The headlines are ever-present.  Every day you see a story about how hard it is to find employees.  For a while many thought it was the fault of the stimulus checks or people not wanting to work.  Some leaders in certain industries, point to the slow downs in immigration and access to those who work in professions which are woefully short-handed.

The biggest contributor to this problem is retiring Baby Boomers, some of whom do so earlier than expected, way out number the next few generations.  Due to small numbers of Gen Xers, Gen Yers, Millennials, and the generations that follow, there are simply not enough people to fill those open positions.  It’s a math problem, compounded by other circumstances.

While all of this makes sense, it doesn’t help you replace or expand your staff, if that’s a priority for you.

We work with many small and mid-sized businesses. Often, our meetings and discussions focus on their recruiting needs and the problems unfilled positions create for them and their overworked employees. It’s a challenge we see across all categories of business and industry.

A Radical Approach4You to Start

Typically, we have a group of potential employees from which to draw when we have an opening, which helps when faced with job openings. There isn’t a perfect system for this, but there are a few initial steps any hiring manager can take.

One of the reasons I don’t have talent anxiety in my business life is that I will regularly meet with interesting people who are looking for work opportunities.  Even when we are fully staffed, I’ll often meet with people who are new to Roanoke, interested in working at our company, or who need some career guidance or feedback.

I genuinely desire to help people. For one reason; twice in my life, people have done the same for me. It’s my way of giving back.  It’s also a great way to discover highly talented people.  Many times, over the past decade, I’ve added a person because I thought they would contribute to helping us improve or expand our business.  On the other hand, some of these meetings lead to introductions for the job seeker to others who can use their talents.

Here is the radical idea for you.  No matter how busy your managers and leaders are, encourage them to make time to meet with potential employees or those who are (or may be) looking for work.  Meeting people before you have a critical need is usually an effective method to identify someone who might be a good fit for your company.

At the same time, it will reduce that open-job anxiety.

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Customer Service2Crow About

We read about providing great customer service, but when you’re on the receiving end, man does it feel good.

Most of us have some favorite brands – companies which are special to us or with whom we identify even more closely.  They can be local, regional, or even national companies, but we track and follow them and are keen on what they say and sell.

When both of those elements intersect, it is special.  And frankly, it can warm the heart of a marketer – even enough to share the story and it’s impact.  Ever since I read about Shinola, I was in love.  It’s a Detroit-based company (for those who know me, it’s already a plus in my book) which started as watchmakers and quickly moved into bicycles, bags, and then jewelry.  Their work is known for it’s quality and it is intentionally Michigan-based. That keeps with their “Made in America” approach.

A few years ago I got a watch I love from my wife (who I also love) that is one of my favorite possessions. Recently the battery struggled so I took it to my local jeweler who fixed it and the watch worked fine for a few days.  Then it stopped again.  That concerned me and I decided to reach out to the maker.  

Shinola made it easy.  A form, a label printed out, a tracking number, and good communication.  They told me it needed a new battery and said they would fix it.  But that isn’t the excellent customer service point.

An Adjustment4Your Team

I explained to Bri at Shinola that I had just replaced the battery so I was confused.  She took the time to check with the tech who was working on my watch and shared with me that a certain brand of battery (the one with the bunny, if you know what I mean) didn’t pair well with their watches and that’s all it was.

I learned something new – and something I can share with my local jeweler.  But what I really enjoyed was my exchange with Bri.  We swapped a few emails back and forth. She was personable, cheerful, and it was almost like you could sense she was smiling and enjoying her work as she typed.  It shone through.  She made what could have been a frustrating situation, one that is worth sharing.  She was helpful, fast, made a lasting impression, and when she sent her salutation – Shine On – with each email, it felt real.

Honestly it made me fall even more in love with the Shinola brand and got me thinking.  What are you and your employees doing to really wow the people with whom you do business?  Start now – be a Bri.  Shine On!

