Blog Archives - Page 29 of 83

Video Killed The Radio Star

January 16, 2017Nina KovnerENGAGE

I want my MTV

It was August 1, 1981, a day I will always remember. It was the day MTV came on air, and it was insane! The first video that played was Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles. That day, our world forever changed. That day was almost 36 years ago.

As one obsessed with music from a very young age, I was fixated on the idea that my songs were given a new life, and I was able to actually see the artists through these things called music videos. All was well in the world.

Most of us had no clue what all this meant from a technology side, we were kids in high school, who only cared about where the next party was and when our next concert was gonna be.

Fast forward to today. In 2017 we all have the opportunity to be our own VJ’s, have our own MTV channel, and we have YouTube + Facebook + Instagram to thank for that.

With the rise of Facebook LIVE and Instagram LIVE, we can now get even closer to our communities and deepen the relationships we have already been building. We can deliver even more value to empower those who have chosen to engage with us. And that is awesome AF.

Here are some LIVE basics to help you create more awesome for your tribes…

Facebook LIVE
Zuckerberg has made it very clear. If you want to “get it right” on Facebook, you gotta embrace Facebook LIVE as well as upload “native video” meaning not sharing links to Facebook but uploading videos direct to Facebook.

Why? Well, if you ask me, he wants to “own” it all, and its a direct assault to YouTube. What’s the reward for doing this? We get to be “seen” more in the newsfeed, which means people can engage more with our content. Period. If you feel victim to the algorithm, then its time to fall in love with LIVE.

Facebook LIVE Tips
1. Who is your audience and what do they value?
2. Create a plan including topics and frequency of LIVES, be intentional and purposeful
3. Create a space that allows for a strong WiFi signal, good lighting, sound along with a tool to keep your phone steady
4. Communicate when you will be broadcasting
5. Engage with your audience while LIVE
6. Title your LIVES with words relevant to your topic
7. Share your LIVE videos on other platforms if relevant
8. Practice if you are uncomfortable, it gets easier the more you do it
9. Be human, this is the social web, and social means SOCIAL
10. Edit your LIVE when it’s finished- on your page, you have many options today, including choosing the best thumbnail image, adding captions (most people watch videos on Facebook with the sound off), adding keywords for targeting, etc.

Click here for more tips on creating an awesome Facebook LIVE

Instagram LIVE Tips
1. Who is your audience and what do they value?
2. Create a plan including topics and frequency of LIVES, be intentional and purposeful
3. Create a space that allows for a strong wifi signal, good lighting, sound along with a tool to keep your phone steady
4. Communicate when you will be broadcasting
5. Engage with your audience while LIVE
6. Practice if you are uncomfortable, it gets easier the more you do it
7. Be human, this is the social web, and social means SOCIAL

Instagram LIVE does not have a save option, at this point, so to be sure you are delivering the most value, #4 is really important.

Click here for more tips on creating awesome with Instagram LIVE

Here are links to the tools I use for my LIVES
Clip On Ring Light

Ring Light

Mini Tripod Kit

Tripod Kit

Now you have all the tools you need, and the most important one, YOU! And your passion for building deeper relationships with your tribe by delivering a ton of value through your LIVE streams.

And lastly, please join me each week on Instagram Tuesday mornings at 7am pacific for my Q+Awesome Instagram LIVES and every Wednesday morning at 7am pacific for my #WednesdayWisdom Facebook LIVES.

Mad Love + Gratitude-

Nina xo

client-experience-blog-passion-squared-hd-1

Two Ingredients of An Awesome Client Experience

November 21, 2016Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

Focus on the shit that matters.

When was the last time going to the vet was an awesome experience? For me, it’s been way too long. And while this story is about a vet visit, my experience applies beautifully to small businesses of many kinds, salons included.

When it comes to client experience in the social + digital age, there are several opportunities which allow us to engage our clients and make them feel special and cared for. And in doing this, we can also capture their experience and turn that into stories to share online and off.

Going to the vets office (and the salon) sometimes comes with a bit of anxiety. Knowing that, it’s clear that Mohawk Alley Animal Hospital made it a priority to make their experience less stressful and more joyful.

