The MarComm Hub | Volume 1

Department of Integrated Marketing Communications | 1

Photo by Logan Kirkland/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services 2 | School of Journalism and New Media

The MarComm Hub VOLUME 1

2023

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

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

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Correspondences: Caleb Jenkins Madison Bradley Jakota White Holly Evans Kathryn Dilbeck Christopher Certion Kathryn Hosp Brinkley Boswell Kaylea Barr Charlotte Crider Devin Agusti Larson Howard Lexi Grubbs Kallie Basil Reagan Young Riley Coen Megan Lewis McKenzie Carmichael MaryGrace Carter Cody Bain Project by: IMC students Fall 2023 Editor: Itzhak Mashiah Visiting Professor of Integrated Marketing Communications The School of Journalism and New Media The University of Mississippi Design and Layout: MacKenzie Ross Communications Specialist The School of Journalism and New Media The University of Mississippi 4 | School of Journalism and New Media

TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Dean

Andrea Hickerson

7

Letter from the Chair

Jason Cain

8

What the Peso Model is All About

Caleb Jenkins

10

How to Market for the Holidays

Madison Bradley

11

The Season is the Reason

Jakota White

13

Platforms You Might Not Know

Holly Evans

14

How to Create an Instagram Post

Kathryn Dilbeck

16

Tips to Grow Your Small Business

Christopher Certion

17

Kathryn Hosp

20

Small Tips with A Big Impact

Boost SMBs on Instagram Brinkley Boswell How to Use Contests on Social Media

Kaylea Barr

How to Market on Tik Tok Charlotte Crider How To Use Instagram Stories

21 23 25

Devin Agusti

26

Larson Howard

28

Using Threads for Small Business

Lexi Grubbs

30

How SMBs Can Use the Circle of Trends

Kallie Basil

32

Reagan Young

34

Riley Coen

36

How To Get Influencers

The Power of a Tag 5 ways to Advertise Better

Using Promotions to Boost Traffic & Sales Megan Lewis Social Media Strategies for SMBs Effective SMBs Marketing Techniques 3 Steps to Success for Small Businesses

37

McKenzie Carmichael

38

MaryGrace Carter

40

Cody Bain

41

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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 the fall of 2023. In the first volume of “MarComm Hub” our mission was clear: to create a collection of professional “how-to” articles designed to empower small and medium-sized business owners in elevating their promotional strategies. This deliberate focus on small businesses underscores our dedication to making a meaningful impact on their growth and success. Our journey took us through every phase of the content creation process, from the initial brainstorming of article ideas to the meticulous writing, revising, and finally, the compilation of this guide that we are thrilled to present to you. Within its pages, you will discover a treasure trove of engaging and informative articles covering the essential promotional actions that SMBs must embrace to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape, using a diverse array of marketing tools. Inside, you’ll find articles addressing a wide range of topics, including leveraging the latest marketing trends, effectively harnessing the power of social media, optimizing your advertising strategies, and the role of influencers in your marketing mix, among others. Our guiding star throughout this endeavor has been the well-known PESO model, which illuminates the four crucial channels for promoting your business: paid, earned, shared, and owned. As you delve into the pages of this guide, you’ll uncover valuable tips and insights that can revolutionize your approach to marketing. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting on your business journey, we believe you’ll find these articles instrumental in implementing a more effective marketing strategy and ultimately, achieving greater success in your endeavors.

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Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

Letter from the Dean It’s my immense pleasure to introduce the first volume of “MarComm Hub,” a special project by Integrated Marketing Communications students under the direction of Professor Itzhak Mashiah. Currently IMC is the largest major on the University of Mississippi campus, attracting students with various interests and expertise including visual design, social media management, and creative and strategic media production. The breadth and depth of content in this volume showcases these talents, the applicability of IMC to small and medium-sized businesses, and the career readiness of our students. I also appreciate the outward-facing nature of this project. These succinct and insightful articles can have an immediate impact on businesses and the communities they serve. I’m incredibly proud of Prof. Mashiah and these students. Andrea Hickerson, Ph.D. Dean and Professor The School of Journalism and New Media The University of Mississippi

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Letter from the Department Chair 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. Jason A. Cain, Ph.D. Interim Chair of Integrated Marketing Communications The School of Journalism and New Media The University of Mississippi

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

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What the Peso Model is All About BY: CALEB JENKINS We have all been at the point to where we want to start our own business, whether if it’s about making money, wanting to promote a message to the public, etc. But where most people go wrong is that they don’t how to correctly promote or advertise their business the way that they want to. My job is to give more insight on not only the PESO model but how to elevate your business to the next level. What is the PESO Model The PESO Model consists of four media types: paid media, earned media, shared media, and owned media. Each of these types of media play a role when it comes to expanding or building a business. Paid media involves with working with ads and providing a controlled reach while also allowing brands to target specific audiences. Earned Media involves trading valuable content for exposure to an established authority’s audience by including media coverage, guest blogging, influencer collaborations, etc. Shared Media involves amplifying content through your own audience on social media platforms, and other digital channels. Owned Media involve building and aggregating an audience that actively seeks out your brand’s content, which includes things such as websites, blogs, email subscribers, etc. How to Apply the PESO Model to Your Business We can apply four PESO components to make our business successful and more SMB’s can use the Paid Media. For example, you can apply Paid Media to international holidays. On international holidays, there is something to do or celebrate on every day of the calendar year and not many people know about them as much. So, my plan is to create an ad that would be able to showcase these international holidays. One of the first ideas I would have in mind is to pick international holidays that most people would most likely be interested in. I would also make it to where I pick events and activities that most people are more likely interested in. My next idea I would then produce an informative, but also fun ad so that way I can get more attention and that the audience is engaged instead of them skipping the ad just because it is basic information.

Caleb Jenkins is a student here at the University of Mississippi. He is a junior and an Integrated Marketing Communications major.

