Michael Levitt's Blog, page 3

The Best Content to Post on Social Media

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Social media is one of the best ways to connect with your target audience and start the right conversations; it’s also a space that doesn’t rely on hard selling and conversions. That said, it’s also a competitive space that requires regular content and creative strategies for engagement. 

Series Posts 

Take a look at our content calendar for the last twelve months, is it full of random posts with irregular engagement? If so, you might want to change gears a little and create a series of posts that encourage specific target users to follow your account and make comments; they work well.

A series of posts could be in the form of challenges and competitions, or they could be stories or a miniseries of comics with cliffhanger endings. Social media newsfeeds have a life of their own sometimes, but there’s no reason you can’t use them creativity to improve brand engagement.   

Give Aways 

People love the word “free,” and if it’s in the form of a simple challenge, it’s easy for them to get involved. Think of a giveaway that suits your brand and consider how to gain more followers with a competition or challenge. One of the best ways is to exchange entries for a new follow. 

If you can focus your giveaway on your brand, you will attract the right kind of people and grow your social media following with relevant customers. Giveaways are a nice way to change up your content and offer something fresh, so make sure your giveaway posts are quite infrequent.

Ask Me Anything 

Ask me anything; posts are an excellent way to dialogue with existing customers and grow your audience. Whether you post written content or video content, there is only so much information you can put across, and there will always be burning questions in the minds of the customers.  

An ask-me-anything session is a live video format where you share your knowledge and experience while giving your audience plenty of time in the end to ask questions. This is an excellent chance to engage with your audience on a personal level and grow the brand.    

Social Takeovers 

If you feel like your social media content has plateaued in recent times, or you need some fresh ideas to improve the performance of your analytics, consider a social media takeover. A social media takeover involves giving the reins to another social media professional for a time period. 

The approach of an alternative social media producer helps to freshen up the content and improve engagement. For example, a social media producer might decide to use an alternative channel and sign up for a WhatsApp Business number to connect with a different set of users. 

Content Shares 

Content on your social media website doesn’t have to be original. This might come as a surprise to some brand owners who spend a great deal of time crafting original posts, but the truth is that social shares and retweets can be just as effective for engagement as well-made content.   

The Best Pain Relief Tips for Remote Workers

Don’t grow accustomed to body pains as a remote worker. Instead, check out the best pain relief tips for remote workers to learn more information.

Working from home requires sitting for long periods repeating the same motions: typing, writing, etc. This can lead to body pains and stiff joints. Fortunately, there are ways to combat discomfort. Follow the best pain relief tips for remote workers for beneficial advice.

Always Set Your Screen at Eye Level

While working, you need a comfortable position to view your computer. If your screen is too low, you will lower your neck and tilt your head forward see the device. If it’s too high, you’ll tilt your head back to see the screen. Both positions are uncomfortable and can lead to neck or shoulder pain. However, an eye level screen prevents unnecessary straining. If you’re experiencing pain, try repositioning your computer.

Rework Your Workspace

Another pain relief tip for remote workers is to rework your space. Creating a good environment is essential if you have a traditional home office or operate from your bedroom. If your office is too dark and you strain your eyes to complete your work, you should consider purchasing better lighting. If your computer chair is uncomfortable and you experience back pain, it's time to upgrade your seating.

Take Frequent Stretch Breaks

Sitting in one position or repeating the same motions can cause discomfort. Therefore, it's best to take frequent stretch breaks after sitting for a while. Stand up and stretch your body. Doing so will relieve tension and prevent cramps. To enhance this experience, you can perform yoga poses during your lunch break.

Don’t Ignore Chronic Pain

Working through pain is not a good idea, and you should not ignore your body. If stretching or taking breaks doesn’t relieve discomfort, you should seek additional help. In some cases, chronic pain is a sign that it’s time to see a chiropractor, as they can create a treatment plan to help you!

Be Active Throughout the Day

Whenever possible, find ways to be active. Whether you walk to the mailbox or do a few lunges in the hallway, light exercises can combat pain. It can also make the work day go faster because you won’t feel stuck in one position. And when the work day is over, consider going on a walk to decompress from the long day.

