The MarComm Hub | Volume 2

SMB’s How to promote my small-medium business?

Articles by integrated marketing communications (IMC) students at the University of Mississippi

Correspondences:

Lara Wright

Weston Johnson

Lindsey Magee

Amarie Raymond

Andrew Cantoni

JD Martin

Grace Baldwin

Jillian Edwards

Kellan O’Donnell

Colby Wilson

Olivia Jones

Shelby Wicker

Lily James

Tommy Pollock

Emily Clements

Caroline Cavett

Amelia Sisk

Riley Keene

Richard Mueller

Maggie Needham

Maison Smith

Molly Hunter

Nicole Escobar

Reid Price

Payne Morgan

Rachel Caldwell

Brianna Berry

Lexi Sheehan

Lilly Marquez

Bry Peters

Maxwell Maune

Jesse Palacios

Jimbo Radcliff

Annika Rose

Editor:

Itzhak Mashiah

Visiting Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications School of Journalism and New Media

The University of Mississippi

Design and Layout:

MacKenzie Ross

Communications Specialist School of Journalism and New Media

The University of Mississippi

Photography:

IMC students Carleigh Holt Harbin, Colin Kennedy, and Zoe Keyes

The “MarComm Hub” handbook functions as a primary resource for Integrative Marketing Communication (IMC) students, offering them a platform to showcase the creative projects they’ve crafted during their academic journey. It serves as an exclusive space for students to share insights and content across various subjects, encompassing social media marketing, traditional advertising, public relations, design and graphics, influencer marketing, CSR marketing, and more.

Introduction

Welcome to this comprehensive guide, a collaborative effort brought to you by the Integrated Marketing Communication students of Ole Miss in thepring of 2024.

After the success of our first issue, we are delighted to present the second installment. In the second volume of “MarComm Hub,” our mission remains clear: to curate and create a collection of professional “how-to” articles aimed at empowering small and medium-sized business owners to enhance their promotional strategies.

The students are responsible for creating the content, from the ideation stage to the writing process. Our approach in this project emphasizes easy editing without direct involvement in the content, allowing the students to take ownership of the creation and production process. We take pride in observing the interesting products and the coverage of a variety of relevant and current topics in the business and marketing arena.

This issue features a diverse array of articles covering key topics including IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications), advertising, PR, artificial intelligence in integrated marketing communications, strategies for humanizing business brands, and effective utilization of various social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. Additionally, it addresses important considerations for small businesses regarding privacy and marketing laws, offline marketing strategies, influencer marketing, website building, boutique business marketing, Canva usage, logo significance, organizing pop-up events, leveraging micro- influencers, SEO, and more.

Letter from the Dean

The MarComm Hub is emerging as a signature product of the School of Journalism and New Media and the Integrated Marketing Communications department. Its studentauthored articles offer practical advice to businesses, and the publication provides portfolio pieces and applied experiences for our students. It’s a terrific way for the School to illustrate its dedication to and enthusiasm for community engagement.

This issue, focused on small to medium business promotion, features articles by 33 different students in Visiting Assistant Professor Itzhak Mashiah’s IMC 390 course. Congratulations and thank you to Prof. Mashiah and these outstanding students!

Letter from the Department Chair

Welcome to the Spring 2024 edition of MarComm Hub Handbook! The Department of IMC is excited to share our latest efforts with the community here in Oxford and beyond.

Over the last two decades, the world of communication has become ever more complex. What started off with a splash when the internet was commercialized in the 1990s became a tidal wave with the evolution of Web 2.0 in the mid-2000s. Seemingly overnight, anyone on the internet could be a creator, editor, and distributor of media across an ever-growing number of channels. Social media further complicated the media mix, and at the same time, the smartphone would make the internet and all its permutations mobile and pocket-sized.

Despite these developments, organizations still need to talk to the public, even as those publics have developed the capacity to speak just as loudly back. The Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) strategy was developed precisely to address the maze of media channels and messages to ensure that organizations, be they commercial, nonprofit, or governmental, can craft a messages and branding in multiple fashions for varying audiences so that the voice and presentation of that organization stays consistent, no matter how it is being said or to whom.

Here in the IMC Department in the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi, we have been training students for over a decade in this approach, turning out a new generation of leaders in this rapidly evolving area. This booklet contains a variety of tips, strategies, and tactics that business can help use to navigate the often-stormy waters of media communication. It also documents the sophistication with which our students are already thinking about the presentday communications environment even before they graduate. The Department of Integrated Marketing Communications is pleased to share this introductory dive into an integrated approach to marketing communications and hope it helps generate new ideas with which to elevate your current promotional efforts.

SMB’s & MarComm

How to promote my small-medium business?

What is IMC?

IMC stands for integrated marketing communications, and it is based on a strategic approach to marketing. It unifies and coordinates a company’s communication efforts in order to ensure consistency throughout and maintain the effectiveness of the messages being conveyed to a target audience.

IMC creates a more seamless experience for consumers across all channels and measures how effective each message is. The practice acknowledges that consumers interact with a brand or company through varying channels, and by integrating the channels through consistent messaging, a brand or company may build a stronger image, build consumer loyalty, and create a better consumer experience overall. To quote Philip Kotler, “Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose of what you make. It is the art of creating genuine customer value.” By using a few key components, the impact of marketing efforts can be strengthened immensely, creating that customer value.

Key Components

There are many parts of IMC, but a few of the major components include the following: a consumer-centric approach, strategic planning, in-depth research, consistency, and measurement and evaluation. All of these components intertwine with one another and are all of great importance.

A consumer-centric approach simply means focusing on the needs and preferences of the consumer. This allows a brand to create messages that resonate with the target audience, making it more effective. A good way to develop this approach is through strategic planning. By developing a comprehensive marketing communications plan, the brand can create a plan that aligns with both consumer needs and the overall business goals. In order to begin developing a strategic plan to aid in your consumercentric approach, the brand must conduct in-depth research. Research should be the foundation of every plan or communication strategy a brand creates.

Research is what allows the marketing team to discover more information about competitors, and the industry as a whole, gain valuable insights into consumers, and identify their target audience. From there, they can then uncover consumer wants and needs to decide how they will meet those wants and needs. Consistency allows the brand to build its identity and create a stronger brand image so that they are easily recognizable to consumers. After the campaign is done, it is important to measure and evaluate its effectiveness. This allows the brand to analyze what they did well throughout the campaign and what they could improve on before their next one.

We can see a great example of this with major brands such as Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. These brands utilize these IMC strategies to ensure their consumers are happy, making their brand stronger.

Why Utilize IMC?

IMC can be especially useful for small to medium businesses in many different ways. It allows the business to develop a consistent brand image with a competitive advantage. With limited resources, it is essential to present a cohesive brand image across all channels. IMC can help to maintain this image with a unified message, overall bettering the brand recognition and credibility.

This differentiates the business from its competitors by building a unique identity for its brand, setting them apart to consumers. IMC also allows for cost-effective marketing with measurable results. By coordinating their marketing channels, smaller businesses are able to maximize impact without breaking the bank by ensuring that each element of their campaign works together. After their campaign, the business can then measure the effectiveness by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and assessing their return on investment (ROI) of each channel used, allowing for necessary changes to be made.

All in all, IMC provides a strategic approach to marketing that smaller businesses should be taking advantage of. It allows them to optimize their efforts, connect with their target audience, and effectively compete in an ever-growing market. Smaller businesses can greatly benefit from utilizing IMC strategies just as most major brands are doing, whether they want to grow or not. It allows them to be more effective in their marketing and build brand loyalty. As Seth Godin states “People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.” IMC allows a business to create that magic.

Lara Wright is a senior IMC major at the University of Mississippi. She is active in the UM Ad Club and plans to go into account planning after graduating in May.

Lights, Camera, Advertisement

In the modern age of business that currently exists everyone, including small businesses, are forced to have an online presence. The world of social media is constantly moving at a very rapid pace. One of the pillars of this new world is video advertising. Many small factors make up the strength of a video. These are how loudly someone speaks, how fast someone talks, what a person wears, if they smile too much or too little, and even how someone moves their arms can completely change how viewers pay attention to products in the videos. This article will cover many of the steps it takes to make an amazing video for small businesses to advertise their products.

If a small business goes online, it will quickly become overwhelmed by all the “how to” videos about making content. Many of the videos will focus on what to make but never dive into how to make it. Content creation can be scary, but it is not rocket science. Most people when they first try to talk on camera can get very intimidated. With enough practice talking on camera will become a skill a person can get better at over time. The secret is to break down talking on camera into simpler smaller steps.

The energy of a video comes from multiple sources. How loud someone talks, how fast that person talks, and the movement a person does while talking. All these factors make up the energy and feel of a video. Often people have a fear of being too energetic that the video faces the opposite problem of being underwhelming.

A very practical step is to just press record. Start talking and then watch it back. People are usually amazed by how quiet they are and how little they move when they see their videos. Talking normally is usually too quiet but yelling would be too loud so a middle ground must be found. The secret is to talk in a normal tone while slightly projecting from the abdomen, this allows the person to achieve the desired middle ground in tone.

The correct pace of speaking can also be very tricky to find. The common theme is people typically talk way faster than they think they do on camera. This can be from nerves of being on camera or fear someone will not watch the video if it is too long. The rule of thumb is to breathe before the take, relax, and slow down. Talking on camera is just a conversation. There is no reason to overthink it. A person just simply needs to talk at the speed they would talk with their friends.

Hand motions and other forms of body language usually go overlooked in the communication aspect of video making. Standing completely still can be awkward, and if a person throws their arms around like crazy, it can be very distracting. The key is for a person to use their shoulders as a box. A person should speak with their arms by moving them when they speak, but their hands should be the only thing leaving the box most of the time. Moving your arms outside of the box can be a great way to get the viewers’ attention, so it should be saved for important points in the video, such as sales and other time-sensitive situations.

Talking on camera can be difficult, but it can also be mastered. Smiling can go a long way and so can the correct tones. Projecting one’s voice to achieve the correct volumes as well as relaxing and speaking at a normal rate will also help the flow of the video. Moving is encouraged but can be easily overdone. The most practical tip in making videos is to just press record.

Weston Johnson is most commonly referred to as Wes. He is a junior at the University of Mississippi and currently an IMC major. He is also a huge fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, WHO DEY!

Artificial Intelligence and IMC

Artificial intelligence is defined as intelligence perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by humans. When it comes to writing original content, human creativity is unmatched. However, there is now a driving force in the grand scheme of the communications sector and it must quickly adjust to such advancements. Consequently, I would like to give a few insights about how to navigate engaging an audience effectively while using AI in an ethical manner.

Integrated marketing communications is a broad field that encompasses a wide variety of methods and channels to simply connect with people. However, the rise of AI does pose the question: how do companies maintain a personal tone and the trust of consumers while keeping up with new trends in technology? According to a study by the online site, Medium, “Half of all marketers plan to invest more in AI in the next year. AI is helping 40% of marketers create more engaging content.” There are many ways to face these new challenges, and by implementing the right techniques, people will find artificial intelligence can prove to be a very insightful mechanism within businesses and marketing alike.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Automating scheduled posts and streamlining social media accounts has never been easier. There are also AI methods within current business tools to analyze data, such as Google Ads and Meta Business Suite. Nevertheless, in marketing, even the most mundane tasks can be overly time consuming. Constructing a witty caption or even a simple hashtag can be difficult without inspiration, and often we find ourselves comparing our business’s tone to competitors. However, when it comes to shared and owned media, it is detrimental for a brand to create a clear identity from the start, and it can be hard to start from scratch. This is where generative AI comes into play; by using detailed prompting methods and becoming familiar with best practices for this tool, creatives can pull fresh ideas from machine-learning systems such as ChatGPT. On the other hand, it is necessary to divide a boundary between how to use this tool for inspiration and breaching the fence of plagiarism.