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How to Market for the Holidays BY: MADISON BRADLEY Marketing for holidays can be difficult, but it is something customers love and look forward to. Including good Christmas and Holiday advertising can really help a business with their customers feeling more inclined to buy things. First when starting with marketing for the holidays, you should generally stick the color scheme of red and green because that is what will attract the customers to know that it is for Christmas. Along with that, depending on what the business is, I would try to market everything in special packages that resemble green and red. It can be anything from ribbons around the boxes to entirely new packaging. Having special packaging will make people want to come in to get the new cute packaging that resembles the holidays. Even if businesses may get busier during the holidays, marketing well will help your business grow even more. While marking instore is important, so it marketing online. For instance, when marking online, you can change your business logo to make it look match more with the holidays, or you could feature certain limited-edition holiday items that people will want to get since it’s during the holidays. Along with that, making new “deals” attract people to buy anything. I see a lot of companies that will “lower” the price but do a 2 for 1 deal that gets people to buy things but end up spending about the same money. Even though it is technically a trick, it makes the customer happy because they think they saved a bunch of money and got a deal even if they didn’t. This works best at specifically holiday times because everyone is looking for a way to save money. Along with those deals, you can even try to make certain deals over the holidays that everyone knows is happening. For instance, some big brands will do certain deals on certain days and that attracts the customers to not only come, but spend more money because they feel as though they are spending less because there is a “deal.” Along with that, you could make online ads popup to cater to the online shoppers. In the online ads, you can include the new deals and sales that are being featured for the holidays. While marketing for the holidays may cost more money to make some of these changed, the general costumer loves all of the changes. Being simple and decorating a storefront with a Christmas tree and some tinsel can make a world of change. During the holiday season, people love to be in the spirit. I would suggest adding some decorations, whatever you can budget for. Along with that, I would also add an air freshener or a candle because scents is one of the biggest things that customers will pick up on. Even if it is something as simple as one from the grocery store, smelling something wafting out will make people automatically want to come in. Customers are attracted to smells, so having a fall or Christmas time smell will make people automatically want to enter the smell solely based off of how good it smells. Along with that, scents are something that people will remember your store for. If you make it something that smells different than anything else, customers will remember the smell and will give you free publicity talking about it to their friends. By having a signature fall scent, it can help you get more customers based off of word of mouth from it being remembered. Madison Bradley is a sophomore major at the University of Mississippi. She an IMC major with a specialization in Public Relations and is involved in Women in Business and PRSSA.

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Photo by Logan Kirkland/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services 1 2 | School of Journalism and New Media

The Season is the Reason: Setting Apart Promotion with the PESO Model BY: JAKOTA WHIT E The PESO Model is a stronger tool than a lot of people think, small and medium sized businesses included. The model breaks down marketing strategies into four groups. Paid, earned, shared, and owned. Say for instance a local clothing store uses the model to showcase and sell new collections that correlate with the seasons. It’s as simple as it sounds. Paying Your Way The paid portion of the PESO Model looks at marketing strategies that would require one to pay for them. The world continues to get more and more digital these days. This means TV, radio, and the like are all fair game. Paying for ads to be in local newspapers or even on apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter would set small and medium businesses apart from the competition. These things are all based on an algorithm. If the ads that are paid for are based on the content the user chooses to see, these paid ads will only come across their screens. Including ads that are meant to come up at the time of the seasonal rollouts. In turn making customers aware of what is to come from the brand. Earning Your Keep Promotion is and will always be a two-way street. The earned section of the model holds this to be true more so than others. Earned media looks at promoting your brand to such a great extent that blog posts and reviews among other things are being written about what said brand has to offer and the writer’s experience with it. The thing is writers are always going to need content to write about or they will simply be out of a job. Putting on events before and during the spring, summer, and fall collections are released will pique interest, allowing the business to be plastered on blogs everywhere. Sharing is Caring Shared media is exactly what it sounds like, media that is shared. Maybe the most important media because no one will know about said business if it’s not being shared. Specifically, being shared online, considering the day and age we have found ourselves in. As a small or medium business owner, social media could be the ultimate tool to success. Curating your social media pages to cater directly to your audience is a start. Even incentivizing followers with discounts for the collection can help with this. All people of all ages are online these days. The customers are there for the taking. Time to take Ownership The owned portion of the model looks at media that is directly managed by said business. Examples of this can include blogs, or any other fully controlled platforms. A perfect instance of this could be a spring, summer, and fall collection that a small clothing store will roll out in accordance with the specific season every year. This will alert customers of a special presentation that happens on a schedule, allowing them to associate this event with this small or medium sized business. Not only would this spark interest and boost sales at these fixed times, but this would set apart said business from the competition. Taking advantage of a unique strategy not used by rivals. Jakota White is a junior studying Integrated Marketing Communications at the university. Department of Integrated Marketing Communications | 13

Media Platforms You Might Not Have Heard of That Can Promote Your Business BY: HOLLY EVANS Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs) are searching for ways to market their businesses in an evergrowing economy. Once businesses learn to utilize the power of the PESO Model, then they will be able to boost their business. The PESO Model is composed of four parts including paid media, earned media, shared media, and owned media. In this article, I will introduce you to unknown social media platforms you might not have heard of that your business can utilize. Threads Threads launched in July of 2023 and rapidly gained users. Threads is an online networking service that gives users ability to share text, images, videos, and interact with other users posts by replies, reposts, and likes. Threads was created by Meta Platforms, who also owns Facebook and Instagram, to compete with Twitter (now known as X). Threads was also created to be interwoven with Instagram. You can attach your threads account to your Instagram bio and when you post on Threads it can instantly become an Instagram story if you desire it to. Here are a few ways Threads can help promote your business: Threads could potentially be a great form of recruiting. Threads allows small businesses to share job availability within their company with people who already have interest in their business. Since your business would be recruiting itself, this can prove to be a more cost-effective method than using a recruitment agency or hiring a recruiter. Substack Substack is an online platform that lets writers or podcasters publish their content. Substack also allows writers to send digital newsletters directly to their subscribers. Since they have over one million subscribers, they make it a plan to help manage deliverability and subscribers. You can start subscription newsletters, access publishing tools, and you are given easy ways to track your data and analytics. Businesses should consider using Substack because it gives them a chance to send out newsletters about their company and products to help spread brand awareness. In these newsletters it can also be a great tool to add links to your other well-known social media accounts. Another great tool in Substack is that users can join a subscriber chat to contribute to discussion and topics. This could allow for other users to help spread positive word-of-mouth about your company or leave great reviews on your published posts. TRIBE Influencer Tribe is an influencer marketing platform for brands and agencies that was created in 2014. Tribe allows creators and influencers to connect with brands they are passionate about and work with for collaborations. Individuals are able to scroll through different brands, see what they are about, then submit their information to brands for brands to reach out and use them to help market their products or services. Brands can launch a brief of what they want to highlight and influencers are able to fill their inboxes with ideas that cater to the brands brief. Tribe is a great app for SMBs to be a part of because influencers are a great tool to use as marketing. People look to influencers to know what products they should purchase. This also allows you to have influencers reach out to your business because they are passionate about promoting it instead of the brand trying to find influencers themselves. This also ensures that influencers care about your products and want to see them succeed because they have a vested interest in your business. 1 4 | School of Journalism and New Media

Although these three apps are not the most well-known social media platforms, all three of these platforms are great tools that SMBs can use to promote their businesses. Shared media is an important tool used in marketing in today’s world because of the amount of people who use it daily. If you are looking to be creative and different with the apps you use to market to your customers, I would definitely recommend looking into these 3 apps I have listed out!

Holly Evans is a senior at The University of Mississippi pursing a degree in IMC. She is most interested in the creative and business aspects of marketing and has served as her sorority’s Social Media Chairman.

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How to Create an Instagram Post for a Small Business BY: KATHRYN DILBECK Making an Instagram post for a small business can be daunting if it is your first time. The post requires a creative mind that can combine content people want, eye-catching visuals, and a compelling message. In this guide, I will go through each step on how to come up with a captivating post that will make people want to see more. Define Your Goal and Target Audience Before creating the Instagram post you must be aware of your objective. Is this post to increase followers, raise sales, or promote an individual product or service? With the objective figured out you must now decide on the audience the post is directed towards. The target audience will help decide what kind of tone to use and will narrow the ideas down to what would best fit the content. Choice Your Visual Content The main idea of Instagram is the picture in the post. This step is very important and will be the focal point of the whole post. The visual aid needs to be appealing to the people, relate to your business, and have a high-quality image or video. Craft a Compelling Caption The caption of a post is one of the last things the eyes move to but, is still equally as important as the visual content. Depending on what the post is about can help you figure out what needs to be mentioned in the caption. If the post is about a sale the caption needs to have all the details about the sale and the date the sale ends. Here are some things that should be included when writing a caption: • An Introduction – Begin with something that grabs the reader’s attention and makes the audience want to keep reading. • Engaging Content – Tell the reader the main message or tell a story about the product or service. • Call To Action- Encourage the audience to take action, which could mean commenting, reposting, going to your website, buying the product or service, or even inspiring the reader to go out and do something positive. • Hashtags – At the end of the post when everything is said and done add some hashtags to get more engagement on the post. The more people that interact with the post the more people the post spreads to so include hashtags that are relevant to your brand and the product. Include tags and tag the product: Make sure to add tags of location and product so people have an easier time navigating your account and post. Customers will be more likely to come back and continue viewing your sites if they have an easier time getting through it. If your brand has a physical location tagging the store location with a geotag will help you get more activity to the post and to the store. Following these steps will help create an impactful Instagram experience for your target audience and make them keep wanting more. Don’t forget that each post is so important for your Instagram Profile and will help keep the overall “shared” marketing top notch and will grow your business. Kathryn Dilbeck is a senior at Ole Miss. She is majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in computer science.

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Tips That Can Help Grow Your Small Market Business BY: CHRISTOPHER CERTION Growing a small market business can be difficult to accomplish. In this article we will be discussing tips that can ease some of that pressure. Some ways to relieve that pressure can start with building an organic customer base. Utilizing social media to you advantage is a key factor. Another great way to build business is by capitalizing on foot traffic and word of mouth. In this article we will get into more entailed information on how to achieve these tips. Grow an Organic Customer Base One of the key points of growing a business is gaining a customer base. Gaining a customer base gives you the benefit of having reliable consumers of your brand. This step can be achieved through different media channels. The first example that I will speak on will be earned media. Many small businesses can utilize their local area. A good way to build that organic customer base is to become involved in the community. This can be done through fundraising, being involved in local markets, or anything of the sorts. Doing this will help earn brand recognition with those closely acquainted. Utilize Social Media to your Advantage. A key point in marketing today is the use of social media. As a small business this is where you can gain traction and traffic to your brand. Learning your consumer base on social media is very important to expanding an audience. First step that you can take is picking which platforms to use. This can help you target your specific audience. For example, if you are trying to appeal to Gen Z, Instagram and TikTok could be great for you. With utilizing social media, you also have to keep track with your analytics. The analytics that you gain can help you market efficiently to reach the biggest audience. With these analytics you can track who is your leading demographic. You can also see what age group and where they are mostly visiting your page from. You can also see at what time of day they use the platform the most. With these analytics you can strategically post online to reach the highest number of users. On platforms such as TikTok, this is where you can really show creativity to appeal to a base. Hopping on the newest trends can help drive traffic to whatever product you are selling. Capitalize on Foot Traffic and Word of Mouth Another way to grow your business is to rely on traditional marketing as much as you do digital. This step is more for those who have brick and mortar locations. With this step, ideal location is something that has to be crucial. With small businesses, looks are a great way to gain customers. If you have your location in an area that generates significant foot traffic, you can capitalize off of it. To go along with foot traffic, word of mouth is a great way to expand business. One of the best ways to gain new consumers is by returning consumers spreading the word. This can lead to organic business as people tend to have more trust in the opinions of those they know. If customers have positive interactions with your business, they will ideally share it with those who may be interested. Over time this can build a strong base of returning consumers.

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Create a Database from Your Customers A great way to keep your customers in the loop for your brand is to create a database. Creating a database is great for multiple reasons when navigating your small business. Doing this gives you the insight you need on customer traits. Inside the database you can keep track on what customers are buying. You can also start to develop different tactics to improve customer interaction. You can build a database by creating newsletters, qr codes, and getting customers to sign up in store. While having a database is great, you must ensure customers safety. You can accomplish this by implementing a strong cybersecurity system and other safeguards.

Christopher Certion is a senior from Oxford, Mississippi. He is currently studying Integrated Marketing Communications at the University of Mississippi.

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Photo by Logan Kirkland/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services Department of Integrated Marketing Communications | 19

Small Tips with A Big Impact: How to Grow Your Small-Medium Business on Instagram. BY: KATHRYN HOSP Instagram receives about 4.25 billion visits a month making it the 8th most visited website in the world according to SEMrush, an online marketing company. It is also the fourth most used social platform in the world when ranked by its monthly users according to Statista. With this being said, Instagram is a great tool for small-medium business owners to use in order to promote products and services, grow brand awareness and interact with customers. Here are a few tips to help business owners ensure that they are getting the most out of the tools that Instagram has to offer: Turn Your Instagram Account into a Business Profile Setting up an Instagram profile as a business account gives the businesses owners insights into who is most interested in their content, which is a very useful tool in many ways. With a business profile, businesses are able to analyze their professional dashboard which provides insight and data on the number of accounts that their content reaches and the amount of followers that engage. It also provides the demographics of a business’s followers, so content can be made to cater towards the largest audience. Also, with a business profile, links can be attached to posts making it easier for followers to find products and services that are being sold, increasing the probability of them making a purchase. Generate Brand Awareness with Instagram Giveaways For small-medium businesses, brand awareness is crucial to growth. Instagram giveaways are a simple yet effective way to quickly spread a business’s name. This is when a business posts that they are offering a free (but valuable) prize for a randomly selected follower who completes a certain set of tasks. When creating these tasks for a giveaway, there are two very important things to include in order to have the desired effect: 1. Instruct users to tag x amount of friends 2. Require participants to repost the content to their story. The friends that are tagged will view the post and if they are interested in what is being offered, they will tag more people thus exposing the brand to more people. The story post will show the content to a new set of viewers in a visual way, and if they are intrigued by the photo, they will click on it and read more about the brand. Creating a giveaway sets off a chain effect of brand exposure which is very beneficial, especially for small-medium businesses. Always Include Location Tags A great way to get content to reach nearby people is by including a location tag on posts. According to Teodora Lozan, a marketing and content writer, “posts with a tagged location result in 79% higher engagement than posts without a tagged location.” By adding the location tag, Instagram’s algorithm can put your content in the feed of people who live nearby. Instagram users can also tap on any given location, which then provides them with all of the posts that have tagged the selected location, giving more opportunities for a business’s content to be exposed to a large amount of people. Utilizing Instagram is an effective way to boost business due to its popularity around the world. All of these tips are easy ways to grow a brand’s social media presence, which is especially important for small-medium businesses. Building awareness and getting a brand’s name out to the public increases the opportunity for people to become loyal customers, which is ultimately the goal. Kathryn Hosp is a sophomore at The University of Mississippi. She is an Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in Business.

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How to Boost SMBs on the Shared Media Channel of Instagram BY: BRINKLEY BOSWELL Learning how to properly use the PESO Model is crucial for business promotion. I am going to enlighten you on how to use the shared channel of Instagram to boost your service. Furthermore, I am going to compare different industries and how they use this channel to promote their brand. These tips include how to target and captivate a specific audience, establishing a theme, being an active content creator, and appropriate language for Instagram. P.E.S.O. stands for Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media and are ways to communicate the content a business creates. Instagram is a shared media platform which focuses on amplifying content to its own audience through digital posts. Brands can leverage their existing audience to share and distribute content, expanding its reach organically. In other words, you can share your product and service with no cost. To target your specific audience, start by following other similar businesses and celebrities with a larger platform. You can ask to do a collaboration with either of these creators or just post about your business on their page. You can also use your other socials to encourage people to follow! All types of industries use Instagram to promote their business. Food, fashion, travel, real estate, entertainment, beauty, and health are just a few examples. We are going to compare the accounts of Chick-fil-A, Tarte Cosmetics, Netflix, Levi’s, Sara Caroline Bridgers, Chad Carroll real estate, and Danielle Brown’s Healthy Girl Kitchen. Initially, none of these industries have anything in common, but their accounts reflect who they want to target to, their mission, and information that explains who they are as a brand. Chick-fil-A’s content is filled with lighthearted cartoon cows, smiling people, and mouth watering photos of their food. It is a family oriented fast food chain that not only serves chicken, but also joy and love to their community. Tarte Cosmetics sets a more mature and feminine tone with their content. They have aesthetic product pictures, make-up tutorials, and have a diverse group of ladies using their products. Netflix’s account is strictly clips of shows and movies that are on their app or will be soon. It is simple, yet effective to make their audience find something interesting and go watch it. In Levi’s bio states their age of 150 years. This establishes credibility and trust between the audience and brand. However, their content gives a hip and modern energy and shows that their clothing fits all sorts of shapes and sizes. Sara Caroline Bridgers is a travel influencer and also a graduate of Ole Miss. She has a consistent theme of bright filters on her pictures and videos of her adventures. She also has tips for traveling affordably and promotes other brands such as clothing and makeup. Chad Carroll is an esteemed and successful real estate agent in Florida. He puts all of this information in his bio so it is the first people (or potential clients) read. His pictures consist of very nice houses and architecture that his broker, the Chad Carroll Group, has either sold or are trying to sell. This further shows his success and credibility that he is good at his job. Lastly, Danielle Brown creates nutritious, plant based meals to encourage healthy eating and lifestyle. She has pinned a picture of her and her cookbook at the beginning of her feed. This is the first thing people notice. Danielle also has links in her bio to her recipes, broadcast, and to order who cookbook. The rest of her content are vibrant videos of yummy food and how to make it. These industries and people have nothing in common. However, they have harnessed the power of Instagram to build connections with an audience and create captivating content that reflects their business.

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Once you have harnessed this audience, make your business and service unique. Establish a theme for your content. For example, use a consistent filter and “vibe” that you see fit for your brand. You can also design a logo. Create content such as behind the scenes, how-to guides, interviews with industry experts, special offers/giveaways, product comparisons, collaborations with influencers, and fun photography and video content that reflect your business and its goals. Post information about what your business has to offer and create emotional connections with people. Additionally, remember to reiterate important information. People want a brand or product that fulfills their needs. You have got to be an active user. This means posting multiple times a week or even in a day, responding to direct messages, creating ads, and setting your account to be a business profile. You can also put a website link and email address in your bio and respond to those consistently as well. Lastly, you can communicate with your audience through captions, stories, direct messages, and comments on posts. It is essential for media writing to be accurate and to focus more on the value and relevance of information. Make sure to keep your followers updated with any brand changes and trends they would be interested in. Use active and appropriate vocabulary for a message to be straightforward and flow. Once you establish your brand’s voice, make sure it is a consistent tone and writing style across all other media channels. This reinforces brand identity. These are just a few simple, yet effective ways to harness the power of the PESO model. Instagram is a wonderful social media platform to boost your businesses brand and products.

Brinkley Boswell is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major at the University of Mississippi. She is from Star, Mississippi and is involved in many organizations on campus including Kappa Delta sorority and Sally Barksdale Honors College.

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How to use contests on social media to keep your business relevant. BY: KAYLEA BARR YOU WIN!! Everyone always wants to win some kind of contest, whether it be online, in person, or just anywhere in general. A great way to get people interested in your business is by holding some kind of contest. By holding a contest more people can learn about your business and want to win. The more people that get involved the better your business will do and the more buzz it will get! If you decide you want to hold a contest the first step is to figure out what the prize is. If the prize isn’t good no one is going to want to participate in it. A good prize equals more participants, bad prize equals fewer participants. First, you are going to want to make your post and maybe even go live announcing there is going to be a contest or giveaway. Another way you could get a lot of attention is by doing a giveaway with another business. If you both give prizes and then both share the post, then even more people are likely to see it, follow it, and tag their friends. The bigger the prize for the contest the more people will want to sign up and participate. When holding a contest on social media, you get to make your own rules, but also take in consideration the platforms rules, too. You can make rules such as sharing this post on your story, tagging three friends, or following us on all social media. This is a great way to get your name out there and to get your post shared everywhere. Another way you could do it is to say the more tags the more entries you get in the contest. Everyone will be tagging their friends, and their friends will be tagging people, and you will get major buzz for your business. You could have prizes such as gift cards, and store merch, it could even be stuff you buy just for the giveaway. Honestly, people love free stuff so even if the stuff isn’t too expensive people are still going to want to enter. When you announce the winner of your giveaway you could do a live first to draw and announce the winner because that’s a great way to get views and get people involved in the giveaway. Another great way to get people involved and in your store is to do an in-store giveaway. When people come and buy something they can spin a wheel or draw something to win or get a discount. People love discounts so if they come in and see things, they like they are going to buy and even if they don’t get a big discount, they are still going to want to buy the stuff they picked out so either way it’s a win. If you own a small business maybe, you should consider a giveaway or contest to get your name out there. No matter what someone is going to want to be apart and you can get more business from them! Giveaways are also super fun and easy to do so it’s not going to be a lot of work to put on. Kaylea Barr is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is an IMC major with a minor in business.