Written by Bruce C. Bryan, Advertising Czar at 5Points Creative

Short-Term4casts

Fear is a powerful motivator.

That’s a commonly shared saying that struck close to home for me a few springs ago in March of 2020. We rebranded our marketing and advertising firm. We moved offices, and we prepared for the shifts that would come. In less than a week, the former Governor of Virginia did what so many leaders across the country chose to do: he locked down the state. Most everyone retreated to their homes, and we all adjusted to a situation that a few months before not many could have imagined.

Throughout my business career, I have led teams through hard times, but nothing like this. And frankly I was afraid.

Like a lot of business owners, I got out my pen and paper and started doing the calculations. I fielded calls from some clients who wanted to freeze their spending or end their agreements. It was a scary week or so, and the outlook in March of 2020 did not look good for many of us. We support around 50 clients who are mostly small or mid-sized businesses as well as some local franchisees. Most of us felt like we could hang in there for a few weeks to maybe a few months.

Which Led2Long-Term Growth

I did my best to lean in to the circumstances. My company was founded during the Great Recession, and I’d sold local advertising to businesses during some really tough economic times over the previous 20 years. I believed, based on that experience, that if our company could simply do what we had been doing, we could come out okay. It was advice I had shared with plenty of other business owners through the years. Now I had to embrace this approach in the middle of my own uncertainty.

Over two years have gone by, and like many of you, I have learned a lot about my team and myself. Some of our clients floundered and others flourished. It was a daily struggle for many of us, but the leaders who leaned in and faced their fears generally did so much better. It’s okay to be afraid; it’s part of business (and of life, really). Find a trusted advisor, get some time alone to think and process, bounce an idea or solution off key co-workers, and do what you need to do in order to charge through that sticky situation.

It's not likely fear and challenging circumstances are going anywhere. That’s okay. Great leaders like you aren’t either. You can always do more than you think you can. Fear not.

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To Start

Social media accounts are proven to help businesses build brand loyalty, direct users to websites, and collect customer feedback. TikTok rocked the beginning of the new decade with its popularity, gaining 800 million active monthly users since its adaptation in 2018. The free video-content app lets users share 15-second, 60-second, and 3-minute videos on any topic with the potential to go viral globally.  

In 2020, a new site called “TikTok For Business” was launched to help marketing companies gain an all-in-one tool for advertising on TikTok. The platform helps marketers with the process of creating advertisements, setting budgets, reaching targeted audiences, and analyzing campaign data. Although it provides businesses with various advertising options (such as Top-View and In-Feed Ads, Branded Hashtags, Brand Effects, and Brand Takeovers), its pricing can reach well above $150k. The purpose of this document is to help you decide whether TikTok is right for your business, and to share common best practices on TikTok that you can do for free.

Do I Need TikTok for My Business?

The TikTok platform is mostly favored by Gen Z (users born between 1997-2012), but older users have begun using it as of 2020. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, share of 24 to 34-year-olds on the platform rose from 22.4% to 27.4% in the first quarter of 2020. In the same period, the 35 to 44-year-old demographic increased from 13.9% to 17.1%. Therefore, if your target audience is under 50 in the United States, TikTok can entertain your target audience.

How Can I Use TikTok for My Business?

TikTok is a video-centric platform. Whether you want to share product tutorials or employee testimonials, you can get creative with the kinds of videos you produce. Here are some helpful suggestions for producing TikTok content:  

1. Keep Up With TikTok Trends – TikTok’s virality is based on how well you mirror trends. Tiktok trends can include hit songs or voiceovers made by other TikTok creators (called sounds). Trends can also include popular hashtag challenges or TikTok duets (the ability to film your reaction to another TikToker’s viral video). It can also include dance choreography, such as “The Whole Shack Shimmy” (a mashup of Britney Spears’s “Toxic” and The B-52s’ “Love Shack”).