Effective Techniques to Onboard Remote Employees

Best Practices for Onboarding Virtual Employees

Reflecting on my first day at a new job, I constantly felt a little nervous. In today's workforce, where many of us are working remotely, there's a lot of pressure on new hires at many companies. They're expected to get up to speed quickly and impact immediately. It's more important than ever for companies to create seamless onboarding plans for remote workers. Here are some tips for ensuring your virtual employees know precisely what they need to succeed with your company.

Create a Seamless Plan

An effective technique to onboard remote employees is to tailor an onboarding plan to the employee, role, and company. It should include everything from how you will introduce yourself to new colleagues to what resources are available for your first day at work. The plan needs to be clear and include built-in checks for comprehension, training opportunities, and a directory of who can help with each aspect of the onboarding process. It is best practice to use this time to establish trust with your leadership team.

Instill Your Values & Mission

When it comes to implementing your company's culture, gone are the days of handing new employees a copy of your company's handbook and telling them to read it cover to cover. For virtual workers, you need an onboarding presentation that explains the main concepts and adds context by describing how they relate to your industry. This approach is constructive as it gives the presenting team member a chance to answer all questions at once.

Use Virtual Resources

If you’re a fully remote company, you can't be there in person to go through the onboarding process, but you can provide access to onboarding resources on your website that walk employees through the process on their own time.

Provide documents where they can revisit topics such as using the company’s communication software and essential tools like video call software, calendars, and tech support. When it comes to welcoming new employees, there is no one way to onboard—remote or in-office. The best approach for your organization will depend on your unique needs and how you onboard employees in the first place.

The Buddy System

One of many effective techniques to onboard remote employees is the use of a peer mentor. When you're a new employee, it's easy to feel like you don't belong in your new surroundings. A work mentor will provide a way to ease these feelings by helping you get acclimated to the work environment and company culture.

In addition to assisting with getting settled, a buddy can also help you get to know the team and processes better. They can help guide you if you get stuck or give advice without you having to reach out to management. It's important for remote employees to feel connected and cared for, which can be accomplished by providing a peer mentor.

Alternative Methods

Regardless of how you onboard, it's important to remember that remote workers still need the same attention as their in-office counterparts. You must ensure that you give them equal levels of engagement, especially when you wouldn’t otherwise see them face-to-face every day.

The key is communication. Make sure you update them with what's going on at your company and answer their questions promptly, so they feel like they're part of the team from day one.

Ways To Make Your Small Business Space More Appealing

Although you might think your stellar customer service, products, and marketing are enough to draw in customers, having an enticing building or space for your small business is a great way to improve your traffic. Believe it or not, many people base their opinions about your company on its curb appeal and visual appearance. Therefore, consider these ways to make your small business space more appealing.

Refresh Your Signage

Peeling paint and broken building signage doesn’t send the best message about your company. In addition, potential customers should be able to determine what your business does or sells before they enter the door. If not, consider refreshing your signage to reflect your company’s focus and priorities.

De-Clutter Your Business Space

There’s nothing more overwhelming to a customer than a cluttered business space, which makes it challenging to browse the store or have a positive experience with the company. Boxes of products around the store or personal clutter around the workspace may confuse your customers and discourage them from returning to your business. Keep products and work areas clean and neat to make your business more inviting.

Improve Ambiance

Ambiance is one of the biggest influences on your potential customers; you can make small improvements to your space to ensure the atmosphere is on the right track. For instance, make sure the lighting is bright enough for functionality but not blindingly bright.

Consider how a fireplace can boost your business growth and create a small lounge area for your guests. Think about providing complimentary snacks and drinks to further the comfortability of your small business.

Utilize Seasonal Décor

Seasonal décor is an excellent addition to your business space, making you and your team seem more festive, inviting, and family-oriented. However, you will need to keep up with decorating, or it turns from cute to tacky. For example, having a Christmas tree up in March may make you appear lazy or indeliberate. Be sure to decorate on time and plan a schedule to ensure your seasonal décor is rotated accordingly.

Although selling quality products and services is the most essential aspect of growing a business, an appealing space is a close second. You might not believe it, but your company’s aesthetic may have a direct impact on your overall revenue. These ways to make your small business space more appealing can help you grow your business by drawing in more potential customers.

The Importance Of Keeping The Workplace Organized

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Keeping the workplace organized is something that any business can benefit in abundance from. Whether that’s keeping staff productive, creating a safe environment, or helping find things more easily, the organization of a workplace is key for a successful business.