Interactive Owned Content

Many companies have found that it is easier to engage with consumers by creating AI based communication venues. This has been used for years with large brands such as AirBnB, which employs responsive chat-bots within its app and website to answer customer questions. On the other hand, there can be several other ways to take advantage of AI within your business, regardless of its size: for example, rental companies or any new storefront may upload a virtual tour of the building on their website to provide consumer convenience. This promotes customer experiences that are more enjoyable and personalized by simply catering to their specific needs. In making a unique encounter with a business that is both memorable and eccentric, brands can execute artificial intelligence applications without overstepping creative boundaries.

Technology is now growing faster than we can imagine at our fingertips-and it is undoubtedly adapting at a high rate. How we utilize such changes in the marketing industry will be what makes or breaks agencies, corporations, and even careers. To implement these tools now readily available to us, we must act accordingly so we can learn more about this emerging development within our modern virtual landscape.

Lindsey Magee is a senior at the University of Mississippi with a major in IMC. She is Vice President of the UM Ad Club and a former intern at EdgeTheory Narrative Intelligence.

Brand to Best Friend: Humanizing Your Brand

In today’s age, where consumers are constantly swarmed by marketing messages, the ability to stand out and connect with your audience on a personal level is more crucial than ever. Beyond merely promoting products or services, a successful business understands the importance of bringing a humanlike feel to their brand’s communication to foster genuine connections and build meaningful relationships with their audience. By blending personality and authenticity into communication strategies, brands can transcend the transactional nature of commerce and create experiences that resonate on a deeper level.

Humanizing a brand goes beyond logos and catchy taglines. It’s about creating a distinct and relatable brand voice and persona that reflects the values, personality, and aspirations of your target audience. This approach not only makes the brand more relatable but also cultivates a sense of trust and loyalty among consumers. We will explore the significance of humanizing your brand and discuss strategies for effectively humanizing your brand to make it more authentic and appealing to your audience through real-world examples and insights.

Know Your Audience

The first step to establishing your brand voice is to understand your audience. It is important to have a deep understanding of who your target audience is and what messages and content resonate with them. Conduct extensive market research to gather information on your audience’s demographics, values, and preferred methods of communication. Tailor your brand voice to speak directly to their needs and interests.

Define Your Brand Personality

To establish your brand’s voice, begin by crafting a character that embodies your brand’s personality. Consider whether your character should be playful and humorous or exude professionalism and authority, ensuring alignment with your business essence. This character could even be a real person representing your brand. Define specific attributes such as interests, language style, and core values that resonate with your audience, ensuring consistency across all relevant platforms to build credibility and familiarity. An authentic brand persona not only fosters genuine connections with your audience but also provides content creators with a valuable framework. This framework serves as a guide for creators to tap into a persona aligned with the brand’s values, enabling them to develop content that effectively communicates the brand’s message while engaging and resonating with the audience. Some notable examples of brands with an authentic and consistent brand personality are Duolingo, Dr. Miami, and Dove.

Duolingo’s brand voice stands out for its unique mix of humor and quirkiness expressed by the iconic green owl mascot, Duo. By infusing humor into its language-learning content, Duolingo effectively engages its audience and reinforces its core value of making language learning fun. This informal approach resonates with their targeted users, setting Duolingo apart from its competitors and fostering a sense of enjoyment and enthusiasm when viewing their content. One of the major strengths of Duolingo’s brand voice lies in its embrace of the running joke surrounding Duo’s persistent reminders to complete lessons, a humorous element established by the users themselves. This self-aware and humorous approach adds depth to the brand’s personality, creating a relatable and memorable

experience for viewers. Whether it’s through playful interactions with Duo or funny and slightly bizarre content, Duolingo consistently captivates its audience and leaves a lasting impression.

Dr. Miami’s brand voice is a testament to the power of creating engaging and entertaining content that transcends traditional marketing motives. While Dr. Miami offers cosmetic surgery services, the brand voice reaches far beyond the realm of their medical services. Through humorous and relatable content shared on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Dr. Miami has cultivated a following that extends beyond individuals seeking surgical procedures. This approach has allowed Dr. Miami to build a loyal fan base around his brand, creating a community of engaged followers who eagerly await his next post. Rather than solely focusing on promoting his surgical services to a very niche audience, Dr. Miami’s brand voice reaches a broader demographic. This strategy not only increases brand visibility but also fosters a sense of connection among followers, positioning Dr. Miami as more than just a cosmetic surgeon but as a relatable and entertaining personality on social media.

Dove’s brand voice serves as a beacon of confidence, diversity, and body positivity, resonating deeply with its targeted audience through themes of self-love and empowerment. By fostering genuine connections with customers, Dove has done a great job of fostering a genuine connection with its customers by providing upliftment, and interest in their wellbeing. Soft voice overs in commercials mirror the gentle essence of Dove’s products, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to nurturing and healing experiences. At the core of Dove’s philosophy is a strong belief in redefining beauty standards and fostering positive body image experiences for all women, female-identifying individuals, and non-binary people. This philosophy is not only a slogan but is a guiding principle that influences every aspect of Dove’s brand voice, ensuring that their message of inclusivity and empowerment transcends authentically across all platforms.

Conducting Research— Did it Work?

Lastly, after establishing your brand’s voice, it is important to do research to see if the persona you created for your brand is relatable, appealing, and engaging to your audience. It is important to monitor engagement and your customers’ perception of your brand to be able to gauge the effectiveness of your brand persona. It is important to be open to refining and adapting your brand voice as needed to stay responsive and relevant to your target audience. The marketing landscape is ever-evolving, and understanding what resonates with your audience at any given time is crucial for remaining relevant and engaging.

In conclusion, maintaining a solid brand voice is essential for building a strong and lasting connection with your audience. By defining a clear brand personality, consistently communicating your values, and staying up-to-date to trends and the preferences of your target audience, you can create a brand voice that resonates deeply and fosters a lasting reputation. In this era of being bombarded with marketing messages, consumers crave authenticity and connection. Humanizing your brand is not just a strategy but a necessity.

Amarie Raymond is an integrated marketing communications major, blending her lifelong passion for art with her strategic marketing expertise. With an innate talent for creativity and a keen eye for detail, Amarie aspires to be a marketing maven, leveraging her skills to innovate and excel in the realm of creative marketing and strategy.

Categorizing Social Media Platforms

Small businesses can gain significant advantages from understanding the details and unique features of various social media platforms. Various social media platforms provide different chances for interaction, outreach, and brand development, therefore small businesses must learn how to differentiate between them to make the most of their online presence.

Social media platforms have become unique each catering towards the user in many different ways. There are certain categories for each social media platform, for example Facebook and LinkedIn prioritize a more informational and professional platform. This can lead to professional connections or advertising your business in a more professional tone then other social media platforms. Instagram and YouTube are two of the most popular photo and video sharing platforms. YouTube is the largest platform when it comes to video sharing, it is perfect for uploading any relevant content that would assist a consumer at a particular business, while Instagram is perfect for short post about a new promotion or small amounts of information.

Businesses that want to promote a visual aspect should heavily consider putting the content on Instagram or YouTube. The emergence of TikTok has taken hold of a whole generation and is the best way to promote to a targeted audience. TikTok’s short video format is perfect for gathering a following with consistent video uploading to grow business awareness. X is a short form blogging platform, it is the platform that is short and quick. X posts are capped at 280 characters which leads to quick and concise interactions with consumers online, an example of this would be giving short updates to a community about minor changes. When creating content to post on a social media platform a business should first decide if the content is informational or visual. This will be the start to narrowing down which platform will be the most efficient with that content. If it is a visual content like promoting a new product, Instagram would be best for a few photos, TikTok for short videos, and YouTube for more in depth guides or details into the product.

Businesses can target their audience with their content by becoming aware of the different aspects of each social media platform. Knowing different features, user base, and interaction patterns of various platforms enables businesses to create appealing content, make connections, and fulfill their marketing goal. In today’s digital world, businesses wishing to thrive in a competitive environment must possess the ability to navigate and take advantage of social media platforms efficiently. Businesses need to improve their digital presence to reach a wider audience and accelerate growth by embracing the wide range of social media platforms and adjusting their marketing strategy accordingly.

Andrew Cantoni is a student at the University of Mississippi studying integrated marketing communications. He studied different social media platforms in classes and have personal experience using these platforms.

How to Use Viral Marketing for Small Business

Over 90% of Americans use social media at least once a day. Viral marketing is a business strategy that utilizes existing social media channels to create word-to-mouth advertising while costing less than traditional forms of advertising. Creating a successful viral marketing campaign can have huge benefits for your small business since it doesn’t require as much up front cost as more traditional marketing. We will explore what makes a good viral marketing campaign and also the challenges that come with attempting to produce a viral campaign. Unlike traditional marketing, viral marketing must be earned by resonating with your audience.

With the growth in popularity of the internet, some businesses saw the potential to bring word-of-mouth marketing to the internet. iHeartDogs is a company that created a successful viral marketing campaign. The company was founded with a mission to use profits to feed hungry dogs. For Black Friday they announced the 0% Off campaign, instead of discounts, the company doubled their donations for every purchase made that weekend. The campaign provided 200,000 meals for dogs in need and the company quadrupled sales. This is a great example of a well executed viral marketing campaign that stands out to the consumer by setting itself apart from other brands.

While developing a viral campaign is a largely creative project, there are some key factors to consider increasing your campaign’s effectiveness. Social currency is the idea that the better something makes people look, the more likely they will be to share it. You can use this to your advantage by encouraging consumers to share posts supporting your particular social cause. Practical value is another key factor, people tend to share information that others might find helpful, interesting, or funny. All viral marketing appeals to an emotion, that is the real reason they are shared. Sometimes the content makes you laugh, so you want to share it.

The most important part of creating a viral marketing strategy is creating an idea that relates with your audience and encourages them to share your content. The type of content you make will entirely depend on the audience you want to attract. A good viral campaign can consist of a few high-quality social media posts with concise messaging, or it can be an elaborate high budget video production.

It is important to remember that successfully executing a viral campaign can be an incredibly difficult task with the wrong idea. There are a lot of potential challenges that go into viral marketing, if no one shares your post, your campaign can die quickly. The direct effects of viral marketing can also be difficult to measure, but word of mouth advertising is much more trusted than traditional advertising. Creating a viral campaign can be a big reward because the cost is low and benefits the brand with word-of-mouth advertising.

Viral marketing is an effective, low-cost way to gain notoriety. While it is difficult to do it right, the rewards can be high. Creating content that resonates with your audience will make them more likely to share it. Creativity is another important factor, some ideas just won’t go viral and it is important to understand what factors make content go viral. Businesses can learn a lot by just looking at what is currently popular on the internet.

Jonathan Martin is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi, majoring in integrated marketing communications.