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Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

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How to Market on Tik Tok for Small/Medium Influencers BY: CHARLOTT E CRIDER How small/medium influencers can grow their accounts on Tik Tok for a small amount of money. Growing your account can seem like a lot of work and money, but all you need is yourself and a few props to help grow your account on TikTok. I will discuss how to market on TikTok for small/medium Influencers. Most influencers start with less than 100K followers and need more money to grow their accounts, aka their business. I have researched and conducted the best way for them to market/grow their business on a budget. TikTok is the best way to grow your business account if you are trying to grow and become more wellknown. TikTok has given many people who want to enter the influencer world opportunities to live out their dreams. The first way that is the most effective is to be consistent to gain more views on your TikTok account. Consistency with your post will get more ideas and more people looking at your profile. Have a schedule and every day post on TikTok simultaneously, and be very consistent. Posting outfits of the day, vlogs every night, morning routines, etc. The outcome you get from posting often results in earned media. You will gain brand recognition, followers, views, and people wanting to return to your page. Influencers such as Sid Tilt have set an excellent example for this. She posts five times a day on TikTok. It can get annoying, but it has a better chance to develop new followers, explore pages, gain followers, and grow her business. She started super small (5,000 followers) when she was trying to become an influencer, and now she is going on the top brand trips of the year. The best ways to make your business grow can be the smallest gestures. Going and buying flowers to amp up your desk. Add a cute how to your workout outfit to make an OOTD. Go to a coffee shop to do your work, add content to your day, and find a pretty place in your neighborhood to take pictures. All of these ways are free and easy ways to grow your business. Claire Smith, an influencer who posts about girly stuff and being an MLB wife, has gained over 100,000 followers by doing these things. She always makes the space she is filming pretty; she adds bows and cute accessories to her outfits, etc. Doing this gets the audience to engage more with your page. Another way to grow your small/medium business on TikTok is to be bold. You cannot be shy in any form or hold back. Go out and buy something from a brand you love, review, post, tag, and keep doing it. Since these people are not significant influencers, they need to be the ones reaching out to the brands. A small influencer I follow on TikTok started by just posting her favorite mascara on TikTok, tagging the brand, and continuing to talk about it, and now she is sponsored by them. She is not a mega influencer; she is small, but the brand saw the work she was putting in, and now she is getting free earned media from the company. In conclusion, there are many ways to affordably grow your small/medium business (Account) on TikTok for menial money. It is all about your effort, the amount you try, and your consistency with your post. Posting multiple times daily, adding cute things to your workspace, changing where you film, etc. These things will get more people’s attention and draw them in to engage with your page. Once they engage a couple of times, you will start being more and more on their explore page. These are all ways a small business (account) can grow into a more significant account by using TikTok. Charlotte Crider is a senior at the University of Mississippi. Charlotte is an IMC major and minoring in general business.

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How To Use Instagram Stories to Help Boost Your Small Business BY: DEVIN AGUSTI What if your small business could reach billions of people? 4.89 billion people use social media worldwide. You’re passing up many of customers if you aren’t using social media to help your small business. Instagram Stories are a relatively new feature of Instagram that can help boost small businesses. The stories can be either pictures or a snippet of a video posted via an Instagram account, and followers and sometimes non-followers, if the account is not private, can watch these stories by clicking on the profile picture of the account. These stories appear for 10 seconds but can easily be rewatched. If the user holds down on their screen while watching the story, it will freeze and stay on the screen. One unique feature of Instagram stories is that they disappear after 24 hours. Stories can also be shared on other social media platforms, but the focus is Instagram because it is one of the most popular platforms today. Layout There are endless possibilities with Instagram stories, but often, the simple and easy-to-read content works best for small businesses. Customers will skip Instagram stories with too much text or be unable to read them within 10 seconds. A good rule when creating Instagram stories is less is more. This means summarizing whatever you’re trying to say in as few words as possible. This tactic is beneficial because followers are more likely to read the post if they can read it in under 10 seconds and don’t have to rewatch the story to finish reading. McDonald’s is a company that designs their Instagram stories in an appealing way. They keep their stories simple yet engaging. They do this by having minimal text and utilizing graphics and pictures. Content The possible content a small business can post to their Instagram stories is endless. Remember, Instagram stories are a shared channel. This means they can amplify content by leveraging the existing audience of a company. With this being said, to get the most out of Instagram stories, post something that matches your business’s current aesthetic and will attract your existing audience’s attention. Instagram stories are not the place to try and expand your audience; it is best to appeal to the audience you already have. Reposting Another feature of Instagram stories that can boost user engagement and give your business content is the opportunity to repost posts and stories from other accounts onto your Instagram story. This is a great way to get brand recognition and boost content without making the content yourself. If a customer posts them wearing a product from your small business and is raving about how much they enjoy it, take that positive review and share it on a broad platform. This can be done by reposting the customer’s post (with permission) and linking whatever product they purchased to the Instagram story. This allows a positive review to boost sales because customers can see the review and have a link directly to the product being spoken about. One company that does this well is Target. They often repost consumer’s content with a link that says “shop now,” making it easier for people to purchase the products talked about.

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Story Highlights As explained in the beginning, Instagram stories are live 24 hours after you post them, and after that, they delete themselves. This is inconvenient, but you can save past stories to your account and make them accessible anytime. Instagram story highlights are a way to group past stories into 23 specific sequences and save them on your Instagram profile, allowing followers to go and look at these stories at any time. This is a great way to get the most out of the content being created and ensure that if a customer is ever searching for a specific story posted in the past, they can go back and look at it. Story highlights can also be titled, making organizing the stories into specific categories easy. It is best to keep titles short and informative as that will help to keep your account decluttered and appear clean/organized. Devin Agusti is a junior at the University of Mississippi. She is double majoring in Psychology and Integrated Marketing Communications.

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How To Get Influencers to Promote Businesses BY: LARSON HOWARD Promoting a business whether small or large can be difficult, but there are a few ways to go about it. Using Social Media Influencers and people of high status is a great way to get your business’s name out there. There are many different ways to get the Influencers attention that will be discussed in the following paragraphs. A very popular way to get the Influencers to promote your business is to send them a PR package. This is a very easy and lost cost way to promote a brand, especially a small business. Influencers love to get new items to test out and to make videos or reviews on. It helps them become infatuated with a product and wanting to buy it again. Since we live in such a consumer-based economy, social media followers thoroughly enjoy getting to watch an influencer getting to review a product and are easily persuaded to purchase it. People become easily persuaded because they want to follow and do what the people, they look up to do. If someone like Alix Earle, the biggest Tik Tok influencer in America right now, tells her followers that a certain makeup product is the best thing she has ever worn, then a large number of her followers will try out the product. Another way to promote a business is creating a brand trip or sponsoring someone’s trip they might take. This type of brand promotion is more for brands that are already popular because it is a little pricier. Many popular brands do this and invite all the most influential people to go on the trip. The brands give them multiple items for the influencer to post them using and enjoying. This is a way to get all their followers talking about the brands. Also, some brands will sponsor a trip and provide hotels/villas, transportation, food, and outfits. For example, they will sponsor trips for Coachella or Stagecoach, which are two high class festivals on the West Coast. A great way to get influencers involved in brand promotions is using influencers on billboards and pop-up ads. This way, people driving past can see their favorite influencers promoting brands that they enjoy. If people are unfamiliar with the brands, seeing popular influencers using it, it might help them want to learn more about it. This is a great way for Influencers and brands to equally promote each other. There are many real-life examples of influencers using and promoting brands on Tik Tok. Many influencers who do “Get Ready with Me.” videos, get sent make up to use and show how well it works in their videos. Right now, in New York, it is New York Fashion Week. The high-end brands, such as Dior, Channel, Gucci, and others invite influencers to their shoes, but also, they dress them in designer clothes. This is so the influencers can wear the brands and promote them and the new fashion line. An example of an influencer promoting a brand through a billboard is Sofia Richie’s new colab with David Yurman. David Yurman is a high-end jewelry brand and Sofia Richie is a well-known socialite and Lionel Richie’s daughter. There has been a new billboard in New York that is promoting the new line called Sculpted Cable. The billboard is Sofia Richie wearing the new jewelry. This is a great example of how both the influencer and brand can promote each other. If someone happens to walk by and not be familiar with David Yurman, but follows Sofia Richie on social media, then the person is most likely going to look into the brand. This is also vice versa for being who are unfamiliar with Sofia Richie but loves David Yurman.

