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By Wayne Brown / WOW Creative Group

Premiering fifty years ago this month, The Godfather is one of those rare movies that reached the pinnacle of entertainment and storytelling. It gave us a tale about a man who wants to preserve his family business amid competition, loyalty, sibling rivalry, cannoli, and a dead horse. It won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay. Two years later, The Godfather Part II would win six Oscars, including Best Picture. To this day, it is still a revenue-generating franchise with quotable dialogue that has been ingrained into our culture. Like a lot of Godfather fans, I’ve seen the films so many times over the years that I can lip-sync them. I’ve also come to understand that “it’s not personal, it’s just business” can apply to anyone in business or at home when it comes to the art of negotiating.

Listen to what others are saying

Don Corleone was a man of reason. His objective to achieve desired outcomes was to use diplomacy first. When that failed, he resorted to breaking a few bones or decapitating a horse. He was a man who didn’t take “no” for answer. However, as a business manager, we know crime doesn’t pay when negotiation skills are needed. To be a good negotiator, one has to understand that you won’t always get what you want because negotiating actually involves another party 100% of the time. In the business world, negotiations begin with each side listening to the other. On the domestic side, one person may walk away kicking and screaming (this may happen in business, too). When it comes to point where neither side will give in, the best approach is to ask for another meeting, allowing both parties an opportunity to rethink their strategies (and cool down, if necessary).

Do your homework

Once you’re back at the table and have done your homework, try to find a common ground where both parties agree to overlap on the issues at hand. This way both parties get what they want and neither walks away with their tails between their legs achieving nothing. In the Corleone world, losing a negotiation is a sign of weakness, which can have very negative consequences. There is also the strategy of using concessions that can play a significant role with the outcome of the negotiation. In this case, you have to be prepared to give the other party something they want. In The Godfather, after a failed sitdown led to a mob war, Don Corleone asks for a second sitdown with the bosses of all the other families and realizes it’s time for his family to assimilate into a new era where lucrative opportunities involve drugs, something he is totally against. In order to end the bloodshed and bring his son back to the United States, he agrees to a concession that involves having his political connections look the other way when it comes to drug trafficking, thus, ending the mob war. In the end, we can speculate that drugs will destroy the other families, as the Corleone family sought legitimate income with the purchase of casinos in Las Vegas.

As a marketing and advertising consultant, I have to negotiate with clients and media vendors every day. I also have to negotiate with media vendors on behalf of my clients every day. That’s a lot of negotiating. When we present a campaign, there is a strategy and statistical analyses behind it to justify spending the $5,000 or $25,000 we recommend. Sometimes the client won’t budge, so we go back to the media vendor and negotiate on price and advertisements, using concessions that benefit both parties.

Practice your skills

Negotiating takes practice. Asking for a raise, for example, may be nerve-wracking. You ask… your boss says ‘no,” and you walk away with your head down. It doesn’t have to be that way. Do your research. Find out what the salary range is for positions like yours and consider how your company is doing financially. Prepare a presentation of the skills and successes you achieved with your company. Then schedule another meeting and make your presentation. If the answer is still “no,” consider the use of concessions, such as a hitting a sales goal within a specified amount of time or scheduling a review after 6 months instead of a year, and renegotiating. The more you practice and prepare, the more persuasive and respected you will become in both your professional and personal life. In the end, no one wants to be on the losing side of a negotiation. “Make him an offer he can’t refuse,” but do so in a way that doesn’t involve breaking legs.

By Wayne Brown

I often get asked from clients “what else can we do for marketing that we’re not already doing?” Well, if you’re doing social media, digital advertising, PR, print advertising, direct mail, SEO, and email marketing, your business is probably ahead of the curve. To me, social media marketing is always number one on my list because that’s where most people get their information these days. No matter where you are – on the street, in a mall, at a restaurant, people are always looking at their phones; it’s a way of life. In January 2021, it was reported that 59.5% of the global population is active on the internet with 92.6% of that number using mobile devices. I think it’s safe to say that most people look to the internet to be entertained and to get information.