What Small Businesses Need to Know about Privacy and Marketing Laws

We live in a world of constant technological innovations, constant changes in laws, and constant competition between companies for sales. A lot of marketing laws go hand and hand with privacy laws due to technological innovations like tracking and data mining. This has caused many problems in today’s world with consumers feeling like their privacy is being invaded by commercial use. Many large companies have lawyers who continuously update their superiors about ongoing changes in laws and make sure that their company is not crossing any lines that can get them in legal trouble. Unfortunately, smaller companies don’t have this opportunity due to their small size and lower income and this can cause legal trouble if they are not aware of the laws before they start a marketing campaign. Laws like the Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA), California Privacy Rights Act, and regulations set in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) are extremely important for small business owners to know and abide by.

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has been set in place to protect children under the age of 13 from data tracking and specifically directed marketing. According to Sergio Alvarez, writer for Forbes, in the article “How New Digital Privacy Laws Will Impact your Marketing Plan” data tracking is the act of companies getting information on their consumers based on what websites they use and they spend how much time they spend on each website, what ads they see on certain platforms, and which ads consumers click on based on the platform, and even videos and photos they like and the products or aesthetic in them. This allows companies to directly market to one specific person with knowledge of how they spend their time, what influencers they want to be like, their social class, and even personal hardships they are going through. Following the COPPA is crucial for small business owners because they are not aware they are directly marketing to someone under the age of 13 due to new media and the ability for consumers to easily lie about their age online. Data tracking has become extremely controversial and has led states like California to take a stance.

The California Privacy Rights Act gives residents in California the right to know who is collecting their data and what they are using it for. This act has been taken on by several other states with the intent of creating honesty and trust between companies and consumers. This act has created the ability for consumers to opt out of data tracking which has many effects on marketing abilities for companies. With this act in place, it is a lot harder for companies to market to a specific audience and place ads where they want their target audience to see them. Online marketing is now having to change to larger groups of people and is no longer focused on tracking personal clicks.

Marketing is in constant change in today’s world due to technological innovations which creates the need for new privacy and marketing laws. According to a Forbes expert panel in the article “14 Things Every Small Business Leader Should Know About Data Privacy Regulations”, the best way for small companies to prevent getting into any trouble with the law is to stay up to date with regulations set in the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the General Data Protect Regulation for changes in marketing and privacy laws. Small companies need to clearly state their intentions and keep a personal relationship built on trust with their consumers to stay out of legal trouble and be successful.

Grace Baldwin is a student studying integrated marketing communications. Grace has a passion for the law and after graduation, she plans on attending law school.

Mastering Your Online Presence: A Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

In today’s digital world, a website is often the first thing people see when they’re thinking about buying from you. Making a really great website takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. It can make a big difference to how well your business does. Having a website is like having a 24/7 storefront that’s always open to the world. It gives your business visibility and credibility, making it easier for potential customers to find you and learn about what you offer. Without a website, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to connect with customers online, potentially losing business to competitors who do have a presence on the internet.

Before you start designing your website, it’s important to figure out what you want it to do. What are your main goals? Do you want to show off your products or services, get more people interested, or sell things online? Knowing your goals helps shape how your website looks and works. When you’re designing, make sure it’s easy for people to use. They should be able to find what they need without any trouble. Use clear buttons or links to guide them towards things you want them to do, like buying something or getting in touch with you. You can use website builders like Wix or GoDaddy to create user-friendly websites without needing advanced technical skills.

Responsive design is the trick here – it makes sure your site looks good and works smoothly no matter if someone’s using a big computer screen or a tiny phone. Making your website visually appealing is also important. Use great pictures, graphics, and videos to show off what you offer. Keeping your brand style consistent, like using the same colors and fonts, helps people recognize and remember your brand. This makes the whole experience of visiting your site feel connected and smooth.

Keep your website easy to navigate so customers can find what they need quickly. You can organize your content into clear sections and menus, and add a search bar to help people find specific things. Speed is super important too – slow websites can turn people away. To keep your site fast, make sure your files aren’t too big, use some tricks to store information more efficiently, and pick a good web hosting service.

All in all, creating a great website for your small or medium-sized business takes time. Start by setting clear goals and making sure your website is easy to use, especially on phones and tablets. Use eye-catching images and words to grab people’s attention and keep them interested. And don’t forget about speed – a fast website keeps customers happy. With a welldesigned website, you can bring in more customers and make your business stand out online, setting you up for success in today’s digital world.

Jillian Edwards is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is an IMC major with a minor in business.

The Power of Offline Marketing

Partnerships Within Your Community

As we dive further into 2024, it is clear that social media content creation is the driving factor of marketing for businesses of all sizes. Social Media is rapidly changing and businesses feel the need to market themselves and their product through social media. With that being said, many small businesses forget how important it is to create relationships within their community that in turn can better represent their brand or product. Partnerships within a community can help businesses gain public recognition and positive community relations. These objectives can be things like collaborations between two small businesses, and or simply giving back to the community. The locals within the community recognize these objectives and therefore the business can hold a positive reputation. A study done by U.S Chamber of Commerce shows that eight in ten small businesses say that their clearly defined mission includes giving back to their community. This includes donating to local charities, as well as offering discounts to veterans and teachers. These are just a few examples of showing your community that you truly care about them as a small business. Creating relationships with another small business is extremely beneficial and can only help you in the long run. Although there is a competitive aspect between local businesses there is so much room for collaborations and partnerships to build each others brand up. Most of the time creating these relationships with another business helps both sides receive recognition through promotions.

Public Relations Through Marketing

In today’s world we see a lot of major companies like Nike collaborating with athletes and A list celebrities to gain attraction from audiences they wouldn’t normally attract. For example, a basketball player collaborating with a clothing brand that you typically wouldn’t see them wearing. In return you get a basketball fan purchasing a clothing item from a company he or she had never seen before. This is more challenging for a small medium business because of realistic budgeting and finding a company that would make sense for your target audience or potential new audience. So, a lot of times we see small businesses collaborating with a local sports complex or a local restaurant. These partnerships can be through a social media collaboration or even a banner or poster on the wall of a complex or restaurant. For example a youth baseball complex here in Oxford (M Trade Park) collaborated with Endurance Physical Therapy. They put their banner in the outfield and the small business receives recognition from the players and parents who visit the complex. Partnering with another local business is crucial for brand awareness in a small community. Defining your objectives for what you want to achieve as a small business is key. Building credibility through brand awareness will allow you to better understand your target audience. Once you know your target audience crafting a clear and compelling message will go a long way.

Kellan O’Donnell is a junior at The University of Mississippi. He is an integrated marketing communications major with a minor in Business Management.

Facebook Marketplace Tactics for Small Businesses

Social networking sites like Facebook Marketplace have developed into effective tools in the current digital era for businesses that are small or medium-sized to engage with their target market, increase brand recognition, and boost sales. I’ve done research on practical ways SMBs (small-medium businesses) may use Facebook Marketplace to their advantage in a variety of marketing contexts in order to successfully handle marketing obstacles and meet their objectives.

Facebook marketplace is a flexible platform that SMBs may use to efficiently implement digital marketing strategy. SMBs can draw in and interact with their target audience on Facebook Marketplace by developing a visually appealing and unified brand presence. Make use of tools like Stories on Facebook, and Reels to share interesting material, highlight goods and services, and increase website or online store traffic. Facebook marketplace can be a helpful instrument for small and medium-sized businesses to improve their image among consumers. Develop connections with media outlets, professionals, and influencers in your field by participating in their content, working together on paid posts, or organizing Facebook buyouts.

Successfully marketing on Facebook Marketplace requires a strategic approach to stand out among competitors and effectively reach your target audience. Try out several ad types, such as picture, video footage, or narrative advertisements, to see which ones work best for your target demographic and get the intended results. Talk to Possible Purchasers. Answer questions and communications from prospective customers as soon as possible. Give them useful information and respond to any inquiries they might have on your merchandise. Establish Credibility and Trust. Keep your profile credible and professional. Urge happy clients to provide favorable ratings and reviews. Provide Bundles or Discounts. To encourage purchases, make exclusive offers, discounts, or package discounts.

Draw attention to these promotions by emphasizing them in your listings. Invest in top-notch graphic design and photography to produce captivating articles and narratives that appeal to your target audience and represent your brand identity. To keep your Facebook marketplace audience intrigued and amused, produce a variety of interesting and captivating posts. Incorporate product images, photographs of daily life, content created by customers, inspiring sayings, and industry-specific instructional materials into your content strategy. It is simple to use. It’s easy to use and explore Facebook Marketplace. Through the platform, small businesses can easily manage inventory, quickly produce listings, and have direct consumer contact.

Reviews and comments on Facebook Marketplace enables clients to post reviews and comments about their interactions with businesses. Positive evaluations can increase credibility and trust, while unfavorable comments might offer insightful criticism for development. Create relationships rather than concentrating only on making sales, put your attention on creating sincere connections with your audience. Forge closer ties with your customers by interacting with your followers, thanking them for their support, and paying attention to their opinions.

All things considered, Facebook Marketplace offers SMBs an affordable means of promoting their goods and services, interacting with clients, and expanding their internet presence. It is imperative for businesses to have a well-defined strategy and to regularly assess and enhance their efforts on the platform to let consumers know what they are missing out on!

Olivia Jones is from Atlanta and a sophomore at the University Of Mississippi. Her passion is to become a social media influencer.

Influencing by Influencers

How influencers can multiply your audience and increase your branding to a new level.

With the rise of technology, waves of skepticism have emerged, damaging brands’ image and trustworthiness, which is affecting their sales. Especially with the growth of AI and fake users and reviews, real people giving real reviews persuades consumers greatly. Personal accounts, social interactions, and opinions help consumers surpass this blockade and allow them to have a more trustworthy view of the brand.

The rise of AI has manipulated the views of consumers, making brands seem more untrustworthy of their products, even for small businesses. According to Forbes Magazine, “In the past year, 72% say their trust in influencers has increased, while 66% say purchase decisions are often driven by influencers and 64% say that influencers even help them discover new brands,” wrote Walter Loeb. These numbers aren’t just words on a page, they are real results from people who have/had skepticism about brands turning it around with the help of influencers. This is done by authenticity, influencers’ engagement and interaction with consumers. With more personal apps rising like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, influencers are at an utmost high with product placement advertisements. While not every consumer can be persuaded, interaction and engagement promote a feeling of community and accessibility. By regularly responding to comments, inquiries, and direct messages, influencers promote a feeling of community and accessibility. This connection not only improves the link between the influencer and their audience, but it also allows for in-depth conversations regarding the promoted items, establishing a much stronger form of trust. Consumers are more inclined to consider making a purchase when they believe their queries have been recognized and answered by a trustworthy influencer.

Furthermore, the influencer-consumer connection relies heavily on personalization. Influencers frequently reveal aspects of their personal lives, such as preferences, schedules, and lifestyle choices. Integrating a product effortlessly into these storylines makes it more approachable to the audience, fosters a stronger sense of connection, and increases the possibility that customers would identify with and embrace the recommended product, expanding sales. Influencers can excel at building narratives that connect emotionally with their audience, bringing things to life by a narrative, whether by emphasizing personal experiences with them or demonstrating how they connect with their ideals. This emotional connection leaves a lasting imprint on customers, turning the product into more than a purchase but a part of their own story, inclining them to trust the product more.