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Brands promoting their product is one of the most important things that can be done for their business. It is without a doubt one the most credible ways to get word out about their product and gain popularity among consumers. Despite the fact that there are several ways they can go about 25 promoting their products and services, none are necessarily more beneficial than the other. A world without brand promotion is one that our markets may never see again.

Larson Howard is a Sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is an IMC Major with a double minor in Business and ASL and a specialization in Fashion Promotion and Media.

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Using Threads for Small Business BY: LEXI GRUBBS Tips for using threads to promote your business and using different media to improve that. Social media always has great ways to reach your customers because it is the most on the rise right now in the world. This article will give you some tips when using a certain social media platform to reach that audience. It will also give you examples of successful businesses that use Threads to market their business and products. Threads is a lighter way to start conversations with others through social media, using your Instagram friends along with celebrities and influencers. You can have chats online with others, or post your opinions via text, and it allows others to see your thoughts, etc. You cannot promote your business through ads on threads, but you can make your own post and try to sell your product using your website links and in-store purchases. This app allows you, as a small/medium business, to get followers and start being attracted to whatever it is you may be selling. As a business owner, you know the struggles of trying to get what you sell out to the world and this will include some general tips through the peso model. Shared media is where threads, from Instagram, come in. Using your platform you can post your deals, discounts, big days for the company, etc. You can use it like a Twitter account, sharing things that are on Instagram but elaborating on threads. Taking advantage of your social media is important because most of your money and earnings will come from your following. Princess Polly, a clothing brand, has used threads to announce multiple of their sales and gotten major attention from their audience that way. Another account on threads that is important is the NFL account. They are using pictures and short phrases to get conversations going about certain teams and the analytics with football starting. It is getting more people to buy tickets to games and the account is making money from that. The last example is the Barbie movie. It got marketed a lot on threads, with followers reposting the movie and a lot of celebrities talking about it on their helped it get seen a lot more. Threads can be a little tricky when it comes to paid media because they aren’t advanced enough yet to let you pay for ads, but that is where earned media can come in. If you use threads for your business, your followers will repost your stuff, or even post on their own about your products. You can also get celebrities’ attention on Instagram, and if they post your product that earned media attention because you aren’t paying them for it. Earned media is a great way to show your customers that others like what you’re selling, especially if it is someone important to the social media world. Another tip for using threads would be to grab your customer’s attention by saying everything in the first line. In the teenage and young adult life, there is a short attention span so the short phrase you put out needs to be exactly what you wanna share with your customers. Getting the point across short and simply using this app will attract the younger crowd. Overall, Threads is a great example of a social media platform to use when looking to reach your audience. It connects your brand to your followers and lets you promote your product or yourself in a media way. Lexi Grubbs is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is an IMC major and specializes in Fashion Promotion and Media. 30 | School of Journalism and New Media

Photo by Logan Kirkland/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services Department of Integrated Marketing Communications | 31

How Small- Medium Businesses Can Use the Circle of Trends A GUIDE FOR SMALL- MEDIUM BUSINESSES TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR AUDIENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGH TRENDS. BY: KALLIE BASIL Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to gain business and create awareness of your product, goods, and services. Many small-medium businesses benefit greatly from their social media accounts and can boost sales significantly. Trends are significant because they are a nontraditional way of marketing that engages customers. Here are several ways to effectively use social media trends to a business’s advantage: Recognize social media trends Trends on social media are a post, songs, videos, ideas, etc. that are popularized for a short period of time on social media. Viewers engage the most with trends on social media and businesses using trends can make someone’s attitude for a company better or can gain lots of views and followers for that business. Determine if the trend is relevant to your company Does the trend convey a message that you want to send to your customers? Does the trend match your brand or product? Trends can be very fun to follow, however, a business needs to decide if the trend really goes with their company and if it will leave a good, lasting impression on customers. Create the content Creating the content is very important on whether or not the post is successful. Make sure that the content matches the trend, but also has a spin on it to where you can really showcase your business and product, or good or service. If you do not make it known what your business or product is, it may just leave viewers confused. Publish to the social media platform that the trend is relevant to Knowing what platform, the trend is on is very significant to the content because if posted to the wrong platform, viewers may not understand the trend. Facebook and TikTok, for instance, have very different audiences, and different trends circulate on both channels. To maximize the viewer engagement it is crucial that the content is posted to the relevant social media outlet. Track analytics Social media platforms track profile and content engagement which can be very beneficial to a business about learning what customers like most and what they engage with the most on their profile. When posting a trend, study the engagement and analytics from the posts and see what viewers enjoyed and interacted with the most. This can help a business target customers better and create more content based on what trends have been the most popular or what has been the most interacted with on their social media profiles.

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Reflect and repeat If the analytics and past steps had been successful, repeat the process with other trends on social media. If there was not much engagement or if there was not good feedback, reflect on what did not work and make changes for the next trend-related post. Posting on social media is very beneficial to a company, but following trends and taking part in these trends can not only sell a product, but can also create brand loyalty with customers. A lot of companies that follow trends gain many followers by posting about these said trends and it can boost sales greatly and create a big social media presence for the company.

Kallie Basil is a sophomore from Dallas, Texas. Kallie attends the University of Mississippi and is an Integrated Marketing and Communications major.