I also get “reminded” a lot that “Facebook is dying and more people are using Instagram” these days. The people who tell me that most likely make their assumptions based on their own preferences. In the last couple of years, the Millennial generation surpassed the Baby Boomers as the largest generation, and certainly, the largest in today’s workforce. Generation Z comes in third place with the oldest of them just beginning to enter the workforce, and the youngest not quite out of elementary school. To understand who uses what platform, we need to take a look at what makes each generation unique.

Many Millennials (born 1981-1995) can still remember life before the internet, which gives them an appreciation for nostalgia. Between 1996-98, the internet exploded, and this generation quickly adapted to technical innovation. This is the first generation that truly grew up in the digital world. Their curious nature made them comfortable and adaptable to never-ending changing trends.

In contrast, Generation Z (born 1996-2010) was born with a smartphone in their hand (the iPhone was introduced in 2007). They are very progressive in the digital world and on top of the latest social media trends, particularly with Instagram and Tik Tok.

So, is Instagram really the top platform to consider when marketing your business? Well, that depends on who your target market is.

Studies show that Millennials spend their time over a variety of platforms that pertain to email, radio, video, and social media. In fact, 87% of Millennials are using Facebook as compared to Generation Z, who prefer Instagram (74%). Generation Z is also into the mobile experience, which emphasizes video-first platforms like Tik Tok, YouTube, and Snap Chat. Facebook currently has 2.38 billion monthly active users vs. 1 billion monthly active users of Instagram, which makes Facebook the largest social media platform. Facebook can provide much more content about a business than Instagram, but Instagram’s younger audience is not about finding information as it is entertainment. Over time, Instagram users may decrease as older Gen Zs gravitate over to Facebook for more information and to engage with people from their lives. However, this loss of users will most likely be replenished from the Generation Alphas (born 2011-2025).

When it comes to which social media platforms are the best, keep in mind the Millennials have a longer attention span and you can market to them with both written and digital content, which Facebook is great for. The younger Generation Zs love focusing on really cool, visually attractive photos and videos that are fun, which makes Instagram their preferred platform. There are endless marketing opportunities for businesses to explore on both platforms when it comes to creating brand awareness, but consider who your target market is and their potential to pay for your goods and services.

Wayne Brown is the owner of WOW! Creative Group and the spouse of a Generation Xer, and a parent of a Millennial and two Generation Zs.

By Wayne Brown

When the coronavirus became a pandemic in March, many influencers, executives, and marketers (myself included) created a media trove of information encouraging business owners and operators to hang in there, remain optimistic, and not panic. That was before non-essential businesses were forced to shut down, and people were advised not to leave their homes. Who could’ve predicted our current situation 6.5 months later?

Many small businesses handled the crisis by furloughing staff and cutting expenses where they could. One of the first budgets to go is marketing. Cutting costs does make sense in an economic slowdown, but your marketing department is what keeps you connected to your customers.

WOW Creative Group lost a couple of small business clients within the first month of the pandemic. These businesses were forced to close for months, and the fear of not having any revenue factored in their decisions to cut marketing and advertising. On the other hand, we had two large nonprofits faced with the same scenario. Both took a look at their budgets and made cuts to make them leaner. However, both also understood the importance of rethinking their marketing strategies. Their willingness to think out-of-the-box resulted in creating essential services to their respective communities in everything from food deliveries to daily DIY videos on social media, appealing to everyone from toddlers to seniors. The marketing of these organizations never stopped. In fact, their marketing efforts increased as they continued to engage with their customers and prospects on a daily basis.

One of the best platforms to engage with customers is social media. Most often, people are following your brand because they are proud to be associated with it and look forward to fresh content that further cements their trust and confidence. It doesn’t have to break the bank either. We filmed and posted plenty of videos from our smartphones that were creative, engaging, and produced thousands of views. Our clients’ community contributions over conversions will offer more value in the long run during these difficult times. Over the past several months, the media picked up their stories, which were positive, uplifting, and emotional. Their audiences will remember those stories, too!