As mentioned in the beginning, skepticism is a large issue for consumers causing them not to buy products from brands. Contrasting this, the notion of social proof is vital. The size of an influencer’s following demonstrates that others value the items they recommend. One large example is the small business “Dear Hannah Prep” in University Park, Texas. This small business started off with 100 TikTok followers until their usage of influencers that are the age

of the brand’s target, in recent months they have 405,000 followers just on TikTok with an additional 15 million likes on their page. When potential consumers see good interaction and experiences from other customers, they are more likely to believe the influencer’s advice and join the community of satisfied consumers.

To conclude, influencers have a significant impact on customer purchase behavior through a mix of trust, engagement, customization, demonstration, and visual appeal. Influencers use these aspects deliberately to not just recommend items but also to build an immersive and captivating narrative that connects with their audience. As the symbiotic relationship between influencers and customers evolves, marketers will have more possibilities to leverage influencers’ persuasive ability to drive product sales and shape the consumer environment.

Colby Wilson is a sophomore IMC major at the University of Mississippi. After University, Wilson plans to become a PR specialist for a major brand leaving his mark on the world.

Advice for a Successful Website

As a new business owner, creating an easy-to-use website is crucial for providing a positive user experience to your audience. It ensures that your audience can quickly find the information they need, and complete tasks such as filling out a form or making a purchase. In today’s digital era, having an effective website design is essential for increasing brand awareness, boosting customer engagement, and improving conversion rates. To achieve a successful website design, focus on usability, accessibility, and aesthetics. This guide provides practical advice on creating a user-friendly, accessible, and visually appealing website to help your business thrive in today’s digital landscape.

An easy-to-use website is crucial for providing a positive user experience to your audience. It ensures that your audience can quickly go through the website, find the information they are looking for, and complete the tasks they are there to do, such as filling out a form or purchasing. A website with an intricate and confusing navigation system may drive away your users from your site and potentially seek out a competitor. On the other hand, a user-friendly website might entice visitors to stay on it longer and increase the possibility that they will revisit it in the future. For example, imagine you’re a customer looking to purchase a product from a website. You visit it, but the menu tab is not precise, you can’t find what you are looking for, the product descriptions need to be more apparent, and the checkout process is complicated. You would leave the website and look for another offering a better experience.

A well-designed website must be accessible to all users of all ages, regardless of ability, so they can utilize it and navigate it. Users with visual, auditory, and motor impairments could benefit from a website with more accessibility. Ensuring everyone has equal access to information and services also allows your brand to reach a larger audience. Since a large part of the population lives with a disability, you could be passing up on potential clients or consumers if you overlook their requests. Some simple examples include providing alt text for images. An alt text briefly describes an image that appears when users hover over it with their mouse.

Another example is using descriptive and clear link text. Instead of generic text like “click here,” use descriptive and concise text describing the link’s content. Including closed captions and transcripts for videos. For your users with hearing impairments who may not be able to hear the audio in your video. Lastly, use a font size and type that is easy to read. This could help users who have difficulty reading small and or complex fonts. I know my mom would surely appreciate not having to put on her readers.

A website’s aesthetic appeal is crucial because it significantly creates a positive user experience. The visual components of your website, including the font, color scheme, and photos, all add to its overall visual appeal. Not only can a visually stunning website draw in visitors, but it also gives off your brand’s professionalism, personality, and values and helps convey your company’s mission. As well as making an excellent first impression, it can assist in building a relationship with your audience all through the use of your website. Your aesthetically pleasing content can result in more extended visits to your website, more click-through rates, and, eventually, more conversions.

In summary, having usability, accessibility, and aesthetics for an effective website design is essential for businesses as it can increase your brand awareness, boost your customer engagement, and improve your conversion rates. For users, effective website design can provide such a robust user experience that it could help your business grow in immeasurable ways.

Shelby Wicker, an integrated marketing communications major, created this guide which provides valuable advice on creating a website that aligns with your brand’s values and captivates your audience.

The Importance of Consistency in Marketing

We have all heard the saying “practice makes perfect.” That same ideal can be applied to the concept of consistency. The more you prioritize consistency, the more you will have the ability to expand your brand and connect with your audience.

Brand Image

Brand consistency is how a brand delivers messages that align with their core values, brand promises, customer experiences, and brand identity elements. This ensures that your brand not only stands out among others, but that it is recognizable across all marketing channels. The more consistent your brand is, the more brand recognition you will have with consumers. Prioritizing brand consistency, can allow for your consumers to feel a sense of reliability.

Content

Consistency when posting content is a key factor that is often overlooked. Maintaining a regular posting frequency is essential to growing and monetizing your social media accounts. As a social media creator one of your primary goals is to grow your following. Posting consistently shows your following that you are committed to creating high quality, engaging content to provide them with a source of interest and entertainment. Companies or creators who choose to only post promotional or sponsored content spontaneously will lose trust from their consumers and or audience overtime. This is because it can look as if they are posting with alterior motives such as making money or wanting attention. Thus, why it is so important to connect with your audience and show that you have a genuine interest in posting for that connection. When you lose your audience’s trust, you lose that power to influence, you lose your followers and any chance at monetizing your content.

Optimum Posting Amount Per Social Media Platform

Not all social media platforms require the same consistency. Platforms like LinkedIn, which is focused on providing users with content from a variety of pages and people, was shown that posting around 2-5 times per week and no more than once a day, would be effective in reaching users. On a platform like LinkedIn, if you post too consistently, not all your posts will make it to the feed. This is important to be aware of when thinking of where you want to post your content and what social media platforms your brand will need to be on. Platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok require a more consistent posting when trying to connect with users. Posting 1-3 times per day is urged when using these platforms. This is due to their algorithms.

Algorithms

Algorithms are more than just what filters content. They are essentially written out, coded formulas that are input into the software of each social media platform. They are built into social media platforms for various uses like, sorting data and ranking content at a speed and scale that would be impossible for humans.

Lily James is a junior at the University of Mississippi. She is studying integrated marketing communications and plans to pursue a career in content creation.

How Small Businesses can use YouTube to promote their company

Small-Medium Businesses can market their company/product through the social media platform of YouTube. It can be a vital platform for Small-Medium Businesses wanting to grow. YouTube is a social media platform where people can post all sorts of videos. It is a source that allows you to have complete control of your own videos. Many people will post videos of their trips, athletes will post videos of themselves in their sport, and companies can use this platform to better promote their business. YouTube can be a great source to promote a small business or a new, up and coming company. YouTube is a completely free source of social media. A person or company does not have to pay to create a YouTube channel, and post videos.

YouTube, as most people know it, is a place to watch videos of very random things of their discretion. Small businesses can use this platform to promote their small business in many ways. For example, Square Books, located in Oxford Mississippi, is a very historic book store that has been open since September 14th, 1979. Square Books could use YouTube as a platform to share their history, and what their store means to them. In a short, 10–15-minute video, the company owners could explain the history, and have loyal customers talk about the importance of the store to them. People could tell their stories about the store. They can also take videos of the various events that the company hosts, such as book signings, and various conversations that are held at the store. This can give people a better idea of what Square Books are about, and the different events that they hold to hopefully join after seeing their YouTube videos. Another example of how Square Books can use YouTube to promote their company is tours of their shops in Oxford. This will give viewers a better understanding of the business as a whole.

Ultimately YouTube is a great source for small businesses to promote their company through a free social media source. YouTube can be utilized in so many different ways. Small businesses can promote their company by having tours of their businesses, having employees talk about their experiences working, and having loyal customers talk about their experiences with the business as a whole. Small businesses can also use this platform to share a specific product that they are selling. They can use influencers who have a following to share their new product on YouTube, as well as make promotional videos for the product itself through YouTube. There are any different steps in using social media as a marketing tool to better your small business, YouTube is an underappreciated use of technology that can ultimately better your business as a whole if used correctly. Follow these tips and hopefully, your small business will thrive.

Tommy Pollock is a senior at the University of Mississippi. He is an integrated marketing communications major with a minor in business.

How use Meta to your Small Business Advantage

Meta business suite, designed to save you time and hassle. The app that allows you to post on platforms using a one-stop-shop method. Read more about the advantages of MBS.

As a small business owner, you probably have many tasks on your hands. At times I’m sure it’s overwhelming. The job of running the business is hard enough but now you also have to market your business to stay afloat. Posting across social media for a small business owner becomes more time consuming than one would expect, especially for those who are not tech-savvy or big social media users. Yet it is important to use social media in today’s age, and there are numerous tools to help small businesses owners succeed on their social accounts. If you find yourself in this position, Meta Business Suites is the tool for you. By now you may know that Instagram is now owned by Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook. The creator runs both social platforms on a technology company called Meta. Meta doesn’t mean much to the ordinary social media user but it is a huge help for businesses, small to large. With Meta, the business user can connect their Instagram and Facebook account. With these accounts connected, it is highly recommended to use the Meta Business Suites app to run these pages going forward. You can find more information and insight on Facebook.com.

The Meta Business Suite is a one-stop shop for these two accounts. The app allows you to see insight and activity for both accounts. Meta Business Suite will specify which app the activity is from, and you can use Meta Business Suite to respond to any activity just like you would on Instagram and Facebook separately. This may be recent likes and comments on Instagram and Facebook posts. You have access to direct messages from both accounts which you can respond to, and it will deliver to the client in the form of a normal direct message from either app. You can use Meta Business Suite to produce a social media post that will be shared to both social platforms. Meta Business Suite also allows you to schedule content you can choose to have posted any day and time, for up to a month’s worth of content. As a small business owner, doesn’t the thought of being able to spend just a few hours on social media content for the entire month sound great? This is exactly what Meta Business Suite is designed for, it’s user-friendly, a time saver, and hassle free when it comes to posting feed content. This may come as a shock; the app is completely free to users as well. No monthly fee or no premium subscriptions. All that is required is that both your Instagram and Facebook are connected, and they are both under the “business account” setting. These apps both automatically will be set as a “personal account”, but it is a very easy switch under account settings on both platforms.

It is my hope that you will find Meta Business Suite a key resource for your small business and that you find yourself enjoying more of the social media side to marketing. Always remember, the more you invest, the more you will receive long-term.

Emily is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Mississippi. Majoring in integrated marketing communications, minoring in business, and specializing in social media.

How Pinterest Can Help Boost Your Small Business

Pinterest can help advertise your small business by providing an engaging platform to show products or services through compelling images and graphics. By using Pinterest’s features, such as promoted pins, you can create a broader audience. Pinterest’s value on discovery and inspiration makes it an effective tool for reaching users who are actively seeking new products.

Create Compelling Pins and Boards:

Compelling pins and boards on Pinterest play a vital role in boosting a small business by creating an engaging and visually appealing account. By creating pins that featuring high-quality images and descriptions, this will get users’ attention while scrolling through their feeds. Organizing boards helps to tell a story about your business, showing its products, values, and personality. Not only does this visual storytelling make a stronger connection with the audience, but also enhances the discoverability of the brand as users are more likely to share and engage with content that resonates with them. As users interact with these boards and pins, your business gains visibility, and drives traffic to your website. Overall, compelling pins and boards serves as a powerful marketing tool on Pinterest, that raises brand awareness, customer engagement, and potential business growth.

Promoted Pins

Promoted Pins on Pinterest can be an effective advertising tool for boosting your small business in many ways. First, they offer visibility by appearing in user’s home feeds, search results, and related pin feeds, making sure your content is seen by a broader audience. Promoted pins also enable targeted advertising, allowing you to reach specific demographics, interests, and keywords. This ensures that your content is seen by users who are likely to be interested in your product or services. Lastly, promoted pins often result in brand awareness and website traffic because they provide a seamless link to your website or specific product. Your small business can elevate its online presence, attract new customers, and drive meaningful business results on Pinterest.

Pinterest’s Analytics

Analytics serves as a powerful tool for small businesses looking to refine and better their strategies on the platform. By looking into the insights provided, businesses can gain an understanding of their audience’s preferences, behaviors, and engagement patterns. This data enables informed decision-making, allowing businesses to tailor their content to better resonate with their target audience. It also reveals the performance of individual pins, helping businesses identify which content is most affective, to change their future pinning strategies. By tracking metrics such as clickthrough rates and audience demographics, businesses can access the impact of their efforts on website traffic and overall growth.

Caroline Cavett is a sophomore from Jackson, Mississippi. She is currently studying integrated marketing communications at the University of Mississippi.

The TikTok Effect: Career Maker or Breaker?

There is no question about the fact that in this day and age, TikTok has become a leading source of information for everyone in our digital era. It’s where people from all over the place catch up on everything trending, from the newest food combinations and beauty hacks to the biggest news stories worldwide. TikTok has become the go to spot for trends, from intense dance challenges to fashion revolutions. It has even begun to impact the music industry in every way imaginable. From teenagers to celebrities, everyone is hooked and wants to get involved, completely altering the way we share and interpret content in every aspect of our lives. With this being the case, there are people and businesses that have gotten involved in a way that can either make or break a career.

TikTok has the power and ability to take a business or person and blow it up to a whole new level. It is all about how creative and unique you can get with your content, along with making sure it reaches the right audience. Gymshark, for instance, used to be a smaller and less popular brand in terms of workout clothing, especially with the competitors being major brands like Lululemon and Free People. After they harnessed the power of TikTok and shared all sorts of workout routines and fitness transformations, they have ended up becoming one of the larger fitness brands in the country. One of the best parts about this app and all that it can do for a business, is that it can be small and local or big and nationwide. As long as you get the right people to promote it and make sure that your video is eye-catching, getting put on the map is relatively much more simple because of this app. On the other hand, with people from all over and with how negative this world has become, a bad moment or negative review that goes viral, can easily be spread like wildfire. With TikTok having such a massive platform and chokehold on this generation, any mistake can get amplified and posted for the whole world to see with little to no room for forgiveness. Unfortunately, people can take this information and run with it, causing damage to its reputation and a decline in sales. For example, creators will go around the country and try multiple different fast food chains and rank them in order of which ones are the worst and why. More recently, people from all over have been posting videos about eating at certain popular restaurants, and having reactions to it because of the “glyphosate” found in the food. Without the constant updates and ability for anyone to post anything, many of these businesses would not be receiving the backlash that they have been if it wasn’t for TikTok.

The impact TikTok has on businesses is like a double- edged sword. In some instances it can take a brand to fame with a single video, bringing in sales and customers. On the flip side, when or if a business messes up and that moment goes viral, the reputation can be completely damaged. This can cause a major decline in not only new customers, but the trust of those who have been loyal to that certain business. This is a platform that can make or break a brand in the blink of an eye. With all of the power being in community engagement and easily shareable content, the risk is much higher than it is with other forms of social media. If used correctly, and research is done in order to make sure that you are on the right path, seeing effective results is pretty much guaranteed. In order to successfully be able to use this app as a helping hand, it is important to stay authentic, unique, and understanding when dealing with the TikTok world.

Amelia Sisk. She is a junior at the University of Mississippi, and has a passion for writing and discussing the important social media and positive content in this generation.

Behind the Screens: Exploring the Steps to Influencer Marketing

In today’s society, a single post can reach millions in mere seconds. Using social media influencers to promote a business has become a powerful strategy. An influencer is a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media. Let’s explore the steps your small business can take to harness the power of social media influencers to propel its growth.

Identify the Right Influencer

The first step your small or medium business can take into using influencer marketing is to identify the right influencer for your brand. Looking for an influencer whose content and beliefs align with your brand’s values, target audience, and niche is important. Whether it’s a micro-influencer with a few thousand followers or a macro-influencer with a larger audience, the key is to find influencers whose audience would be the most likely to be interested in your offerings. Researching and analyzing their content, audience demographics, and rates can help determine whether they are the right fit for your brand. After you have found potential influencers for your brand, it is important to try and build authentic relationships with them.

Build a Relationship

Influencers are not only a means to promote your business, but valuable partners who can amplify your brand message in a unique way to their audience. Personalized outreach and showing true interest in their content can help to build trust and positive collaboration. A strong relationship between your brand and an influencer can also help to craft compelling campaigns for your products.

Craft Campaigns

Working with influencers to create authentic campaigns that align with their audience while highlighting your brand’s great selling points is a strong way to go about influencer relations. It is key to encourage your creator to tailor their content to their personal style and audience because that is the easiest way for them to engage with their personal audience. There are many different kinds of posts to explore that can spark interest and engagement from viewers. Some of these are sponsored posts, product reviews, and experiential content. Determining which post aligns best with your brand and your influencer will help to drive engagement.

Measure Analytics

Tracking the performance of influencer posts can give you insight to how well your influencer relations are promoting your business. You can track engagement by monitoring key metrics, such as reach, website traffic, and conversions. Social media platforms provide many analytics tools that should be utilized to understand what is working for your brand (and what is not working). Based on the data you collect, you can discuss and refine your influencer marketing strategies. Adapting and experimenting with different influencer marketing approaches will help to maximize the impact of your influencer collaborations.

Influencer marketing opens many doors for small or medium sized businesses to increase their brand awareness and sales. By collaborating with influencers who resonate with your brand values and target audience, creating authentic relationships, and crafting unique campaigns, your business can achieve much growth in today’s competitive market landscape.

Riley Keene is majoring in integrated marketing communications and minoring in General Business. Riley is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. A goal she has is to get a job in marketing.

Building Stronger Connections

In the competitive landscape of today’s business environment, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) often face significant challenges in effectively reaching and engaging their target audience. To address these challenges, a comprehensive guide tailored to SMBs, focusing on Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) strategies, is essential. This guide, one in a long series within this booklet, aims to equip SMBs with practical tools and insights to enhance consumer satisfaction and drive business growth.

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for SMBs. This includes optimizing websites for search engines (SEO), engaging with customers on social media platforms, and utilizing email marketing campaigns. By leveraging these digital marketing strategies, SMBs can reach a wider audience and drive customer engagement.

Effective PR strategies can help SMBs build credibility and trust with their audience. This includes developing compelling brand stories that resonate with consumers and leveraging media relationships to gain exposure. By sharing authentic and engaging stories, SMBs can create a strong emotional connection with their audience, leading to increased brand loyalty and consumer satisfaction.

When it comes to advertising and design, catchy ads and smart design are key to grabbing people’s attention. Small businesses should aim for ads that look great and stick in people’s minds while getting across their brand message. Using design tricks to make the customer’s experience better can also help small businesses stand out and keep customers coming back.

High-quality content and photography can significantly impact consumer perception of a brand. SMBs should focus on creating relevant and engaging content that provides value to their audience. This includes blog posts, videos, and infographics that showcase the unique value proposition of the brand. Additionally, high-quality photography can help SMBs showcase their products and services in the best possible light, leading to increased consumer satisfaction.

Knowing what makes customers tick is crucial for small businesses to reach the right people. By looking at data and trends, small businesses can adjust their marketing to fit what their audience wants. Figuring out the best places to reach their audience can also help small businesses make the most of their marketing and get customers interested.

In conclusion, a comprehensive guide tailored to SMBs focusing on IMC-related topics can provide valuable insights and guidance for business owners looking to enhance consumer satisfaction. By leveraging digital marketing strategies, PR, advertising, storytelling, design, content, photography, and understanding consumer behavior, SMBs can create a cohesive and engaging brand experience that drives customer loyalty and business growth.

Richard Mueller is from Houston, Texas, majoring in IMC at the University of Mississippi. He hopes to go into sports marketing when he graduates.

Break Down the Confines of The Square for Your Small Business

Small businesses on the square utilize public relations and marketing techniques to reach a wider audience. Many stores on the Oxford “square” gain recognition through word of mouth. However, there are other ways small businesses can reach out to their target audience and excite them for promotions, news, and clothes drops from their boutique.

It’s hard for small businesses to market to a large audience because with a smaller storefront comes less inventory and audience. Nevertheless, there are many strong marketing tips and tricks to help small businesses reach larger audiences and stand out from their competitors on the square.

Community Engagement:

A great way to engage with the community free of charge is to create discussions and respond to comments via social media. Boutiques could post polls and Q&As about their products and business in general. Another option is to showcase the personality behind the brand by highlighting staff members, stories, and the history of the store.

Local Events and Sponsorships:

To bring your business further than just the storefront, participate in or sponsor local events, markets, or pop-up shops to increase visibility. Many sororities and companies in Oxford hold pop up events for small businesses in the community to showcase their products and services.

Social Media Presence:

On social media, rather than just posting products, boutiques could make their platforms more “homey” and relatable. Since Oxford is a small town, it is easy to feel connected with everyone and making your social media more personable can also lead it to be more recognizable. Post content such as behind the scenes of product shoots and drops, and more playful and fun photoshoots that don’t seem overly posed and cold. Be sure to have a presence on all social media forms such as, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and more, to reach wider audiences on multiple platforms.

Collaborations and Partnerships:

Boutiques on the square could team up with micro-influencers in Oxford and expand the reach of the business. The micro-influencer could create video content of shopping hauls and in store perks that would draw their followers to the boutique. Alongside collaborations, Boutiques could partner with other local businesses to gain traction for both parties. For example, a boutique could have a sidewalk sale and have a local food vendor be a partner such as the Loaded Tea trucks, etc.

Content Marketing:

While most boutiques on the square do not have websites, since they don’t participate in delivery, the creation of a website would be quite useful. Even if said website doesn’t showcase the clothing for online order, it would feature a myriad of interesting content for customers. For example, a blog sharing fashion tips and guides on how to style certain pieces. The boutique could also share newsletters and stories about the products or the local community. By combining all these strategies, small businesses can effectively cultivate a loyal customer base and reach their target audiences in Oxford.

Maggie Needham is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi studying IMC. She is originally from Chicago and is a passionate fashion enthusiast.

Marketing your Boutique as Unique

Here are some tips on how to stand out from local competitors.

TikTok is the New Ad on the Block

The best way to show what your clothes look like is to use a video with a moving model. Catchy or trendy songs along with the video will intrigue potential customers. According to Wallaroo Media, about 82% of college students use TikTok. It’s important to follow other boutiques to find the most trendy songs to go along with the videos. It is also a good idea to gain the support of local influencers who can advertise your brand through their TikTok videos. Something that I find helpful is when people post game-day-inspired outfits on TikTok. Putting an outfit together for girls to see could make the consumers buy more of the product such as dresses with the shoes and accessories to go along with it. Taking polls on tik tok stories can also help narrow the consumer’s wants. The key is to make the videos fun and interactive so that they will end up on potential consumers

“For You Page”.

