Black Friday - Old City Web Services

Use Social Media for your Holiday Campaign

October 24, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Holiday Social Media Campaign

Plan your Holiday Social Media Campaign for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

Kick-start Your Holiday Social Media Campaign on Facebook

A Facebook event is the perfect way to spread the word about your campaign.

First, create an event for your Black Friday sale, Cyber Monday sale and Small Business Saturday. The event feature in Facebook provides every tool you need to spread accurate information to your audience; time, location, and description of the promotion. Whether you are a historic bed and breakfast or trendy boutique you should create a catchy title.

Holiday Social Media Campaign

Attract attention with a Facebook contest.

Get your Facebook page exposure by getting it more likes, views, and interaction with a Facebook contest. Although they don't necessarily enhance a social media campaign they do, in fact, reinforce your campaign efforts because they bring your company to the attention of the public.

Small businesses rarely participate in Facebook contests. However, contrary to popular belief, they are straightforward and easy to manage. Click here, to learn more about contests.

Follow-Up with Twitter

Hashtags

Promote your Facebook event on Twitter and decide which hashtags to use throughout your holiday social media campaign. It is important that hashtags stay the same during campaign tweets. Also, keep in mind, "tweets with one hashtag are 69% more likely to be retweeted than those with two" according to Taylor Webster, of Postcron.

Poll on Twitter

Polls are easy for followers to participate in and encourage engagement. But remember to gear your query towards your social media campaign. Example: "What will you buy your Uncle for Christmas? A) Our Rabbit foot, B) Our Custom Salt/Pepper shakers, C) Our Brand Steering wheel cover."

Mentions and Memes

Obviously, the mention of a fellow business doubles your audience because their followers see the tweet as well. But, don't overdo it and be sure it is a business you have a relationship with.

On the other hand, memes can't be overdone. In fact, you can take comfort in the fact your audience appreciates the entertainment - unless you are posting dozens of memes daily. Who makes up the majority of your clientele? Use that as a guideline for humor.

Post on Instagram

Use Stories to entice shoppers during your campaign

Since your campaign information is out on Facebook and Twitter, use stories to grab the attention of your audience because it will further focus your audiences' attention. Whether your campaign is for a Black Friday sale, or Small Business Saturday shopping, Stories offer a sneak peek at the venue and goodies they have to look forward to.

Add a Poll

We talked about the 3 new social media updates to know about a few weeks ago and the Instagram poll feature, added to the Stories section, is one of those new updates. Every call-to-action method is just as important as the next. Therefore each available method should be utilized to maximize your campaign success and even though the poll is limited to a two-answer query, it is necessary.

Photo quality is key to a successful social media campaign

Instagram is essential to your holiday social media campaign, but it will do more harm than good if you do not share quality photos. Followers get a visual of your product that leaves a lasting impression. Therefore, if a photo is blurry or includes unkeen elements; dirt, holes, garbage, or random items, it is better to not post at all. Audiences understand that quality photos are taken of quality products. Consequently, it is a good idea to use appealing backdrops and props, sharp photography and a clear message when posting.

: Hotels and B&B’s

: Alcoholic Beverages

: Trinkets

: Clothing and Shoes

P.S. Unlike Twitter, Instagram users love hashtags so add as many as you'd like. Remember to keep them on topic with your campaign. Include the campaign hashtags you use on Twitter.

In conclusion, it is important to stay consistent while planning your holiday social media campaign. Therefore it is important to post frequently and stick with your theme! But, if you are having difficulties planning a campaign yourself, give us a call.

Shop local. Shop St. Augustine.

To support the shop local movement, we have created the Shop St. Augustine campaign. Whether you are a business owner or are shopping, eating, playing, or staying in St. Augustine, using #ShopStAugustine connects you with other businesses in town and helps show everyone that St. Augustine is open for business.

A slim and focused website beats a cluttered website every time. More is not always better. We have seen first-hand businesses make the mistake of including irrelevant information to their website. The website eventually loses its focus and ceases to be an effective marketing tool. You pay a lot of money in SEO and other marketing tools to get customers to your website - but there is little to no action from it. Remember you have a very brief window of opportunity to capture a customer. Your website’s visitor should immediately understand what your company does and how that benefits them. Failure to do this will simply result in the visitor going to your competitor. Take an honest look at your website. It may be time for a little de-cluttering and re-focusing. We can help!