2. Choose A Niche & Stick To It – There’s a niche for everyone. The more specific your niche, the higher chance you’ll meet your target audience where they are. Poppin Candy is an online candy store that currently has 4.5 million followers and 81.2 million likes on TikTok. Their videos consist of two themes: anonymously packing online orders, and filling storage bins with assortments of candies. Poppin Candy masterfully allured their audience with visual ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response). TikTok helped amplify Poppin Candy’s business by creating a niche following based on the repetition of their actions in their videos. Think of a niche following that may align with your business’s target audience and create consistent content from there.

3. Keep The Quality High – All you need to film a TikTok is a smartphone. However, video content online gets higher engagement when the audio/video quality is clear. Consider investing in a ring light or an extendable phone stand to enhance video stability. If you’re using animation or filming from another device, make sure your videos are the standard ratio of 9:6. Crafting 1080 x 1920-pixel videos will fill up the entire screen and ensure higher engagement compared to those that don’t.  

4. Timing Is Everything – Nobody likes a late Larry. Whatever you see going viral in your For You Page (TikTok news feed), it’s best to replicate it as soon as it starts trending. The time of day when you post can affect your audience reach. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the days and times with the highest engagement rates are Tuesdays 9AM, Thursdays 12PM, and Fridays 5AM. Note the following schedule for suggested post times during the week:

5. Don’t Get Discouraged – It can take some time for your TikTok account to build an audience. Sometimes older videos spike with more engagement than your recent content. Share some of your posted TikToks across other social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Consider including your TikTok handle on email signatures, website ribbons, business cards, and leave behinds. The more you tell people about your TikTok account, the more exposure you will get.  

Are you questioning whether you should have Social Media platforms for your business? We’ve got you covered – You can download our latest Social Media E-Book from our website!  

https://services.5pointscreative.com/social-media-ebook

It came up yet again in a recent leadership meeting at the agency.

One of our Directors joked that in advertising – patience is a virtue. It’s just like real life, and that long-shared saying applies to the marketing world too.

Just about the time people are realizing your company has a campaign running or are sharing some messaging, too many owners and decision makers are ready to pull the plug and say “advertising doesn’t work.” It kills me. No, really, it honestly kills my spirit when ignorant people jump the gun on their outreach advertising campaigns.

Over the past 13 years, it has happened so many times I cannot even count. Smart people, successful entrepreneurs, heads of non-profits, and medical professionals get impatient or are initially disappointed and pull the plug on their campaigns.

The decision to end a specific campaign often happens as advertising and marketing work is starting to make its impact.

Though It Feels Like4ever – Hold the Line

For a moment, think about the power of investing in the stock market (even these days). I remember my Dad writing down every stock value every day for decades so he could track for himself how those investments were performing. He had years of daily journals in his office, but he knew that the value of his portfolio was not a day-to-day thing.

Smart investors know the power of buying stocks is the value increases over months, years, and honestly, even decades. That’s how the impact is measured and why so many people are able to build wealth and retire more comfortably.

If I can remember a plumber’s number from Philadelphia that I heard on WPVI or KYW-TV in the 1970s (Greenwood-7-5-3-1-2), then as a business owner, you simply have to know it’s a “long game.” Obviously, I don’t need a plumber from Philly now, but the concept remains the same…good advertising requires interrupting messaging, smart placement, and patience.

When marketers combine those three things, they can capture new buyers still, but the true value is in the coming months, years, and, yes, decades. Practice patience advertising people.

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Anyone with today’s technology can send an email anywhere, at any time. But you’re not just anyone – you’re a hard-working someone who is going on vacation this summer, and your eyes could use a break from your digital mailbox. Before you trade in your laptop for your flip flops, there’s one vital and innovative mechanism you absolutely must remember to activate before you take to the skies: your email’s autoresponder!

Otherwise known as the automatic “out-of-office” response, an autoresponder is a helpful way to let emailing humans know that you will not be checking your Inbox for a while. Not sure what to say in yours? We can help with that.  