Sororities Should be a Priority

What better way to advertise your brand than to appeal to the majority of your consumers all at once? An estimate of 2,000 girls participated in the formal recruitment process to join a sorority at Ole Miss and around 2,400 participated at the University of Alabama. Sororities are very crucial to local boutiques at SEC schools. As a boutique owner, these are potential customers shopping for events from formals to gameday outfits. One way to reach this audience is to use friendly Panhellenic competition through social media. Girls need to come to the shop to look at the clothes and potentially buy them so the sorority with the most girls coming in the shop at the end of the day will get a percentage off their next purchase. A major part is making sure the girls have proof of being in the winning sorority. You can do this by asking the winning sorority to provide a list of the girls in the sorority.

Don’t Stray from Giveaways

To vamp up your social media presence, giveaways are an excellent way for people to spread the word. According to RafflePress.com, giveaways have a conservation rate of 34% based on an independent group study. Giveaways can build interest and loyalty to companies, especially boutiques. The best platform to promote the giveaway would be Instagram. That way people can repost the giveaway on their stories. To be included in the giveaway requires customers to repost a picture advertising it on their stories and tag people in the post to include others. Then, pick a random customer that has completed those tasks. Giveaways could be anything from a gift card to a small goodie bag.

Maison Smith is an undergraduate student at the University of Mississippi. She graduated from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with her associate degree in general business. She is currently working on her IMC degree in hopes to be a small business entrepreneur in the future.

Maximizing LinkedIn for SMB Success

Having a strong online presence is crucial for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to thrive competitively in 2024. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional networking platform, offers several opportunities for SMBs to connect with potential customers, partners, and industry professionals. This essay aims to provide actionable insights and guidance for SMBs on leveraging LinkedIn as a powerful marketing tool across various sectors, including digital marketing, PR, advertising, storytelling, design, content, photography, media platforms, and consumer behavior.

LinkedIn provides SMBs with a large platform for digital marketing, by enabling targeted advertising and content promotion this can help them reach specific audiences. By utilizing LinkedIn Ads, SMBs can create highly targeted campaigns. Experimenting with different ad formats, including sponsored content, text ads, and sponsored InMail, it can help to maximize visibility and engagement. LinkedIn also offers SMBs an opportunity to enhance their brand visibility through strategic PR efforts. Regularly sharing company news, achievements, and leadership content on the LinkedIn Company Page will help showcase a business’s expertise and industry relevance. Engaging with industry influencers and journalists by commenting on their posts, sharing their content, and participating in relevant discussions are also all examples of how a SMB can use PR through LinkedIn to their advantage.

In addition to organic content, SMBs can leverage LinkedIn’s advertising options to amplify their brand message and reach new audiences. Potentially by sponsoring relevant industry events or conferences on LinkedIn to increase brand exposure and attract potential customers. Collaborating with industry partners or influencers to co-create sponsored content or promotions that resonate with your target audience’s interests and needs. Compelling storytelling is key to capturing the attention of LinkedIn users and driving engagement with your brand. By using LinkedIn’s multimedia features, such as videos, images, and SlideShares, to create visually appealing and engaging content that tells your brand story effectively is essential to create a successful online presence. By sharing customer success stories, case studies, and testimonials SMBs can demonstrate the value of their products or services in the real-world. Incorporating these storytelling elements into their LinkedIn profile, Company Page, and posts will humanize the brand and help connect with the audience on a deeper level.

Understanding LinkedIn’s unique features and user behavior is essential for maximizing its effectiveness as a marketing tool for SMBs. Staying informed with LinkedIn’s latest updates, features, and best practices to stay ahead of the curve and leverage new opportunities for growth. Monitoring engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates will help gauge the effectiveness of SMBs LinkedIn marketing efforts in order to make adjustments as needed. Keeping track of emerging trends and shifts in consumer behavior on LinkedIn can also adapt marketing strategies accordingly and maintain relevance with a business’s target audience. Overall, LinkedIn offers SMBs a plethora of opportunities to enhance their digital marketing, PR, advertising, storytelling, design, content, photography, media platforms, and consumer behavior strategies. By leveraging LinkedIn effectively, SMBs can connect with potential customers, build brand credibility, and drive business growth in a competitive marketplace.

Molly Hunter is a junior IMC major at the University of Mississippi. She is plans to go into real estate after graduating next May.

How to Use Canva

Small business owners sometimes have difficulty creating new designs. You come up with ideas, and you might even draw them out, but you think, “Eh, I can’t draw. I don’t like how it looks. I’m not sure what color to choose.” We’ve all heard those phrases, but with Canva, your creativity can easily appear just by using the website. In this article, I plan on giving helpful advice on how to use the app, and allow your ideas to appear easily on screen or in your hands.

Know what you want

It is crucial to know what you want because this allows you to get started easily on the app. Canva allows you to create ideas from scratch or use the templates they have already created. Canva has a lot of categories on their app whether it be business cards, flyers, or even website ideas. It is fairly easy to navigate through Canva because if you do choose to create something new, there is a drop down menu that allows you to add text, images, or draw what you want. There are many helpful tools that allow you to create your own style for your business. They also have videos to help you step-by-step if you are still not familiar with how to use some of the tools.

Start with a theme

This is where it can become easier because you can use your small business aesthetic, and easily apply it to what you want. If you don’t know what would appeal to the customer’s eye, then don’t worry, Canva allows you to create business cards or flyers in unique and creative ways. Canva has multiple templates that allow you to choose what you want to think is perfect for your business. There is no limit on how many ideas you come up with, so you can create as many ideas as you want without any issue. By saving every idea to your folder, it allows you to see all the ideas you created in a safe spot.

It is important to understand your customers and what is popular in your business, so that you don’t stay with only a single range of people. It allows current customers to understand more of your business, but it also allows new customers to be aware of your business. People like looking at new things, so having good business cards, flyers, and creative projects about your business will allow new eyes to see your business.

Put it in your hands

Canva is convenient when it comes to finishing your ideas because you can print off their website. Before they print, Canva allows you to see what it will look like before finalizing it. They also allow you to choose how you want to be finished. For example, if you want your business card with a matte or shiny print, they can help you out with that. At the very end, you are given an estimated quote of the cost of your prints and an estimated time of arrival. There are so many options on the website that allow you to choose how you want your business to look in the hands of others.

Canva is an accommodating website to use when you are looking for ideas to start promoting your business. It is important to know what you are looking for to get started on the website. Starting with the theme your business already has, or creating one from scratch, allows you to choose and design many different ideas for your business. Which then lets Canva print your ideas, and finally get the product you wanted to broaden your business.

Nicole Escobar is a junior majoring in integrated marketing communications. She intends to move to Dallas to continue her career as a Marketing Manager.

How a Logo Matters

The impact of a logo for a small/medium business, and how owners can increase brand equity using these study-proven tips.

Many businesses struggle with finding a logo that truly represents their brand and is also effective in drawing consumer attention. Over the years, many studies have been conducted by credible sources such as Harvard. I’d like to dive into why a logo is such a large part of a brand, the science behind a compelling one, and the means to acquire or create one as a small/medium business.

It’s understood that the logo is often the first piece of a company that a potential customer will see. However, there are a few key reasons behind this. A logo is meant to entice consumers, set a brand apart from its competitors, and spark brand recognition. Design choices in a logo have been proven to have a direct impact on company equity. As a disclaimer, there is no exact formula to designing an effective logo. The key is understanding the goals of a logo, as well as trending themes in logos. In general, descriptive logos (logos that contain an aspect that directly relates to the company or product) tend to be received better. However, setting your business apart from the rest could prove to be more helpful. First, we should investigate some aspects of logos that are often successful. For small and medium sized businesses, I recommend a descriptive logo. Nondescriptive logos such as those of McDonald’s, Dunkin’, and Apple are perceived as effective logos. However, these are brands that are already recognized worldwide. Every prospective customer sees an Apple logo already aware of what they sell.

As a smaller business, many local consumers may not know or understand your brand already. So, a descriptive logo may catch eyes and quickly get your intended point through. One other feature of the descriptive vs. nondescriptive logo argument involves a company’s product. Studies show that if a brand sells merchandise relating to sad or unpleasant feelings or experiences, it’s best to stay away from a descriptive logo. Examples include funeral services, toilet products, or trash products. Having descriptors in the logos of similar companies cause consumers to visualize or mentally experience negative factors related to the merchandise. This negatively affects customer perception of a brand. Overall, a logo is not the most important piece of a brand. But in the age of consumers scrolling through thousands of products and paying just seconds of attention to each, it’s critical now more than ever to have an emblem that appeals to customers and establishes a lasting connection in the minds of your target audience.

Reid Price is a sophomore from southern California majoring in IMC and minoring in business and spanish at Ole Miss. He is interested in automotive advertising and brand strategy.

Small Businesses Pop-up Events using Instagram

In today’s world of digital entertainment, where attention spans are short, and the competition is fierce, small, and medium-sized companies (SMBs) need to develop new ways to stand out and make a lasting impression on their audience. Stepping in is experiential marketing, an impressive technique that channels Instagram’s power into creating unforgettable branded experiences.

Experiential marketing is not only about traditional advertising. It is based on immersing consumers in memorable interactive experiences that resonate in the consumer’s mind after some time. There are many social media platforms that could be used to promote small businesses and their pop-up events. Instagram is the best way to approach it because they have really expanded from just being able to post short videos and pictures. Now they have Reels, which are short videos, but they can be used as advertisements to grow your small business. Instagram is used universally by college students compared to other social media platforms. When executed successfully on Instagram the opportunity for engagement and brand advocacy are unlimited.

A strategy available to SMBs is the organization of pop-up events. These experiences offer the business a chance to demonstrate its products or services in an unusual and long-lasting way. Bringing exclusive product launches, live demos, and interactive activities on board can be a source of buzz and enthusiasm for the brand, attracting both online and offline engagement. Over last few years I have seen a large quantity of these ads on Instagram for local thrift shops. Any business in Oxford could use a bigger social media presence on Instagram and to gain new clients and customers.

Interactive installations are another robust instrument to attract followers on Instagram. Through transforming physical places into real brand experiences, SMBs encourage consumer engagement in storytelling. It can be either a photo-worthy art installation, a hands-on product demo, or a branded interactive game that will make the user engaged and share the content with others, so the brand views and mentions expand.

Also, brand vivifications, which are immersive activations, help SMBs develop long-lasting emotional ties with their audience. Through the creation of experiences that appeal to the senses and generate powerful emotions, companies can establish durable brand loyalty and advocacy among customers. Theme-based pop-up shops and experiential marketing stunts are among countless ways to make Instagram part of the brand experience.

Finally, experiential marketing on Instagram offers SMBs a distinctive avenue to create a connection between their audience and themselves interestingly and memorably. Through employing of novel tactics like pop-up events, interactive installations, and immersive brand activations, businesses can encourage loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately, business development. Hence, don’t be afraid to go beyond the usual and create engaging brand experiences that linger in the minds of your Instagram followers.

Every business wants to stand out from its competitors especially small businesses who do not have the same funding as larger corporations or businesses have. Pop up events and the right use of Instagram could be a game changer for the future of (SMBs).

Payne Morgan is a junior at the University of Mississippi. He is an integrated marketing communications major.

Scrolling to Success with Instagram

Instagram is one of the most effective ways to get individuals to recognize small to medium sized businesses. Instagram helps drive brand awareness for businesses. From increasing brand visibility to facilitating sales, Instagram has allowed the digital marketplace to continue to grow.

Instagram benefits small to medium sized businesses in many ways. Instagram promotes businesses by providing a platform for companies to reach a larger audience. Ads, links, visuals, and polls are all beneficial ways to get consumers interactive on Instagram. The more businesses post on their Instagram the more clicks, shares, responses, and customers the brand will receive.