Mission Statement

Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success. If you are looking to increase your business’ visibility give us a call at 904-867-4112 or contact us today.

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4 Ways to Prepare Businesses for the Holidays

September 10, 2017 by anoadmin

Prepare your business for the holidays

Fall is just a few days away, and that means the holidays will be here before you know it. While it seems like we’re still in the midst of summer, people start prepping for the holidays months in advance. According to the National Retail Foundation, more than half of consumers begin research in September and October or earlier.

If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to prepare your business for the biggest shopping days of the year. Small adjustments now could make a big impact when it comes to your overall holiday sales. Just as the number of people shopping will increase drastically, so will your competition. So, how do you stand out?

Plan out your holiday advertising.

Now is the time to plan out how you are going to spend your holiday advertising budget. Take a look at where your current customer base is coming from. What is the most effective way to reach them? There are a multitude of ways you can advertise including print publications, online advertisements such as Google Ads, advertising through websites such as OldCity.com, social media marketing campaigns, and more.

Take advantage of the biggest shopping days.

It goes without saying that there are a few days in the holiday season that seem to have become a holiday of their own. We’re talking about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. What makes these days so popular? Fantastic deals and the appeal of getting most, if not all, of your holiday shopping done in a matter of hours. It’s all about convenience these days.

So, how do you compete?

Know which days you want to target. You don’t have to participate in each of the four days. Choose which of the four match up with your company. For example, if you have a local boutique, Small Business Saturday would be perfect for you. And if you have an online shopping website, you could also participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Decide ahead of time which deals you will be offering. Making decisions months in advance allows you the opportunity to make sure you have plenty of inventory in stock.
Advertise this through your website, social media accounts, and emails. The only way your customers or potential customers will know about your sales is if you tell them, so spread the word.

Invest in SEO now to be found later.

We can’t stress this enough. Investing in Search Engine Optimization is key to being found online. You could have the best website, but, without SEO, it’s likely not too many people will see it. By incorporating SEO now, you’re giving your website time to build ranking among search engines – the better the ranking, the better chance your audience has of finding you.

Make sure your website is efficient and up-to-date.

The holiday season is a time to put your best foot forward and make sure your website is in order. Last year, 44 percent of shopping during Thanksgiving weekend took place online. Your website says just as much about you as your brick and mortar store does. It’s often the first impression you make to potential customers, so it’s best to make sure it reflects your business well.

Check to make sure you have the following:

Responsiveness
- Is your site easy to navigate? Does it work well on all devices?
An efficient checkout process
- Make sure your checkout process is quick and simple. A slow or complicated check out could lose a sale and a customer.
Current design
- When was the last time you updated your website or logo? Does your website reflect your business? It is important for all aspects of your business to be cohesive, and since more people will be looking at your website during the holiday season, there's never been a better time to consider upgrading your look.
Good quality photos
- When people are shopping online, they equate the quality of the photo to the quality of the product. It's really all they have to go on, so it has to be well-done.
Relevant, well-written content
- When was the last time you updated your content? Take a few minutes to read through your website. Could it use some refreshing? Well-written content not only paints a picture for your customers but also helps you with your ranking online. The organic use of relevant keywords helps boost your rankings with search engines.
Current on updates and maintenance
- Is your site working to its potential? If not, now is the best time to perform updates and maintenance on your site.

We can help.

Planning for the holidays while trying to run a business can be overwhelming. Let us help you! Whether you need an updated website, photos for your products or services, help with SEO, or a strategic marketing campaign, our team is here to help with any project you may have. Contact us today for a free consultation to help you get prepared for the holiday season!

Holiday Planning For Your Business

October 18, 2016 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Why Does Holiday Planning Matter?

Fall is here and that means holidays are right around the corner. Consumers who haven’t already done their holiday shopping will be frequenting the shops and websites more often than normal in preparation for the gift-giving season. So, how do you stand out from the competition and catch their attention at such a crucial time of the year? We’ve put together a list of things you can do right now to prepare for the crowds to come.