Need more convincing? Here’s what can be problematic for a business that doesn’t focus on remaining organized.

A cluttered workplace hinders productivity

Ever heard of the expression ‘a cluttered workplace leads to a cluttered mind’? Well, it’s certainly a true expression when it comes to the staff in the workplace. With empty cardboard boxes and broken equipment surrounding them, it can have an impact on their productivity levels.

By keeping everything organized and anything unnecessary to the space, out of the way, it’s going to improve the workforce’s general productivity levels.

Of course, productivity is something that can be hindered easily if it’s not kept on top of. In fact, the average worker is productive for 60% or less each day. That percentage can be lower if there are obstacles in the way of their productivity. It’s the job of the business to remove as many of them as possible.

Three reasons why an organized workplace is important

Why is it important that the workplace remains organized? Well, it’s not just the employees that benefit from it. There are other reasons why it’s important to keep the space organized and in a functional, working operation.

It avoids any injuries

One of the major problems that can come with an unorganized workspace is that it often leads to injuries. These injuries can sometimes be significant and could lead to legal action being taken against the business.

It’s the company’s responsibility to provide a safe working environment and unless it’s merely an accident, the business may liable for that injury that occurred.

With that being said, keeping the space clear of obstacles and potential opportunities for injury is key.

Creates a good first impression

For all clients entering the building or workspace, it’s important that the client or customer is getting a good first impression if they’re new to the organization. The same goes for those who are regulars to the worksite or building.

Good first impressions can really help in business, especially when it comes to giving customers and clients more reasons to come back with their services to the business.

Helps declutter regularly

Decluttering is a great way to help clear up the space, especially when it comes to business. By decluttering, it helps keep the space clean and functional.

It’s why using longspan shelving and other storage options is useful for those businesses that are constantly finding their desks piled high with paperwork and other materials.

Be sure to declutter every few months in order to stay on top of the masses that tend to collect in the workspace over a short space of time. If we thought residential clutter was an issue, business clutter can be even worse.

Signs You're Ready To Be A Business Leader

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If you are currently in a role you don’t enjoy and are considering if you are ready to be a business leader, here are some signs to check against yourself.

Priorities 

You know what is important in life and, perhaps more importantly, why it is a priority. Often business leaders have a clear idea of which of their dreams should be at the top and what can be left by the wayside. 

Often, having a list of priorities can ensure you have the drive to succeed when running a business. 

Inspirational 

It’s not just in a job role that this matters. If friends and family feel you have inspired them to do better, achieve more and move forward. While being inspirational always doesn’t come naturally to everyone, most true leaders can find what can give people a drive to succeed and achieve. 

Advice and Support

You know when it is right to ask for advice and support—knowing when to ask for support and advice when it is needed, how best to use it, and, more importantly, where to go to get it. 

For those who have a business franchise from Franchise Direct - you’ll know the right place to go to get what you need. 

Asking for support is always a strength. 

Real 

There is a big call from customers and clients for authenticity. It means that no matter what kind of business you run - you are always true to yourself. You understand where your strengths are, and you know your weaknesses too. 

What is more important is knowing how to work with your weaknesses and the support you’d need to ensure that the potential ‘holes’ are covered. 

A team, customers, and clients will all work happier with someone they feel like they can trust and who is honest and authentic with them. 

Feedback

It is one thing to take feedback, but it is another to work with the feedback to improve the situation. Getting customer and client feedback is essential to making big improvements and offering a better service or product. Ahead of getting feedback in business, you are happy to take feedback and put it into action in your everyday life too. 

Critique and criticism land very hard with many people, but leaders know that feedback is one way to make significant improvements. 

Challenges 

Some people see challenges as a roadblock - something that stops them from being able to achieve, whereas others see a challenge as something that can be overcome and conquered. 

Opportunities and breakthroughs often come with challenges, and leaders will view them as something that can improve the final product.

Communication  

Not only do you love to communicate, you know how to - and with different people too. Everyone communicates differently, and leaders will seek ways to ensure that they communicate effectively with others at all times. 

An open and honest team with safe communication can mean that everyone feels heard and the right action can be taken. 

