Lucky to Live Here! How #28daysoflocal Impacted Newton Peach Marketing

With St. Patrick's Day coming up fast, everyone has luck on the brain. We can’t help but feel pretty lucky already though, after February's #28daysoflocal campaign. What started out simply as a goal to bring exposure to other local businesses after a hard year, ended up opening our own eyes to our community, and all of the hidden gems that surround us each day. We visited 28 different Winter Haven businesses and organizations, and were thankful to meet their owners, managers, and staff during our time taking photos and learning about what they offer. What are the three main things we took away from this experience?

It's vital that we learn to put down the keyboard, and PICK UP THE KEYS!

With online shopping growing exponentially during the COVID crisis, small businesses and local stores took a huge hit. Unfortunately, some of them didn't survive. It's our job to make sure that the ones who made it are able to keep their doors open, and not just survive, but thrIve. When it's time to shop for a birthday present, baby shower, or teacher gift, don't pick up your phone or jump on the computer. Take a little extra time to head downtown to a local shop where unique gifts, friendly staff, and your very own neighbors are waiting. Remember, Amazon won't be there to support your child's t-ball team or sponsor a local school event, but the shops and businesses of our own community care about you and the area we live in.

Local business owners are resilient.

This year could have turned into chaos for many local businesses, but the owners we met during our February visits took the opportunity to pivot and make the best of a new way of doing things. Restaurants who depended on in-person dining started offering takeout or delivery options. Shops and stores learned how to manage online shopping and delivery so they could still reach customers from home. Organizations brainstormed ways to continue to give back to the community and support those who depend on them in new (safe) ways. We were surprised by, and admire, all the ways our local businesses have adapted and overcome in the last year.

Winter Haven is full of hidden treasures!

From delicious lunches and crafted coffee, to fun stores full of unique and creative gifts, we discovered SO many businesses that we missed in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Taking time to really slow down and look at our city, and then make an effort to shop, eat, and live locally, opened our eyes to just how lucky we are to live here. This is a special area, and not only do the business owners care about the city, but they care about their customers and clients. We are thankful to have discovered these gems and look forward to visiting all of them many times over in the future.

Newton Peach Marketing is proud to serve Winter Haven businesses with social media and digital marketing services across all platforms. Our goal is to help owners reach their goals, and we work closely with them to reach their target audience, gain exposure in and around their local area, and grow both their reach and their profit. With packages of all size, and custom options available, there's a plan for every business that needs help. What can we do for you?

Be a Responsible Reviewer: Kindness and Honesty Can Coexist

In a world where much of our goods and services come to us via the internet, it's no surprise that a good deal of our communication comes through a screen as well. While the convenience and accessibility of the internet has made life easier in many ways, there are aspects of it that aren't so rosy, and it's impacting small business owners in ways you might not expect. This tool is being used as a weapon in the hands of clients and customers, and can do damage beyond repair if not closely monitored.

So, what is it?

Reviews.

Yep. While reviews have many positives, including giving clients and customers the opportunity to make informed decisions, it has a darker side. Unfortunately, many review platforms do not allow for the editing or removal of reviews by anyone other than the individual who wrote or posted it in the first place, leaving business owners at the mercy of what's being said about them by the general public, even if some of the claims are false. Think about it: every moment of every day was being watched and you were being rated and judged on how you handle each scenario. You'd slip up sometimes right? Absolutely. We all have bad days, and momentary lapses in our decision making or behavior. Fortunately we aren't judged like this in real life...but business owners are. Every time they provide a service or product to a customer, they're at the mercy of another's opinion. Whilte this is mostly beneficial, weeding out quality providers and giving customers a "heads up" about the best places to receive certain goods or services, there are times it's not so great, including:

• When an employee makes a mistake, and the customer slams the entire company or brand online instead of contacting the owner first

• When a "troll" unnecessarily reviews businesses badly, with no actual evidence or experience to back up their bad review (aka, someone who lies to bring down businesses on purpose)

• When a disgruntled former employee or someone connected to the business uses the review platform as a weapon toward those whom they hold a grudge against

These scenarios happen on a regular basis for small business owners across the country each day, and while larger corporations can brush off negative reviews, it's a lot harder for small, localized brands. In the numbers game, one bad review can bring down their overall score significantly, impacting how they show up in search engines and on social platforms, and affecting how many people choose to use their business. So, what can you do?