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The Power of a Tag BY: REAGAN YOUNG Social media has a wide range of possibilities and uses, and when businesses use it right, there could be a lasting impact. From collaborating with influencers to effectively using hashtags, each social media platform has many tools that small and medium sized businesses can use to advance their company. Influencers have the power to use hashtags and retag businesses to help them promote themselves. Small and medium sized businesses can collaborate with these influencers to reach more potential consumers. The possibilities are seemingly endless and businesses of any size will make strides when it comes to properly using different social media platforms. Social Media Social media is a powerful way to market businesses of all sizes to potential consumers. From Instagram to TikTok to X, formally known as Twitter, social media has a powerful way of influencing people. Consumers are constantly looking for ways to keep up with the Jones’, and social media is how they do so. Utilizing these various platforms to the best of your ability is an amazing way to easily promote your business. Hashtags Using hashtags is a great way to promote content on different social media platforms. Create a unique hashtag that is specific to the business, and use it on every post. Encourage customers to use that hashtag when posting about the product or service to help spread the word of the small or medium sized business being marketed. This is a great way for other potential customers to click on the hashtag and see any post also containing that same hashtag. These hashtags can also be used across all social media platforms and by any user in order to maintain a cohesive business motto. Influencers Social media influencers are great people for small and medium sized businesses to collaborate with because they are some of the most influential people in today’s day and age. Influencers have thousands, some millions, of followers who want to be just like them, so working with them is a great way to promote a product or service. There are also different influencers on different social media platforms and who promote different content, so it is important to choose the right ones. A great way to utilize influencers is to have them use the brand’s specific hashtag so that more potential customers have the chance to see and share the products that are being promoted. This shows potential customers that the business and the influencer have a good relationship and work well together, since it is all cohesive. Depending on the product or service, as well as the target audience, different influencers and media platforms may be more valuable than others, which is important to remember to be able to use social media platforms to their fullest potential.

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Collaborations Businesses and influencers can collaborate on social media posts to help their content reach more people. When they collaborate through a post, that post will show up on both profiles. This is a way for followers of both accounts to see the post on their feed. It gives the opportunity for twice as many people to see and interact with the post. Many social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, have this feature. Social media is a wonderful tool to use in attempts to boost small and medium sized businesses. Use it right and businesses will see a major impact. Reagan Young is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is an Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in business, enrolled in IMC 390- Advanced Writing in Marketing Communication.

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5 Ways to Advertise Better for Local Smoothie Companies BY: RILEY COEN As a content creator, I have decided to give direction to small business owners in the smoothie industry by using the PESO model. Furthermore, smoothie companies should begin promoting their products by using paid media to run targeted online Ad campaigns. This can be done through platforms like Google and Facebook ads to allow one to specify target markets by creating visually appealing ads that embody convenient aspects of the store. Paid media can help reach potential customers who are unaware of the business in general. Smoothie business owners can also advertise themselves through earned media by collaborating with food bloggers or local media. Since earned media applies to coverage the business does not pay for, building relationships with outside sources is crucial. Business owners can do this by reaching out to preferred media sources and offering free samples in exchange for features or pitching the mission statements to local news sources to further boost exposure. Shared media can also advance a small business’ success by leveraging social media marketing. For instance, creating platforms for the store through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. can allow potential customers to interact and be familiar with the business model. Frequently posting the smoothies with user-generated content can encourage customers to post and share their experience creating buzz whilst allowing interaction to build the brand. This can be done through creating polls, addressing questions and concerns, and responding to what the customers want or prefer to get the best perspective on the success of the company. Finally, small or local smoothie industries can promote themselves through owned media. With that being said, businesses must create an engaging website and blog. Since owned media is content the company has complete control over, it is crucial to use this aspect of the PESO model. The website should be easy to use as well as aesthetically pleasing. It should include relevant information such as the business hours, location, menu, and contact details. The smoothie business should also provide any kind of deals, offers, macros, nutrition, and ingredients, and can even offer tips for healthy living. This can establish the brand as a health niche. Another way to use owned media is by emailing marketing for customer retention. This can serve as a reminder and update service to engage with existing customers. At checkout or through rewards system ads on the website, collect email addresses from buyers to build a subscriber list. Through an email approach, the business can send out the latest and updated offers and promotions. In addition, the company can personalize emails to recommend products based on previous orders. Encourage repeat business by offering deals such as loyalty points to eventually allow the customer to benefit from free smoothies and discounts. All in all, the email marketing media approach is a cost-effective connection for the consumer base to prompt continual sales. Overall, the PESO method is a structured way to promote and advertise a small smoothie business to increase sales and word of the brand for more sales. Riley Coen is a senior at the University of Mississippi. She is an IMC Major with plans to pursue a job as an outside sales representative after graduation. 36 | School of Journalism and New Media

Using Social Media Promotions to Boost Site Traffic and Sales BY: MEGAN LEWIS In today’s society social media is the most important platform to engage current and prospective customers into your business. Different platforms provide different advantages based on your target market. TikTok is highly effective to market to younger generations because 62% of its users are aged 1029 years old. Instagram totals over 800 million monthly active users and with its direct purchase feature, it is essential for marketing. Targeting an older demographic to balance out the young viewers of TikTok, Facebook 668.5 million users aged between 25 to 34. These three platforms cover a wide age range, making them the most ideal to market on. Here’s how to use these platforms to your advantage: TikTok: The fastest growing social media platform has also quickly become the most effective way to market your business. One added advantage is the newly added TikTok shop feature where you can link your products and services and have customers purchase them immediately. This owned platform is beneficial because you have total control over what is said. Although it’s owned, there is also a paid component because on TikTok you can pay to promote your posts to reach a greater audience. TikTok can also be used to incorporate social media influencers to promote your products which brings in a whole new audience. These influencers can be given your products and paid to market it to their trusting followers. Influencer marketing uses the paid portion of the PESO model because the influencer must be paid, but it also incorporates the earned media part. Instagram: Owned by Facebook, Instagram has also become the key to marketing using paid and owned media. The key to effective marketing on Instagram is creating engaging content that gives the consumer a reason to keep coming back. This can be done with story polls, direct product linkings, and creating reels to keep your page fresh. The PESO model also plays a role in this social media platform because the paid aspect can be utilized to push sponsored posts and sponsored content. Instagram is also a source for lead generations because sponsored posts will bring in new viewers, therefore generating leads for your business. Instagram is also shared media because it gives the chance for consumers to build a relationship with the brand by interacting with their page which would build a sense of trust and community. Facebook: Facebook provides a space for customers to directly interact with the business, which builds a sense of community and trust. On the main page, posts are made to promote any ongoing sales or updates about the company which the consumers can comment on. This will make them feel more closely connected to the company and will keep them as loyal customers because they feel invested. This builds user generated content and engagement which utilizes the power of shared media. On this platform, paid media is used through social media ads which can be posted to show up on users’ feeds as they scroll through the site. This in turn will generate new leads and cause the business to grow. In combination of shared and paid media, Facebook users will find themselves more drawn to the businesses page and will be more likely to interact and purchase from them in the future. Megan Lewis is a Junior at the University of Mississippi studying Integrated Marketing and Communications. She is also a business minor and has had an emphasis on studying social media during her time at Ole Miss. Department of Integrated Marketing Communications | 37