Communication can always be worked on and improved, and here are some tips to make sure you’re doing the best job: Better Work Environment: How To Improve Office Communication.

Better Work Environment: How To Improve Office Communication

Nearly every job posting requires excellent communication skills because we need to know how to work with others. Employees must spread messages to coworkers and managers to complete projects efficiently. Get things done right with these tips on improving communication in your workplace for in-person and virtual environments.

Include Everyone in Meetings

Whether you’re a manager or an entry-level employee, you should attend a group meeting. Scheduling specific meetings where everyone in the department is present ensures that no message gets lost in translation. And keeping everyone on the same page makes it easier to work toward company goals as a single unit.

Hold Regular One-on-Ones

One-on-ones give managers a chance to get a bit more hands-on with employees to talk about goals and areas for improvement. But unlike group meetings, these are a bit more private, making it easier for workers to voice concerns they may have. Encourage your team to be transparent and ask any questions. One-on-ones are the perfect times for them to raise concerns about the position or other areas related to the job.

This is a great way to improve communication in your office, especially if you do it correctly. Aim to hold these meetings at least once a month, but strive to check in with your workers weekly so that they feel like their voice matters to the company.

Create Expectations and Goals

Workers need to have expectations and goals to thrive. Make these clear upon hiring them and have them available in a digital database. This is a crucial tip for navigating a hybrid workplace since it ensures employees always have access to essential resources.

During your scheduled one-on-ones, check in with each of your workers. Ask about how they’re progressing with their goals and what they need help with. Some may confess they’re having a hard time, and others may need more of a challenge. When you document employee objectives and milestones, no one has to rely on memory for these things.

Have Morning Huddles

A morning huddle is a great way to get everyone in the team mindset first thing in the morning and boost team efficiency. You can send out a morning message for virtual employees or spend a few minutes sitting together in the office. Use this time to discuss your goals for the day and how you plan to accomplish them.

Morning huddles are also the times to tell your employees about your schedule so that they know when you’ll be unavailable. Communicating this is important, especially in the remote workspace, as it prevents workers from feeling ignored if you can’t get back to them as quickly as normal.

Make Feedback Constructive

Deconstructive feedback is exactly what it sounds like and can lead to employees shutting down. When you respond to ideas with aggression or inappropriate responses, your employees may feel you don’t care about their opinions. Instead, provide constructive feedback that points out areas of improvement in an encouraging way. Doing this will help them improve.

Remember, you’re a team. Accomplishing the company mission becomes much easier when everyone communicates constructively and openly.

How To Prepare for Giving a Motivational Speech

Whether you’re a trained speaker, doing a speech assignment for a class, or giving a motivational presentation for work, you want to prepare appropriately. There are all kinds of helpful tips and tricks for preparing to deliver an out-of-this-world speech that will motivate your audience. Here’s how to prepare for giving a motivational speech.

Write a Well-Structured Speech

Writing a well-structured speech is the first step in the process. You want to brainstorm some main points and ideas and write a speech with a well-conceived central focus that gets your point across clearly and in a way that motivates the audience. There are several helpful tips for writing an inspirational message so you can be sure to deliver your ideas in a structured way. You should have an attention-grabbing introduction, a few body paragraphs, and a conclusion that ties up all your ideas. Take the necessary time to focus on writing this speech so it is high-quality and will be effective when you are reciting it to your audience.

Practice Your Speech Often

Another helpful tip for preparing yourself to give a motivational speech is to practice often. As a general rule of thumb, memorizing your speech is a good idea so you can focus more on your delivery than trying to remember specific words or phrases. Once you write your motivational speech, practice it as often as possible before it’s time for you to recite it formally. It’s also helpful to practice reciting your speech in front of some people you trust so you can get comfortable speaking in front of others and so they can give you some constructive feedback to help you improve in specific areas.

Engage With Your Audience

Engaging with your audience is another essential tip for giving a motivational speech. When delivering a talk of this kind, the main focus is trying to motivate your audience in some way or form. Therefore, you want to grab their attention from your opening line to the end of your speech. Utilizing eye contact and body language is a great way to connect with the people you’re speaking to and get them to pay attention to what you’re saying. It can be beneficial to watch videos of experienced motivational speakers to see how they engage with their audience and what kind of inflection and gestures they use as they speak to hold and direct attention.