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Things To Avoid In The Autoresponderverse

It can be tempting to flesh out a long out-of-office response with explanations and details, but it’s best not to. Keep your message short and sweet. You can share your personal experiences when you get back. A fair warning — here is a terrible sample out-of-office message you should avoid at all costs:  

Hi. I’m out of the office again because I’m going on vacation to New York City, which is crazy because I’ve never been there before and there’s got to be so much to see. 1.6 million people crammed on a single island – how does that work?! And where can I get one of those Statue of Liberty figurines for my desk?! I have so many questions. I’m planning on going to Central Park, some museums, cafes, pizza places, and doing some pigeon watching, so I’ll be very busy and unresponsive. I’ll write to you when I’m back in the office on May 5^th, 1955!

Yikes! Did you notice the return date is in the past? And the population of NYC (8.4 million) is grossly understated. This person wrote too much, some of which is incorrect (not a good reflection on this person’s and his/her company’s reputation), and not enough of the important stuff. Thankfully, we’ve written some tips to help you craft a better autoresponder message. Here’s where you can start.

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How To Write Your Out-of-Office Message

‍‍Start With The Basics

Your out-of-office responder should be professional and have the basics: your away notice, the date that you’ll return, an emergency number (if applicable), and a trusted coworker's address for emailers to contact in your absence. If you don’t have a coworker to take on your incoming emails, suggest in your autoresponder for emailers to visit your company’s website. Then, look out for your response when you return. Here is an example for reference:  

Hello. I am currently out of the office and will return on (the date of your return). For emergencies, you may call 555.5555. For other inquiries, I encourage you to fill out our contact form at example.com. Thank you.

A helpful tip is to read the first draft of your out-of-office response. Read it again. Then, return to your computer and read it once more before activating your autoresponder. Check it out for accuracy by sending yourself a test message after activating your autoresponder. Typos and incorrect information can scare away prospects – and nobody wants that to happen!

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Personalize Your Salutations

Who will be emailing you while you’re away? Your coworkers? Your clients? Let the tone of your response be proper to your connections. If you were born with a funny bone, consider closing your autoresponder with a clever sign off, like “from your friendly neighborhood email-robot”.  

Here’s a funny example from HubSpot.com:

Hey there — I’ve got good and bad news for you. Let’s go with the bad first.

The bad news is that I’m out of office. The good news is that I'm out of the office and enjoying elotes in Cancún.

If you can’t wait for a response, my colleague will be happy to take care of you. Just email her at someone@example.com.

I’ll be back on February 7^th.

You can also reference pop culture, as done in this example shared on Grammarly.com:

Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa.

That’s where I’ll be for the next couple of days, giving my last out-of-town keynote of the year (yay!). I don’t know if there really is a Field of Dreams, but I’ll be in search of it in between checking emails and getting back to you as quickly as I can.

If you need something while I’m stuck in a cornfield, you can send a note to my assistant, and she will be happy to help you.

The purpose of an autoresponder is to bring peace-of-mind to those who’d like to contact you while you’re away. If your clients are old school, they may not appreciate a pun as much. That would be e-barrassing.

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In Conclusion

Whether you’re a popular business leader, or the smartest person in your company (or both), we can guarantee at least one living organism will email you while you’re out-of-office on vacation. This is your time to kick back and reboot – not respond to emails and troubleshoot. You’ll want to ensure that you don’t lose your momentum with incoming clients or leads. You’ll need to let your company know how long you’ll be away and how your team can help you. And most importantly, you’ll be grateful to your out-of-office responder when you return well-rested. Don’t forget to turn off your autoresponder when you get back to work.

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Does your company need help with writing out-of-office responders? We have incredibly talented copywriters who can help. 5Points Creative is a full-service firm specializing in marketing, advertising, digital, branding, and communications. We really want you to go on vacation — and enjoy time away from work. We're here to help.

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