One logical way to get brand recognition for any small to medium size business is through social media targeted ads. Target ads on Instagram engage customers reaching a wide range of audiences from all different ages, demographics, behaviors, and interests. With over a billion people on Instagram it makes it more convenient to find the right target audience for any brand. Those that are interested in the brand can easily click on the Instagram link and follow the account, finding the perfect match from businesses to customers.

Visual marketing is another key strategy for businesses when using Instagram as a platform. Instagram is a visual platform that showcases specific products and services. Visual marketing grabs Instagram users’ attention quickly. Brand storytelling is told through visual marketing. Brand storytelling helps small to medium sized businesses, showcasing the brands personality and products through high quality videos and photos showing the business’s value. Raising brand awareness, building customer loyalty, and driving sales are all important tactics when running a small to medium sized business.

An example of a small sized business on Instagram is known as @cocosbeadsandco. Coco’s Bead and Co uses their platform constructively by posting interesting content 3-4 times a week. They also incorporate popular activities in their posts among college students wearing their jewelry. They have posts of girls wearing their jewelry at college game days and playing popular sports such as pickleball. This allows for college girls to connect with the posts and want to wear Coco’s Bead and Co at their next game day or pickleball tournament.

An example of a medium sized business on Instagram is known as @shopthesethree. This business is run by three sisters in their twenties. Shop these three gives a lot of free giveaways of their clothing pieces to their followers frequently. Shop These Three also gives discounts to their followers. These business tactics allow Shop These Three to keep their current followers engaged while gaining more followers through the spread of word of mouth.

In conclusion, Instagram has proven to be a great way to promote small to medium sized businesses. Instagram allows businesses to reach a large audience. Instagram also builds connections through followers helping businesses find their target audience. Between all the features Instagram offers, it is very beneficial to promote businesses’ products and services. As Instagram continues to innovate and evolve, Instagram continues to navigate businesses in the right direction with digital marketing.

Rachel Caldwell is majoring in integrated marketing communications with a minor in Business. Caldwell is from San Diego. A goal Caldwell has is to get a job in marketing after graduating college.

Leveraging Instagram for Effective Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

In today’s digital age, social media platforms like Instagram have become powerful tools for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to connect with their target audience, build brand awareness, and drive sales. I have researched actionable strategies on how SMBs can leverage Instagram across various marketing areas to navigate marketing challenges and achieve their business goals effectively.

Instagram is a versatile platform for SMBs to execute digital marketing strategies effectively. By creating a visually appealing and cohesive brand presence on Instagram, SMBs can attract and engage their target audience. Utilize features such as Instagram Stories, IGTV, and Reels to share engaging content, showcase products/services, and drive traffic to your website or online store. Instagram can be a valuable tool for SMBs to enhance their public relations efforts. Build relationships with influencers, industry experts, and media outlets within your niche by engaging with their content, collaborating on sponsored posts, or hosting Instagram takeovers. Share usergenerated content and customer testimonials to showcase social proof and build credibility. Instagram offers robust advertising options for SMBs to reach a highly targeted audience.

Utilize Instagram Ads to promote products/services, drive app installs, or generate leads. Experiment with different ad formats such as photo, video, carousel, or story ads to identify what resonates best with your audience and drives the desired outcomes. Visual aesthetics play a crucial role in attracting and retaining followers on Instagram. Maintain a consistent and visually appealing feed using cohesive branding elements such as color palette, typography, and imagery. Invest in high-quality photography and graphic design to create eye-catching posts and stories that reflect your brand identity and resonate with your target audience. Create diverse and engaging content to keep your Instagram audience interested and entertained. Mix your content strategy with product photos, lifestyle shots, user-generated content, inspirational quotes, and educational content relevant to your industry. Use captions to tell compelling stories, share valuable insights, and encourage audience interaction. Quality photography is critical to making a solid impression on Instagram. Invest in professional photography equipment or hire a photographer to capture stunning visuals of your products, services, or brand story.

Experiment with different photography styles, angles, and compositions to create scroll-stopping content that grabs attention and drives engagement. Instagram is a powerful social media platform for SMBs to showcase their brand to a global audience. Utilize hashtags strategically to increase the discoverability of your posts and reach new potential customers. Collaborate with other businesses, influencers, or industry partners to cross-promote content and expand your reach organically. Monitor and analyze consumer behavior on Instagram to gain valuable insights into your audience’s preferences, interests, and purchasing behavior. Use Instagram Insights to track key metrics such as engagement rate, follower demographics, and post-performance. Adjust your content strategy and marketing tactics based on data-driven insights to engage and convert your Instagram audience effectively.

In conclusion, Instagram offers SMBs a powerful platform to execute comprehensive marketing strategies across various areas such as digital marketing, PR, advertising, storytelling, design, content, photography, media platforms, and consumer behavior. By leveraging the actionable advice provided in this essay, SMBs can harness the full potential of Instagram to effectively navigate marketing challenges, build a strong brand presence, and achieve business success in today’s competitive landscape.

Brianna Berry was born and raised in Chicago. She is currently a junior, majoring in integrated marketing communications and minoring in business.

Maximizing Brand Involvement on Tik Tok

Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs) have been promoting their brands through the traditional social media platforms for several years and need a new approach to remain successful. Along with Facebook and Instagram, Tik Tok has been recently trending as an advertising platform for SMBs. Tik Tok has been vastly increasing in users over the past several years, expanding one’s audience reach.

According to the most recent 2024 Tik Tok Revenue and Usage Statistics, “Tik Tok had 1.5 billion monthly active users in 2023 and is expected to reach 2 billion by the end of 2024.” Due to this significant growth of users, using this platform to advertise brands is an effective way to reach a wide audience. Promoting a small business through Tik Tok can be extremely fulfilling and can be used by creating engaging content that draws potential customers towards the brand. This is why this type of advertising is directly related to IMC. Here are a few ideas for business owners who are looking to increase their brand awareness and community through the growing media platform, Tik Tok:

Virtual Tour

Providing a virtual tour video on Tik Tok can help a business grow in several different ways. A virtual tour can help increase a potential customer’s understanding of the business, its products and services. Because virtual tours provide users with a transparent and visual representation of their services, it allows the potential customers to see exactly what the business provides, creating a better idea of the brand in the customer’s head. This allows the business to be able to stand out more, and draw customer’s attention to the brand.

Influencer Collaborations

Another compelling way to point attention towards your business is creating an influencer video on Tik Tok. Because followers look up to and relate to influencer’s, collaborating with an influencer to promote the brand can provide followers with a sense of trust and credibility related to the brand. According to Aspire, an influencer and marketing site, “A recent Ad Week study reported that 49% of Tik Tok users have purchased a product or service from a brand after seeing it advertised, promoted, or reviewed on the platform.” This establishes the amount of trust between the influencer and the follower, proving that once an influencer promotes your brand, it automatically boosts the credibility for the business in the followers’ eyes. This will directly lead to an increase in brand awareness, along with an increase of sales within the business.

Behind-the-Scenes Previews

Offering a glance into the behind-the-scenes workings of a business can cause potential customers to be more intrigued and captivated by the brand. The behind-the-scenes video ideas can include products releasing soon, meeting the staff, holiday specials, discounts, day-to-day operations, etc. This Tik Tok video idea can set your business apart from other competitor businesses. Hearing about these exclusive sneak peaks will automatically draw

customers’ attention to the business promoted. This video idea is very rewarding in increasing brand recognition.

Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a Tik Tok video that is promoting the brand will have significant effects on customers. A beneficial way to accomplish this would include having someone on staff or someone who consistently uses products/services of the brand to make a video explaining the benefits and advantages gained from the specific brand. This will spark your audience’s emotions, causing them to feel more inspired to buy the business’s products/services. This will be beneficial in growing your brand and selling more products/services.

Educational Series

Lastly, including multiple Tik Tok videos that are informative and educate users on the brands products can expand the interests of potential customers. By providing educational content on a smaller brand, customers are able to learn more about what the brand provides, becoming more familiar with the brand’s products. It is also important to include benefits that the business can provide to potential customers throughout the educational video. This can draw the interests of users towards the brand, and eventually transform them into customers.

Overall, with Tik Tok being a more recent and more popular social media platform, it is an extremely useful tool to use in order to promote SMBs. With the platform becoming more popular, SMBs can take advantage of this, and post multiple different videos in order to reach the wide audience they are aiming to attain. The various strategies listed above, including a virtual tour, influencer collaborations, behind-the-scenes previews, storytelling, and educational series, will not only increase brand awareness, but will also grow the customer base of a brand. These tactics can allow an SMB to experience substantial growth, customer loyalty, and secure achievement.

Lexi Sheehan is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is majoring in integrated marketing communications with a minor in business.

Micro-Influencers Can Make a Major Impact

Four ways that small businesses can create curated and authentic audiences by partnering with smaller influencers. Dive into ways content creators can skyrocket businesses into a deeper connection with customers than ever before.

It’s no shock that as younger generations shift to living life more authentically, social media influencers’ impact has become one of the most powerful forces for any business. Mega influencers control the forefront of so many social media platforms to the extent that their message is often lost in the noise of the media. It’s the small influencers with personal, direct, and targeted audiences that are the key components for a small business to connect with the audience right in front of them. In this article, we will look at the various characteristics of a small influencer that will take a small business to the next level.

Targeted Reach

Small influencers often cater to niche passions, communities, or geographic areas that allow them to precisely target and relate to an audience. This ensures that the creator will be able to produce content that their viewers connect with and from there form a personal relationship. Likewise, when growing a small business, this targeted reach is a crucial asset to building a community that is genuinely interested in the product or service they provide and building trust. Just like a study from ClearVoice that was conducted in October of 2023, 61% of customers trust influencer recommendations. Partnering with influencers who can share their curated audience with someone new is the perfect opportunity to make meaningful connections with potential customers and expand a business’ customer base.

Cost-Effectiveness

The majority of micro-influencers work at a more cost-effective rate than mega-influencers. Whether this is negotiating rates for content creation or accepting goods/services in exchange for online promotion, businesses are allowed to explore different ways to pay for partnerships that are beneficial to both parties. On top of that, smaller influencers give business more bang for their buck. According to a study published by Upfluence in January of 2023, it is statistically proven that smaller influencers maintain higher engagement rates for content than influencers with larger audiences. Creators with a large following are considered good with an engagement rate of 3%, while 5% engagement is the standard for smaller creators. Paying less to engage a specific audience with small influencers is the key to growing online in this generation.

Authenticity and Relatability

Smaller and more curated audiences allow micro-influencers to have the benefit of a peer relationship with their audience as opposed to an unattainable celebrity lifestyle. Because of this, the promotions and services they push come across as accessible and authentic to the audience Take Mckenna Goddard for example. Mckenna is a small-scale beauty influencer who is an active member of Tri Delta at the University of Mississippi. Her audience is mostly

young women looking to expand their knowledge in makeup and fashion. She now partners with Musee, a bath, makeup and skincare brand through commissionable links. Her specific passion catered to a niche audience that created a new sector of business and expanded a loyal fanbase. Partnerships like these start out small but are just the beginning of growing a fanbase that will take business to the next level.