Be sure to utilize these helpful tips for preparing for a motivational speech so you can deliver a high-quality speech that entices your audience members. Practice makes perfect, so take the time to focus and learn your speech from start to finish.

The Best Ways You Can Boost Your Consumer Engagement

No one said running a business is easy, but they also didn't mention the multiple factors you have to manage daily, including consumer engagement. It's one of the trickiest parts of business because you can easily grab potential customers' attention, but you have to learn to keep them engaged. Read on for some of the best ways you can boost your consumer engagement.

Focus on Relationships

One effective way to boost and maintain consumer engagement is by focusing on the relationships you forge with customers. It's easy to view them as a number or a piece of data when they walk into your store or go to your webpage, but this relationship should be more personal. Instead of thinking about how you can get them on board with your next business venture, you should engage with them and listen to what they want from you as a business. Listening to their feedback can help you change course for your business's future and get consumers on your side.

Don’t Ever Stop

Owners of businesses, big and small, misunderstand that getting consumers’ attention is all there is to it. You must keep customers on the edge of their seats, always guessing where your business will go in the future. Still, consumers know they want to be there for the ride.

A great way to engage people is with a pop-up shop, but business owners fail to keep that attention for the next venture. Encouraging people to sign up for a newsletter or follow your brand on social media is great for maintaining consumer engagement at your pop-up. After the pop-up closes, you need to continually update them about what's happening and how they can be involved.

Strive for Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Consumer engagement is tricky because it's just between a business and the customers. It's a weird relationship with some awkward dynamics. You shouldn't abandon it entirely, but solely focusing on this can leave gaps that customers fall through instead of getting closer to the business. In addition to nurturing the relationship between the business and consumers, you must encourage consumers to engage with each other. Word-of-mouth marketing helps your business grow and keeps customers aware of everything new with your company.

Boosting your consumer engagement isn't easy, but with these tips, you can take your business to the next level and keep customers excited about your brand. You'll still have to put in the effort to keep them engaged and anticipate what you'll do next, but it'll be easier with the right tools in your belt.

The Benefits of Attending a Trade Show

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Businesses interested in growth and customer connection should look for suitable trade shows. A trade show can be vertical, horizontal, or both, meaning it can include customers, vendors, or a mixture; this is an excellent opportunity to meet customers, network with brands, and find vendors. This article covers five excellent benefits of attending a trade show for any business.  

New Customers 

Marketing your business and products is one of the hardest aspects of business ownership; that’s why trade shows are an excellent idea. Instead of cold calling customers and selling directly, you can use your presence at a trade show to connect with customers personally. 

Don’t forget to carry out the groundwork first. Chances are there will be plenty of new customers at a trade show to talk to and connect with, but you can still promote the event online first. Not only that, you can use a Custom Prize Wheel on the day to generate interest in your brand. 

Deeper Connections 

The majority of online marketing is personalized so that customers feel more connected to the brand, but there is nothing more personal than a conversation with a company representative. It’s a chance to connect with the customers on a deeper level and make a lasting impression.  

At a trade show, you can talk to customers directly about products and services; you can also ask them about their experiences with a product and gain some valuable feedback. Customers are not likely to make large orders via email, but at a trade show, you can even make sales.   

Brand Networking 

Trade shows are an excellent opportunity for brand networking and business growth. Trade shows are industry events that bring together most of the best-performing brands, forget about networking events; trade shows are the perfect opportunity to dialogue with industry leaders. 

Trade shows are vertical and horizontal events; on the horizontal level, you can customers and clients, while on the vertical level, you have vendors and contractors. Make sure you wear both hats at the trade show, and make sure you are ready to connect and grow the business.   

Industry Developments 

When it comes to being successful in your industry, you need to stay updated on what your competitors are doing, and there's no better way to do this than at a trade show. Trade shows are the perfect place to interact with competing brands, even if that means secret shopping. 

Find out more about how competing brands sell to customers and what they are doing right. Even if you only discover a few useful elements, they will be enough to keep your business relevant. At the same time, you might want to protect or promote your own innovations.    

Better Branding 

Trade shows are all about branding, so you need to make sure yours is on point if you want to get the most out of the event. Trade show branding needs to be big and bright to stand out, but so does your conventional branding. Use the trade show environment to test usable branding.