The takeaway here is don’t abandon your marketing. Not now, not ever. Those companies that rethought their strategies and kept their audiences engaged will continue to build their customer bases. The virus didn’t disappear as quickly as we hoped; it’s still here, so it’s important to find new ways to reinvent your business, stay relevant, build trust, and drive revenue.

By Wayne Brown
The coronavirus pandemic is causing businesses to face challenges many of us have never experienced before and it’s easy to say “don’t panic,” but this is a chain reaction that will affect everyone, so… don’t panic!

Wait, did I just say that?!

We’re in this for the long haul, so now, more than ever, we have to think differently, defy cliché, and embrace digital media.

If you have a non-essential business that is being forced to temporarily close, keep in mind that your customers, patients, members, constituents, even staff, all look to you for resources, education, and support.

Provide updates on your progress as often as you can through your website, social media, and email platforms like Constant Contact.

If you’ve already pre-scheduled your social media posts through platforms like Hootsuite and Zoho, double-check and make sure they match the tone of our current situation or you may end up offending people.

Think out of the box! If you can’t bring your customers to your business, bring your business to your customers… and then some!

Use free tools like Google Hangouts, Skype, and Zoom and go digital. Videos are perfect for service businesses like fitness centers, performing arts studios, tutors, golfers, craft-makers, accountants, lawyers, painters, chocolate chip bakers… you get my drift. Any business that can share informational activity or tips is a viable candidate for making a video.

Use Facebook Live and Instagram Live or even pre-record videos of your group fitness classes, swim lessons, music and dance tutorials, cooking class, heck, you can even teach math… just not the Common Core, please. Post them on your YouTube channel!

Bottom line is keeping your customers engaged. Even if you’re working from home, don’t let them forget about you. Offer discounts on long-term purchases like fitness memberships and summer camp. Retailers can offer free or discounted shipping. And we’ve already seen restaurants getting creative with pick-up and delivery options.

Don’t panic! You’re affected, so are we, but we’re in this together. If you have any questions, let me know and we’ll see if WOW can help. Hang in there and be safe.

 

By Wayne Brown

One of the most common questions I get asked a lot is which social media platforms should a company use. There are so many these days and managing them is a full-time job. However, every business model is different and there really is no cookie-cutter approach. As long as the platforms you select bring engagement and actionable results, you have a great opportunity to create brand awareness and turn your social communities into customers. Here are my minimum recommendations, which I feel are essential for any business wanting to connect with a qualified audience.

Let’s start with Facebook. Facebook is still one of the most widely used social media platforms for businesses today with more than 1.94 billion users worldwide. Since a large majority of people are using it, there’s a good chance your customers and prospects are, too.

Out of all the social media platforms, Facebook has the best and most strategic advertising options, and is a great investment when it comes to social media advertising. Clicking a hashtag on Facebook will bring you to a separate page with related posts that are visible to you based on the various users’ privacy settings.

• Facebook
  1.94 billion users worldwide
  88% of 18–29 year olds use Facebook
  84% of 30–49 year olds use Facebook
  72% of 50–64 year old use Facebook
  62% of 65+ year old use Facebook
  Source: Pew Social Media Update 2016

Next is Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. This is a social media platform that is completely photo-friendly and continues to grow, especially with 18-29 year olds. It’s a platform that seems to be much “quieter” than Facebook and Twitter. For a business, Instagram can be successful when you post quality photos. If you’re not sure if this platform is right for your business, I always suggest taking yourself out of the “picture” (no pun intended) and think through the eyes of your customers and whether they would likely engage in photos of your business.

Hashtagging on Instagram will take you to a separate page with photos similar to the ones you’ve posted.

• Instagram
  700 million users worldwide
  59% of 18–29 year olds use Instagram
  33% of 30–49 year olds use Instagram
  18% of 50–64 year olds use Instagram
  8% of people 65+ use Instagram
  Source: Pew Social Media Update 2016

With 1 billion users worldwide and 4 billion views per day, YouTube would be your best bet for posting and archiving your videos on your company channel. YouTube is a social media platform, although many businesses don’t realize this. It’s owned by Google and its SEO capabilities can drive traffic to your website. Also, Millennials prefer YouTube nearly twice as much over traditional TV.