Flexibility and Creativity

Small influencers often have more creative freedom when collaborating with businesses. With the ability for communication between the business and creator to be personable and cooperative, owners can voice what image they want to come across through partnerships. Whether through TikToks, Instagram posts, or even just showcasing the use of a product, smaller influencers offer businesses control and advice on what content methods will seamlessly integrate their product or service into the audience’s feed. Followers resonate with authentic and engaging content where personality shines through, ultimately creating trust with the small business promoted itself.

There is no denying that any business that wishes to be successful in the future must understand the value of social media marketing. Micro-influencers are just one way that small businesses can ensure they are doing everything to be successful and form meaningful relationships with customers that will last a lifetime.

Lilly Marquez is a junior IMC major at the University of Mississippi. She is passionate about learning the ins and outs of content creation and the impact it will have on the future of business.

SEO Made Easy

Search engine optimization, or SEO is the act of making a website easier to find when searching Google or other engines. A search engine is like an online librarian, scouring the library of the internet to find “the perfect book” or website on what you are looking for. As a business owner, your goal is to make your website that “book”.

There are two major approaches you can focus on to optimize your website to increase traffic from search engines, come with me as I explain them in simpler terms. The first approach is On-Page Optimization, which is like the content of your book, making it easier to find.

Knowing your audience is the simplest step, you most likely have an established audience that you cater to. After defining who is searching for you, find what terms they use to look for brands and products similar to what you are offering. These terms, called keywords, must be included in your site. Make sure you choose relevant keywords, including the names of products, what they do, and other related words that may be helpful. Titles, headlines, content, and products should be sprinkled with these words, but make them natural and in context rather than just slapping them everywhere. Writing good content is a requirement you should be using anyway, having engaged and relevant texts will not only bring in more traffic but have your returning visitors satisfied and likely to come back again. Making your site technically sound is necessary for any visitors, new or returning. Things such as being mobile friendly and easy to navigate are all but required to attract people to your website or online store. If your site includes pictures or videos, make sure you include titles and descriptions as the search engines cannot see visuals.

The second approach is using Off-Page Optimization, which is like getting good reviews from other librarians and library patrons. The easiest way to ensure visitors, is social media interactions. Use social media to engage with your audience, through posts, stories, polls, and other interactions to encourage discussions and visits to your site. You can also build backlinks from other pages to your own, such as blog posts and articles that include a link to your page. This shows search engines that your site is valuable and important to your audience. Lastly, including local SEO will help attract buyers in your area. Using location-based optimization gives your site to people in the area, in this case Oxford.

SEO is always changing, through algorithm and learning shifts, so you want to keep updating your site and social media to stay relevant. This seems overbearing and complicated, but once you have all the previous steps, it is much easier to upkeep a productive website.

Bry Peters is a junior from Austin, Texas. He is an IMC major who enjoys playing tennis, walking his dog, and spending too much money on vinyl records to add to his collection.

Leveraging Social Media Influencers for Business Promotion

In today’s demanding business world, advertising a business, is a challenging task. However, using social media stars (influencers) have become a powerful way to get more people to see and interact with your brand. As such, this article discusses different ways to get influencers’ attention and shows how influencers and brands can work together to promote businesses.

Using PR packages is at the heart of getting influencers to work with you. These gifts with goods or services inside are a cheap way to get the attention of people with a lot of influence. By giving these packages, brands let influencers try their products for themselves, making it easier for them to provide honest reviews and endorsements. Influencers are often drawn to PR packages because they offer something new and unique that makes them want to share these goods with their followers. The outcome, whether it’s Instagram posts, stories, or blog reviews, significantly impacts what people buy.

In addition, brands can boost their advertising by planning brand trips or paying influencers to travel. This method might cost more, but it gives you more chances to get people to see and interact with your brand. Brands build immersive experiences that connect deeply with influencers and their audiences by inviting them to special events or places. The natural content made on these trips makes the brand look good and helps customers feel like they can trust and relate to the brand.

Influencers can be used in standard forms of advertising like billboards and pop-up ads, as well as in immersive experiences. Seeing well-known people promote goods while commuting or surfing the web can significantly affect how people think about and act toward those products. Companies can use the authority and reach of influential people to boost brand recognition and recall by carefully matching their messages with those of the brand.

Real-life examples show how successful it is for brands to work with influencers to promote them. Instagram and other platforms like it are great places for stars to show off their goods and services to a vast audience. Influencers significantly impact customer tastes and trends, from sponsored posts to Instagram live sessions and IGTV videos. The relationship between influencers and companies is mutually beneficial, as shown by partnerships like Serena Williams’ work with Away. When brands work with influencers in this way, they get access to their social capital and loyal fans, which helps them reach more people and be more present in the market.

As a result, using social media influencers strategically in business promotions is a powerful way to raise brand awareness, credibility, and connection. Influencers significantly impact how people think about products and what they buy, whether it’s through PR packages, brand trips, or joint projects. Brands can get around the complicated world of modern marketing and set themselves up for long-term success in a digital ecosystem that is constantly changing by building genuine relationships with influencers.

Max Maune works hard as an IMC major at the University of Mississippi. He uses his creativity and strategic communication to do well in the field of IMC. Max has a strong attention to detail and a desire to try new things. He wants to use these qualities to make a big difference in the fast-paced world of media and marketing.

Strategic Marketing for Small Businesses in Oxford

In Oxford, targeting the college demographic while engaging the broader community requires a very specific targeted approach. Oxford, Mississippi is a college town and has been known to have a southern elegant style to the town and its culture in general.

In Oxford, businesses that succeed are the ones that recognize how to appeal to the consumers of this area that I call home for my college years. There are many ways to appeal to the people of Oxford in order for a business to succeed.

It’s important to recognize the preferences and budgets of students and offer products or services that go with their needs. The vast majority of students are on a budget and focus on spending responsibly. Having prices that are fair or even on the lower end of the scale is great for business because then the students know they’re getting a good deal and will continue to go to that small business more frequently.

Creating partnerships with student organizations and sponsoring campus events to increase brand visibility and foster community ties is a great idea especially in a college town where all the revenue is mostly generated through the students. Greek organizations create a lot of business in this town, therefore appealing to those consumers is a wise investment. If someone owns a small business in Oxford that caters to young children or the elderly specially, it would be tough for this business to grow and succeed due to the age demographics within the town of Oxford being heavily populated by young adults. Which is why it’s crucial to appeal to the majority because it automatically creates a larger more diverse customer base.

Another crucial factor for a small business to market their brand in Oxford is having a good social media presence. Instagram is a great way to market a small business in a college town because almost all young adults use social media in our society. An app like Instagram can tell the consumers what your business is like and what the true identity of this business is. This app shows a collection of pictures throughout time and a bio in the profile therefore it’s a great way to appeal to any consumer.

By implementing these focused strategies, small businesses can effectively navigate Oxford’s dynamic environment and establish a strong presence among both students and the broader community. A business having a strong connection with their customers and local area is very important. Through community engagement and putting a particular brand out there this connection happens. Small businesses in Oxford should take approaches such as these in order to thrive and prosper.

Jesse Palacios is from Menlo Park, California. He studies integrated marketing communications at the University of Mississippi.

How to Grow Your Business Through Social Media

Instagram can increase profit for small businesses. It is especially helpful for small local businesses. Local businesses have special needs; their budget for advertising is low, and their target audience is limited. Instagram could be the perfect solution. An example is a restaurant that is locally owned; word of mouth increases the client base, but Instagram is a perfect venue for growing business. Pictures taken in a customer’s local area are effective to increase knowledge and bring in customers.

Start with establishing an Instagram account. Even a minimum number of posts is a start to get your business noticed. A picture is a great way to create interest and say more than many written words. A picture of a plate of great looking food can cause instant hunger! There are so many ways to present your business in Instagram besides a simple picture. Employee interviews can create interest. An example of this is seen on Instagram when they show interviews of bartenders in Oxford. The interview can give an implication of a fun atmosphere that invites the customer in.

Another tactic that works is posting a gift card giveaway on Instagram. In order to win a gift card at that business the viewer of the post could like the post. The viewer reposts the original and could tag as many friends as possible. When the buyer or restaurant goer mentions your Instagram post in the business they would receive a 10 percent discount on products and services, and the poster who had liked his own post, reposted and tagged friends would receive a gift card to the business. As long as the product and service is good this should cause interest in the business.

Another tactic is to post customer interviews. They could talk about their favorite meal, and ask for an offering on the menu. The business could do a poll on Instagram for suggestions. You could take the suggestion and make it a monthly special of the requested items. A behind the scenes video could be a winner for the company. Seeing the cleanliness of the business and the good attention given to clients attracts customers. Customers really appreciate seeing a clean kitchen, for example. A good atmosphere behind the scenes promises a good experience for the customer.

The local business Delta Dog is an example of a business that could benefit greatly from Instagram advertising. If a dog owner leaves their dog in a place, it can cause worry about how the pet is treated. The owner can fear poor conditions or treatment. A behind the scenes video could bring a great deal of comfort to the owner.

Instagram advertising can be a big win for a business. It personalizes the product or service and it requires the minimum cash outlay for a business. It can spread rapidly and make your business a local sensation.

Jimbo Radcliff is an integrated marketing communications major at the University of Mississippi. He is from Fairhope, Alabama.

How to Effectively Use Media to Make Personal Connections

The core of many small businesses is connections and relationships within the community they serve. While in person connections remain a vital aspect of small businesses, in today’s day and age, virtual connections are an awesome tool that have potential to bring on personal connections later.

Company webpages should include an “About Us” page. This page should include the company history, purpose, mission statement, etc. Introducing the owner(s) and employees on this page also helps make the company more personable. The “About Me” page should help customers to make a connection with the business prior to actually visiting or making a purchase. Note: Webpages are relevant towards all demographics.

Facebook is a useful social media platform that is used by a wide variety of ages. Update your current and potential customers on upcoming events, sales, new releases etc. Spreading information virtually, naturally leads to information being spread by word of mouth. By posting updates, you are essentially doubling the reach. It is also important to actively respond to relevant comments and direct messages. This way, you are building relationships and being personable with your customers.

Moreover, Instagram business feature can be very useful when looking at your company’s main reach. It shows accurate demographics that can help you market to the correct audience. Instagram features your profile, reels, stories, and direct messages. Your profile should include a short bio, a link to your website, and a relevant profile picture (your logo). Your posts should be eye catching and relevant. For example, if announcing a new product, the product should be pictured in an aesthetic form. Posts stay up on your profile unless you chose to delete them. Stories are up for 24 hours unless you choose to add them to your highlights. These are good for secret sales, or just a daily update. Reels are short videos. Although the play time is limited, reels should be interactive. For example, a day in the life as an employee, or a shop with me can draw in an audience and promote store traffic. Like Facebook, it is important to respond to relevant comments and/or direct messages, as this shows you care and interacting helps to build positive relationships.

Tik Tok is a video platform that can be compared to Instagram reels. TikTok is an exciting platform that, if used correctly can bring in a lot of attention. The content posted on TikTok depends on your business, but similar to Facebook and Instagram you can make announcements, or show off new products. It is really important to show personality on TikTok, as this keeps it interesting and engaging; a simply informative TikTok will not get as much response as a funny TikTok or a TikTok that encourages some emotion.

Media is an essential part of all businesses. It can be overlooked as in-personable, but if used in the correct sense, it can actually encourage brand/customer relationships.

Annika Rose is a junior IMC major at Ole Miss, and she is originally from Colorado. In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends, ski, fish, and be outside.