Make sure your website can be found easily online

How is your SEO? Your Search Engine Optimization is what helps people find you online. If your SEO needs work, it is better to go ahead and get it done now in plenty of time for the holidays.

Is all the information on your website up to date as well? Take the time to thoroughly check your site for accuracy and try to look at it from a consumer's point of view. Make sure all of your contact information is correct and your services and shop items are current.

Prepare your website & online shop for heavy traffic

Is your store fully stocked? Do you have high-quality images and descriptions of all your items? People are visual especially when shopping online. People want to know exactly what they're getting, so make sure you're giving them all of the information necessary for them to make a purchase.

Check the back end of your website to make sure it is working efficiently. People shop online for convenience, so slow load times can have a major impact on the consumer experience. If people are forced to wait for something, there is a chance they will go to a competitor who can offer them faster service. If your site isn't working as well as it could be, now is the time to perform updates and maintenance.

Give your website/ads a festive look

There’s no better way to put someone in the holiday spirit than by putting snowflakes on your landing page or a Santa hat on your logo.

Save room in your budget for print advertising

The tradition of the vast ad-filled newspaper on Thanksgiving Day is something worth investing in. How can you stand out among everyone else? That would be an ideal time to think of a clever marketing strategy. The holidays one of the best times to get the most out of your print advertising budget.

Make a holiday gift-giving guide or service guide

The holidays are a stressful time for shoppers. Putting together a cohesive guide of what to buy will not only make their shopping easier but will also help them visualize gift ideas they might not have thought of otherwise. This is also a unique way to push products or services. Bundling items for a discounted rate can also be a smart way to increase sales. It’s a win-win for you and the consumer. Take advantage of it.

Create a social media campaign unique to you

Choose a theme you’d like to base your campaign around, whether it be thankfulness, giving or family and run with it. Incorporate your theme into all holiday-related posts. Cohesion and repetition is a useful way to stay on someone’s mind.

Send a holiday card to your clients

This is an excellent time to remind your clients that you’re around. People renew budgets at the beginning of the year, so this is a great time to advertise new things you’re doing in the new year!

You've made your list and checked it twice. Now, what? Whether you need an updated logo, a more efficient website, a clever holiday campaign, or updated print advertising, we at Old City Web Services are here to help. No matter how big or small, we will take your project under our wing to make it the best it can be. Contact us today for a consultation. We'd love to hear from you!

Are you ready for Black Friday?

November 29, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Last year, $59.1 billion was reportedly spent on this highly sought after event, which now spreads from the Thursday before to post Black Friday weekend deals, with Small Business Saturday on November 30 and Cyber Monday on December 2, closing out the weekend shopping extravaganza.

How can the small businesses compete with the big guys you ask? Here are three ways to help you enjoy a piece of the pie while shoppers seek the biggest and best deals of the year.

Freebie Giveaways

Try setting up a stand, booth or section of your store offering small gifts to your customers that compliment your products or services. You are sure to have a plethora of people in and out your doors this weekend, so take the opportunity to engage with them so that they'll leave with a little reminder of you for next time. Are you an eCommerce shop? Offer an exclusive Black Friday e-coupon gift!

Two Heads Are Better Than One

There's a lot of truth in the saying "power in numbers." Team-up with other small businesses to spread the word. For example, if you're a local restaurant that offers gift cards, come up with a deal, network with other restaurants offering similar deals, create a coupon code and promote the offer on one flyer including all of the participating company logos. Put a Christmas spin on it since Gift Cards make great holiday gifts!

Make it a Social Event

Host exclusive Black Friday deals via your social media networks. Make it something that only your social followers will see and can take advantage of. If you want to be really creative, try offering different deals on different networks! Just make sure you keep track of the in-store or online responses you receive.

Even though you're busy entertaining family and preparing a Thanksgiving feast, take some time to really think about ways to generate more revenue for your small business this Black Friday weekend. Most of all, have fun, be creative and don't forget to let us know how it went!