Social Media Strategies for Small Businesses THREE KEYS TO ACHIEVING SUCCESS BY: MCKENZIE CARMICHAEL By creating specific methods that will help them connect with their target audience and advertise their products and services, small business owners can successfully grow their company with the use of social media. Social media plays an active role in our society as it has transformed the way we share information, consume media and communicate with others. Because of this, social media is capable of allowing small businesses to build trust and credibility with their audience. With that being said, here are three ways that small business owners can incorporate social media into their company to achieve the highest rate of success… Content Marketing and Engagement The first thing to think about with content marketing and engagement is the quality of the content that you are creating. Small business owners should concentrate on producing compelling content that appeals to their target audience. This might involve articles on blogs, movies, infographics, and more. This type of content should be useful, practical, or entertaining to the audience. Build and Engage with a Targeted Audience This is an essential step that any company must do in order to thrive since it allows you the chance to engage with and win the trust of your audience, which will boost sales and brand loyalty. To build success in this area, you need to… • • •

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Keep your offerings at a high standard of quality and consistency. Customers like dependability and are more likely to stick with your business if they can count on it. Make customer interactions more special. Show them that you value their particular needs by addressing them by name and making product recommendations based on their preferences. It takes time and regular work to develop trust. You must always actively show your dependability, credibility, and dedication to your audience. The chance of devoted customers and brand supporters increases as trust does. Building trust, enhancing your brand, and developing long-lasting relationships all require consistency with your audience. Consistency in your messaging, activities, and interactions contributes to the development of a trustworthy and credible image. In all of your communications, including social media postings, website content, email marketing, and advertising, use a consistent message. Your brand’s identity and ideals should be reflected in your messaging.

Targeted Advertising When it comes to targeted advertising, it is important to focus on paid social advertising. With this type of advertising being incorporated into your company, you are able to target your most relevant audience with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, etc. With this kind of marketing, a company may also share its content with specific audiences that are most likely to be interested in what their brand has to offer.

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Long-term success also depends on keeping up with social media trends and platform updates. Small business owners may stay competitive and relevant by making changes to the social media setting as it develops. Keep in mind that social media success frequently involves persistence and patience. It takes time to establish a reliable online presence and accomplish goals on social media. Small business owners should concentrate on adding value to their audience, encouraging participation, and modifying their plans to stay up to date with what is new on social media platforms. In summary, using social media for self-promotion is crucial for small businesses since it provides an affordable option to improve exposure, communicate with clients directly and establish a name for oneself. McKenzie Carmichael is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi. She is studying Integrated Marketing Communications with a hope to go into the marketing field with a makeup or fashion brand

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Effective SMBs Marketing Techniques A DETAILED LOOK AT HOW TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS BY: MARYGRACE CART ER Finding ways to make your business stand out can be tricky, but thanks to all of today’s technology it is easier than ever to reach people. One of the most important steps in marketing is establishing the type of brand you want people to think you are. Being an authentic and trustworthy business attracts people on its own. Another important step is knowing who your target audience is. Knowing things like age, interests, and location can help generate an effective marketing plan. Being consistent with your Owned media is the platform for building a strong business. It is up to you as the business to decide what to do with your website and social media accounts. Your Owned media is a huge reflection of your brand, so it should be designed nicely and user friendly. There is nothing worse than a website that is hard to use, it immediately turns the viewer off. Having your website visually appealing and simple to use is attractive to consumers which makes them more likely to visit the site again. The same rules apply for posting on social media, you always want your post to be polished because you never know if it is the viewers first time seeing your business. Social media is one of the best ways to market your business because millions of people can be reached at once. There is no typical social media user, all kinds of people are sharing and viewing content. Having an active social media presence is an easy way for others to interact with your business. I work at a small business in Oxford, Mississippi and we use social media as our main form of marketing. We have an Instagram account and regularly make post to advertise items in the store. One of the main ways that people order online is through our Instagram direct messages, we regularly ship items out to people all across the country. One of the greatest marketing advantages a business can use is the power of social media “Influencers”. Social media influencers have loyal followers, and their viewers truly value their opinion on brands or products. Using Paid Media, your business pays an influencer to make a post advertising your business. A very popular social media platform is TikTok, users create and share videos. Millions of people are drawn to this social media platform because these short videos are easy to watch. Influencers are able to put a lot of information into these short videos and actually show the viewers what they are doing, instead of just a photo or textual. Videos are great for advertising because it gives the viewers a better understanding of your business. Tik Tok influencers specifically, have become some of the most influential people to viewers all across the world. Reaching out to these influencers for Paid media have been the reason some SMBs have gotten discovered. MaryGrace Carter is a senior at the University of Mississippi. She is majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and will graduate this May 2024.

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3 Steps to Success for Small Businesses BY: CODY BAIN Utilize Digital Marketing with TikTok One of the most effective ways for any new and upcoming business to gain consumer attention is with online marketing. A small business can harness the power of TikTok for example by creating engaging and creative content that resonates with its target audience. TikTok’s short-form video format allows businesses to showcase their products or services in a fun and authentic way. Leveraging popular challenges, trends, and using relevant hashtags can help increase visibility and reach a wider audience. Collaborations with TikTok influencers or creators can also boost brand exposure. Consistency is key, so posting regularly and interacting with viewers through comments and engagement can foster a loyal community. By embracing the unique and viral nature of TikTok, small businesses can effectively connect with potential customers and build brand awareness in a cost-effective manner. Focus on Local Relationship Building Small businesses can leverage local relationship building to their advantage by fostering strong connections within their community. Building relationships with local customers, other businesses, and community organizations can lead to increased brand visibility and customer loyalty. Small businesses can participate in local events, sponsor community initiatives, and collaborate with neighboring businesses to create a sense of unity and trust. These connections often result in word-of-mouth referrals, repeat business, and valuable partnerships. Moreover, by engaging with local customers on a personal level, small businesses can better understand their needs and preferences, allowing for tailored product or service offerings that resonate with the community, ultimately leading to sustained growth and success. For example, how a small business can begin with starting a local relationship is trying a loyalty program. Loyalty programs incentivize customers to come back and reward repeating customers. Loyalty programs can be implemented in many ways, such as exclusive offers or a point-based system. Analyze and Adapt A small business can effectively analyze their social media marketing and local marketing efforts through a combination of data-driven techniques. First, for social media, they should closely monitor key metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and follower growth. Additionally, tracking the performance of individual posts and campaigns can help identify what resonates best with their audience. For local marketing, businesses can use tools like Google and Yelp reviews to gauge reputation and customer sentiment. By regularly reviewing these metrics, small businesses can refine their marketing strategies, optimize their budget allocation, and ultimately enhance their online and local presence. In conclusion the hope is by incorporating these strategies into your marketing plans, any small business can enhance their visibility, engage with their target audience more effectively, and ultimately drive growth and success. It’s essential to remain adaptable and responsive to changing market conditions and consumer preferences as part of an ongoing marketing strategy. Cody Bain is a current Integrated Marketing Communications major at the University of Mississippi with a minor in business and computer science. Cody Bain is someone who has worked closely with other small local businesses in the past and hopes to give insight into the many different marketing avenues that are presented in today’s world for your small business. Department of Integrated Marketing Communications | 41

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