One misconception businesses have about YouTube is that you don’t have to spend a ton of money on creating professional videos. While it’s important to have a few professional videos for your website, simply using your smartphone camera is enough to get your point across on a daily basis.

Hashtagging is typically done in the comments section, where you’ll be to click-thru to a page that has that particular hashtag in its title.

The platform that actually gave us the “hashtag” is Twitter, which provides a great way to create conversations with customers and prospects, while gaining a following. Using a hashtag allows users to tweet at your location, much easier than searching for your other social media platforms. Twitter is also great if your business is hosting an event because Twitter hashtags can easily track those conversations.

• 328 million users worldwide
  36% of 18–29 year olds use Twitter
  23% of 30–49 year olds use Twitter
  21% of 50–64 year olds use Twitter
  10% of 65+ year olds use Twitter
  Nearly 79% of Twitter accounts are located outside of the US
  Source: Pew Social Media Update 2016

Clients also ask me about LinkedIn. According to Pew Social Media Update 2016, 25% of all U.S. adults use LinkedIn, which continues to be popular with college graduates and high income earners. LinkedIn has evolved over the years and has become successful with its emphasis on publishing, where members can use this platform as a blogging platform. My problem with LinkedIn is that it’s not supposed to be “social” the way Facebook is because it is a business site, so you have to make sure your posts and blogs are specific to your business. You can’t talk about “those Yankees” if there’s no business action behind it. The other problem I have with business LinkedIn profiles is that most people want to connect with other people. A business brand, while it may have personality attributes, may not appear to be very human when other members are looking for conversations.

There are other platforms like Snapchat and Slideshare, which can be difficult for businesses to master, and like I said before, these are my minimum recommendations because they are effective and easy to use. Of course, none of these platforms will be effective without your amazing content, which comes from your photos, blogs, and videos.

By Wayne Brown

December is a tough month for me, not just because of the holidays, but for the additional 8 people in my immediate family who celebrate their birthdays. A couple of years ago, I came to the realization that greeting cards aren’t cheap, and while they have great graphics, the clever greetings just didn’t come from my heart.  So, being in the marketing/advertising industry, and fully capable of illustrating, designing, and copywriting, I felt I could do a better job of creating cards that would emotionally connect with the people I care about. It does take a lot of effort to customize a creative card, but now my family won’t accept anything less.

I think businesses can do better, too. The generic, snail-mailed, corporate holiday card gets thrown out after a week, and depending on your industry, the average opening rate for an eblast is only 22%. With just a few days before the big holidays arrive, here are a few ideas to add new twists into your holiday greetings.

• First, whatever you do, make sure you tie in your product or service.
• Next, get personal. Humor works, as does thanking your customers.
• Give a gift or informative tip. This doesn’t have to break the bank. Let’s say you own a bakery; include a discount or a recipe. Or, if you own a fitness center, include a tip to work off those holiday pounds!
• Make a card like I do. This does take some time, and make sure you include some or all of the above.
• Make a video. This is my personal favorite for businesses. You can create a custom video with help from a template using online services, such as animoto.com. Videos are great because you can share by mailing (DVD or flash drive), emailing, and posting on social media. The good thing about creating a video is that you don’t need any special equipment. A simple smartphone will do. Keep it short. 60% of viewers will stop watching after 2 minutes. Here’s an opportunity to get creative or act silly. For example, your take on The Harlem Shake can get your fans in a festive mood. However, the big internet craze right now is the Mannequin Challenge (#MannequinChallenge). If you’re planning a holiday party soon, this would be a great time to test your “freeze” skills. Another of my favorites is having members of the staff each sing a line of a famous holiday song. Insert the raw footage into a program like Windows Movie Maker, and “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

Happy Holidays to all!