seeking someone not with all the qualifications intact but with the characteristics to learn. It’s not a matter of lowering your standards, though. You’ll need to set up a training plan for the person you hire. That’s okay and may actually make you a more appealing prospective employer. More than six out of 10 workers would trade their loyalty for the opportunity to upskill on their company’s dime.

Challenge #4: Diverse candidates just don’t seem to be interested in working at your company.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have become an important part of the mission of many companies. Yet it’s hard to foster support for DEI initiatives if you’re not hiring people from historically underrepresented populations. If you’ve seen no uptick in the diversity of your candidates, you may need to make some changes.

Initially, look at your job description. Are you using biased language unintentionally? Your advertisements and postings could sound perfectly reasonable to you but be a “turnoff” to diverse candidates. Even using terms like “rockstar” or adding gendered language to your job postings could be having an adverse effect. Now may be the perfect time to review everything you’re posting to spot any unintentionally biased or coded phrasings.

Next, revamp your worker sourcing. Look for untapped candidate pools that focus on Black candidates, Latinx candidates, veterans, LGBTQ+ applicants, and job seekers from other diverse communities. You may even want to consider advertising on specific diverse platforms or to social media groups. Done well, this can boost your application numbers representing more diverse talent backgrounds and abilities.

Recruiting isn’t the easiest task in the world, that’s certain. However, it’s possible to refine your processes so you can fill positions more dependably and with great people.

Image by yanalya on Freepik

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The Role of Social Media in Building Brand Awareness

Bob: Hey, Rob! What do you do?

Rob: I have a brand of my own. 

Bob: Oh, what’s the name?

Rob: It’s called “X”. 

Bob: Okay, where can I find it?

Rob: Here, at this address. 

Bob: Umm, I meant which social platform…

Moral of the story: If your brand is not on social media, your brand practically doesn’t exist to your audience. 

Besides, Data Reportal said that 75% of web surfers use social media to research brands. 

So, if you are reading this thinking about how to get more inbound sales for your brand – maybe, it’s time to tell your audience that you have a brand.

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, it’s crucial to understand how social media can help you build brand awareness and grow your business.

Wondering how you can do that? 

Well, then, you’re at the right place. We will not only tell you why you should use social media for brand awareness, but you will get a perfect roadmap to do that. 

Let’s dive in!

Why Should You Use Social Media for Brand Awareness?

Brings your brand to the spotlight

There are almost 300,000 new brands issued every year – what are the chances of your brand surviving now? 

Almost, none if it’s out of your audience’s sight. 

But, social media, if implemented with the right strategy, can bring your brand to the spotlight of its ideal audience. 

From vertical videos to scroll-worthy carousels and even some longer text posts and trending hashtags – you get the chance to express your brand voice & reach out to potential customers by just hitting the “Post now” button.

The easiest part? You don’t even have to sit and post each content every day. There are a number of social media automation tools available out there where you can schedule all your months in one go! 

Lets You Connect with a Wider Audience

Remember the heart of Iron Man’s suit (without which he couldn’t function)? 

The scenario is pretty much the same when it comes to your brand. It cannot function without its heart, i.e. its ideal audience.

And when your goal is to build brand awareness – this is even more evident.

On social media, you get to have a real-time conversation with your audience, reply to their comments, and even slide into their DMs (in a non-creepy way, of course!).

When you evolve as a responsive & interactive brand on social media – you can foster trustworthy relationships with your audience, build a community around your brand’s presence & even establish yourself as an authority. 

Builds Your Brand’s Personality

Without a unique personality, your brand is just a name out in the cloud. However, with social media, you can establish a unique brand identity, get creative and even play a little humor. 

It is your brand’s personality that can help you stand out from the crowd and leave a long-lasting impression on your audience’s mind – which will keep them coming back!

Have you seen how Sephora does it?

Source: Instagram

Even though Sephora’s business model is all about beauty and wellness products worldwide – they go steps further in their socials and features tutorials to influencer collaborations and more. 

And guess what? That’s what differentiates Sephora from other brands in the same niché! 

If you still haven’t figured out a personality for your brand or are confused about it – try out social listening tools like Hootsuite to know how your competitors are doing it.

If you’re just starting out and do not want to invest in a premium tool right away, there are many Hootsuite alternatives you can go for – that get the job done without the pocket pinch. 

Reduces revenue investment 

Compared to other paid channels of brand promotions, social media is quite cheaper – and that too, without compromising on the benefits you can reap. 

In fact, there are a number of brands that have built such a great social media presence that they don’t spend a single penny on paid ads or promotions. And are still successfully generating leads!

Not only will you save on your investment budget, but your sales cycle will also be comparatively shorter – because you have already educated & nurtured your audience on your socials. 

Boosts Your Brand Credibility

Okay, you have a brand. So, does the 3 million other founders – how will your audience know if it’s credible?

Well, there are ample harder ways to get it done – let’s talk about the easier one then; which is – promoting user-generated content on your social channel. 

When the mass audience sees your customers giving positive feedback about your brand,- there won’t be any room for second thoughts. The feedback can come in many formats – from vertical shorts to written reviews, and even static before and after images. This is called customer retention marketing which prevents any sort of customer churn.

Your Roadmap to Using Social Media for Building Brand Awareness

Go for Value Over Anything Else

Social media works much like Newton’s third law of motion – “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction“

You give your audience crap, you get crap back. 

You give value to your audience, you get rewarded with engagement/sales. 

So, create content that doesn’t only resonate with your audience’s pain points – but also ensures they are reaping value from it.

Because your audience will only remember your brand when they get something of value from you.

If you still aren’t sure whether your audience is finding your content engaging enough, try using the best social media analytics tools to track your social media curve. 

Say It With A Compelling Story

Who doesn’t love a good story? So, why not leverage the same for your brand! 

It’s your chance to develop a compelling brand narrative that’s clear, concise & resonates with your ideal audience. 

What’s best – if your brand really has a solid story to tell, like ‘rags to riches’ or something similar. Make sure your audience sees it and knows about it! 

Engage, Engage, Engage

Source: Twitter

It will be an amateur move to consider that your ideal audience is seeing or interacting with your content. 

No matter how great the hashtags are or how aligned the content is, almost half of your audience is not even aware of it. 

So, how do you reach out to all your audience?

Well, that’s where engagement comes in. 

Make a list of your ideal lead profiles and start engaging with them every day – or at least twice every day. 

You can comment on their posts, reply to their stories or slide into their DMs (but not in a creepy way!) – all these will ensure that you always stay at the top of your audience’s mind.

Collaborate with Influencers

If you thought influencer marketing was just for B2C – we are sorry to break your bubble – because B2Bs have a similar share in it. 

And partnering with influencers is a great way to boost your brand’s visibility on social media. 

Go ahead, and find influencers in your industry who have a moderate to huge following and an engaging audience – and collaborate with them to create content that resonates with your audience & promotes your brand.

Takeaway

Now, you get it? 

While other channels like blogs and podcasts still work great for building brand awareness – social media brings you faster in front of your audience. 

And, for your brand to survive the hustle & bustle online and still bring in revenue – there’s no alternative to building brand awareness on social media.

Featured image by Loc Dang

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