Be a responsible reviewer. If you have a bad experience or are dissatisfied with a product, contact the owner first. Many times they are willing to work with you to make the situation right with a reimbursement, credit, replacement service, etc. If the owner isn't willing to work with you or acts unreasonably, then by all means, let people know about the situation, but do so in a diplomatic and factual way. Throwing around hateful comments or personal feelings does nothing to help the situation and ends up making you look less professional. Sticking to the facts is always the way to go! Also, remember to leave POSITIVE reviews! If you have a good experience or love a new brand you've found, let them know! These positive reviews help build their brand online and boost their numbers, offsetting the effects of irresponsible reviews or internet trolls and helping the owner protect their good name.

Newton Peach Marketing is proud to support local businesses throughout the Central Florida area, and as a fellow small business, we understand the importance of building your brand and reputation online! We don't just post content and oversee advertisement campaigns. We manage your online presence in its entirety, including reviews and messages from customers and clients. You can breathe easy knowing that incoming opinions about your business are being handled promptly, and you'll be notified if something needs your attention ASAP. Give us a call and see what we can do to help you grow and manage YOUR business.

Networking Matters Now More Than Ever: Tips for Employers and Applicants

With Florida preparing to slowly open businesses back up to the public, many employers are looking around at their now sparse staff and wondering how they're going to start up again. A quick hire without forethought can be bad news for your business, but we also know you're in a pinch to fill spaces quickly! The same is true for those who are now unemployed due to the recent shutdown  and face the uphill climb of finding a new job. Blindly going through the motions of trying to find the right fit can be time consuming, stressful, and disappointing.  Much like “cold calling” for salesmen, attempting to find employees (or find a job) without some prior connections will typically more time and more effort. Working within circles you’ve already created can make the process much more efficient. The problem, however, lies within creating those circles in the first place.  It can be hard to know how to make connection with other business owners, professionals in your area, and/or potential employees at this time, even as the re-opening process begins. Networking is the answer to making needed connections, and while it might look different for a while, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to make the connections you’re searching for!

Chamber Meetings

Your local Chamber of Commerce is a great place to start when seeking out networking opportunities.  Oftentimes in the past Chambers would host periodic meetings or gatherings where business owners (and sometimes employees) could socialize with one another and get to know others within the community.  This was when you would strike up conversations (and hopefully relationships) with other members of the Chamber in your town and use those connections for your benefit later on. While in-person meetings aren't happening yet with the current restrictions, many local Chambers are still participating in online meetings and chats via virtual platforms, and if you can get in touch by email or phone, you can probably request an "invite" to one of these virtual events. This will not only be the first step in getting to know those in your local chamber, but will also let you see how things are run within the organization and can give you perspective that will be valuable if and when in-person gatherings begin again. 

Community Involvement

Unlike the Chamber meetings, community events were often open to the public, making them a great place to find both other business owners, and potential employees. Local events were usually where vendors, business owners, and local professionals could mingle and lots of networking connections were made in this way. While those events won't happen for a while, there ARE ways to get involved in your community and make some of those same higher-level connections with professionals in your town. Look for opportunities to participate in something for the greater good of other residents in your city or neighborhood. Volunteer opportunities to help with those who are homebound, sponsoring students or organizations who are doing great things for our area during the COVID crisis, and even participating in community virtual events and chat forums can be easy ways to get your foot in the door with people who could help you fill openings in your staff, or help you find a job if you're seeking employment.

Conferences and Training 

In person conferences and work retreats are on hold for a while longer, but there are lots of training opportunities (paid and for free) online right now. By attempting to better yourself, you just might end up networking with some important connections at the same time! Both business owners and potential employees attend these types of trainings, and you never know who could be exactly the link you needed! 

Seeing local businesses thrive and grow is what Newton Peach Marketing is all about, and right now we want to make sure you feel supported as a small business owner. If you have questions about making sure your business is seen by the audience who needs your services most, or boosting your numbers online, call us for a free consultation and quote.