The Photo Booth
The first thing I noticed when entering Mohawk Alley Animal Hospital on Courage Jude’s first visit was a photo booth. What? A photo booth at the vets office? Yep. A photo booth at a vets office.

For all the pet parents out there we know that capturing photos with our babies is a big part of our daily existence. Mohawk knows this too. We were immediately put at ease, because #selfiesession

Simple Booth Photo App + iPad at Mohawk Alley Animal Hospital in Echo Park, California

The name says it all. Simple Booth. And based on their website, it truly is that simple to create a space where clients can capture their experiences to share with their friends and create content for you to share on your social platforms. They have three different packages to choose from for different sized business and needs. Then just add an iPad and you are in business. Just as we share creating a space to capture your work, this takes up very little space and it so worth it. #yourcontentisyourmarketing

Business Is Personal
The next thing that captured my eye, and heart, was also incredibly simple. A personalized welcome. That’s it. And you know it only took a few seconds to make such a huge impact. So much so that I have dedicated an entire blog to it. Good Morning Courage.

Both of these “little things” are two ways to make your client experience even more awesome. These two “little things” along with a system to execute on them consistently, can turn an average visit to your business into an awesome visit.

Two simple ways to make your clients experience even more awesome, memorable and special. Two ways to encourage word of mouth. Two ways to deepen the relationship between you and your clients. Two ways to create more awesome. What are you waiting for?

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina xo

PS: A big shout out of love and gratitude to the awesome humans at Mohawk Alley Animal Hospital for making Courage Jude’s first visit one that brought smiles to our hearts and faces. And to Courage’s new vet Dr. Lena Braham, we love you!

Dr. Lena Braham and Courage Jude Louis Kovner

Is Your Business Disoverable Passion Squared blog

Is Your Business Discoverable?

November 7, 2016Nina KovnerENGAGE

The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place. George Bernard Shaw

One of the most effective ways we grow our business is by engaging new clients. Word of mouth and referrals are the way this happens. We all know this. With the social + digital web, we have an awesome opportunity to amplify word of mouth and referrals. Yet, unless we are present on the platforms that people use to find businesses, then we have missed the opportunity to be discoverable.

So let me take you on a little journey, and before you jump on, put your “client” hat on…

Intent
I want or need something

Search
I am going to look for it

Discovery
Yay, I found it.

Action
I am going to click, call, book, buy…. or NOT!

There are two ways I like to look at search and discovery. There is social and digital. Both need to be looked at now as mobile search as nearly all of our day to day online activities are happening via our mobile.

Social
Social search is what it sounds like, searching on social. This is what we do when we use the search bar on Facebook, peruse hashtags or use the discovery page on Instagram or even use Snapchat to find businesses via a tool like Ghostcode, Add Nearby, etc. See where I am going with this?

Digital
Digital search is a more traditional type search like Google, Yelp, YouTube, Yahoo, Siri, etc.

The Job of Search Engines & How You Benefit
Both social + digital platforms and search engines are designed to deliver to us the most relevant and recent results for the terms we used to search. So if your business is relevant to the search and you are active on the platforms you have chosen, you have more of a chance of being in the top results.

Put Your Consumer Hat Back On
Ask yourself and think about the last time you searched for something online.
What terms did you use?

Now think about clients looking for your business.
What terms would they use to find you?
What is your “thing”? What experiences do you offer?
Who is your audience?
All these things need to be thought through to ensure you get matched up with the ideal target clients.

The words, posts, photo descriptions, about sections, etc. need to be relevant to your brand and business so when I go looking, I find YOU.

What Pages Matter?
Well, there are some that matter to all and then some that matter depending on your target audience as we always want to be where our clients are. But here is a good start.
Yelp
Google Business
Facebook
Instagram

Now Its Your Turn!
This week, I want you to set aside one hour to do some more searches of your own. Then head back to your social + digital pages and see where you can improve your chances of becoming more discoverable. Think words, think pictures and their descriptions, think contact info, brand name, services and specialties, all those things matter.

And if you feel extra inspired, click here and let me know what you discovered and what actions you will take.

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina