Inside My Week as a Social Media Marketer and Business Owner

As a wife, mother to three adult children, and business owner, my week can look pretty hectic! In this blog post, I wanted to highlight some things that I do in a week to keep my business on track and my clients satisfied with their content.

1)    Starbucks Strategy Runs

When I want a change of scenery from my home office, I bring my laptop to Starbucks and sip on my favorite Pink Drink while I work. During this time, I plan a preliminary weekly overview of what I need to accomplish and create my daily content list for clients. I also answer any emails, calls, or texts that I have received and and will sometimes meet here with a client in-person or virtually to strategize their business needs.

2)    BNI (Business Network International) Weekly Meeting

Every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., I join a group of thirty to forty local business owners to discuss business opportunities, referrals, and networking events that enhance my outreach and build my communication skills. Each BNI chapter uses a referral-based program to help grow the business of all active members. Guest presentations also give us the advantage of learning new ways on how we can help other businesses in our chapter grow and succeed.

3)    Brew’N Biz Monthly Meeting

I started this monthly networking meeting to connect and meet with local businesses; similar to BNI, this meeting gives community businesses referral opportunities to help grow local clientele. However, this monthly meeting is open to any business owner and no fee or membership is required to join. We rotate between breakfast meetings and happy hour network events to encourage networking and socializing!

4)    On-Site Client Meetings

Throughout the week, I will visit local clients at their business office to discuss the performance of their Facebook, Instagram, Google, and other social media platforms. These visits give me the opportunity to get to know each client personally and learn what media avenues they want to pursue to grow their business. I also discuss how their platforms are being fully optimized to reach their target audience and take notes on their social media goals for the month.

5)    Home Office Work

Lastly, I spend the majority of my time in my home office working on a variety of different tasks. These tasks include content creation, increasing the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) of my clients, managing different social media accounts, emailing newsletters, blogging, advertising, responding to Google reviews, and organizing trade shows and community events. My home office acts as a base for my business that offers me a cost-effective and efficient space to work as the head of Newton Peach Marketing.

            My job allows me the ultimate freedom and flexibility to work from anywhere and with anyone. The meetings and errands listed above are just some tasks that show up in my weekly schedule that help my business stay on track and successful. As long as I have my phone and computer, I have the ability to stay connected with my clients no matter where I am! Newton Peach Marketing has given me the chance to support my family, clients, and overall community in Central Florida.

3 Reasons to Invest in Social Media Marketing for Your Small Business in Florida

Owning your own business means it's important to understand the "why" of things just as much as "how" to do them. When it comes to investing in your brand, things like signage, printed materials, or photography are straightforward. Social media though has sometimes been looked at as "frivolous" or unnecessary among business owners. Contrary to this mistaken belief, social media is actually a huge asset to modern business owners, and if done right, can pay for itself and then some. Our marketing agency specializes in social media content and management for businesses of all sizes in Polk County and we see the benefits firsthand. 

According to Newton Peach, the top 3 reasons you should consider investing in social media for your business are: 

Increased Brand Awareness

Social media platforms provide an extensive reach within your area. This allows businesses to connect with a diverse audience and increase brand visibility to potential customers and clients. By consistently engaging and sharing relevant content, businesses can create awareness and exposure for their products or services. With a single click, a post on Facebook or Instagram can reach hundreds of people within a day. What other marketing tool will give you those kinds of results?

Targeted Advertising

Social media platforms offer advanced targeting options for content. This enables you to reach individuals grouped by specific demographics, interests, behaviors, and locations with your brand. By targeting your approach (as opposed to blanket advertisement) you enhance the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, reaching the right audience and maximizing your return on investment (ROI). In the marketing world, social media is how you get the "most bang for your buck" when promoting your service or product. 

Customer Engagement and Relationship Building

Social media facilitates direct communication between businesses and their customers. By actively engaging with followers, responding to comments, and addressing questions or concerns, your business (and you as an owner) can build stronger relationships, foster loyalty, and establish a positive brand image in your community. By personalizing your business to those in your area, you build a level of trust that can lead to word-of-mouth promotion (aka FREE advertisement), increased sales, and a stronger presence within your community. 

Newton Peach Marketing is proud to serve Winter Haven businesses with social media services tailored specifically to their needs and their audience. We would love to help you grow! By identifying your ideal audience, and connecting with your community on your behalf, we help you promote and build your brand to increase profits long-term. Let's talk about options for your business! Schedule a consultation and learn how Newton Peach Marketing can help you grow!

LOVE Your Community This Valentine's Day!

February is the "month of love" and Valentine's Day is coming up fast! Everyone is focused on shopping for their sweetheart, parents are coming up with fun Valentine ideas for their kids, and teachers are decking out their classrooms with hearts and fun projects to celebrate the season. In all these festivities, what if you could also show your community some love?? Your local businesses feed into your community each day, providing products, services, and experiences that set apart your town and make it special. Winter Haven, Lakeland, Bartow, Lake Wales, Auburndale, and the surrounding areas are home to some of the best shopping and dining options in Central Florida, but these hidden gems can often go unnoticed. Unless, that is, people like YOU choose to make them part of your celebrations. 

This Valentine's Day, show your community businesses some love by...

Shopping Local. 

This one is easy! From cakes, cookies, and chocolates, to the perfect piece of jewelry for your sweetheart, local stores have the most unique gifts, and often depend on other nearby crafters and producers for their inventory. No big box brands here! Your gifts will be special, because they show you cared enough to take time to shop in person, and will have even more meaning because they're a piece of home!

Making them part of your big day. 

It's easy to take advantage of chain restaurants and their big Valentine advertisements for cheaper "dinners for two" on Valentine's day. What if we told you though, that local restaurants often have deals just as good, and with GREAT food! There are so many great restaurants to suit every taste and style here in Polk County. Make it a family affair or a romantic night out!

Sharing the love!

This is one time we encourage you to talk about what you're buying, where you're taking your Valentine, and just how amazing your holiday was! While we're not encouraging you to brag, we are encouraging you to share your experiences with these local businesses. This is free advertisement for them, and helps them get exposure and clout in our cities and towns. Leave them a review, talk about their products or services, tag them on social media. Get their name out there and show them some love!

We hope your Valentine's Day is amazing, and we look forward to seeing all the ways you show our local businesses some love, not just during February but throughout the year ahead. Newton Peach Marketing is proud to be a Winter Haven business, and it’s a privilege to work with so many other small businesses in our area. Helping you build your brand, grow your business, and thrive through professional connections with others is our top priority.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Newton Peach Marketing!

Hit the Ground Running: Benefits of Running for Exercise

A New Year means new goals. What is yours?

Almost 50% of people who make new years resolution create a goal for exercising more, but few actually follow through with it. Many times, roadblocks like lack of money, no transportation, or no time are listed as reasons for falling off the exercise bandwagon. However, there is one type of exercise that costs very little, and you can do anywhere.

Are you ready to RUN??

Though running gets a reputation for being no fun, it is actually one of the most beneficial forms of exercise you can do. Not only is running an amazing aerobic exercise for your heart, it also produces serotonin (a hormone that increase the body’s feelings of wellbeing and happiness). Below are some benefits from running that may change your mind about the exercise:

Running adds years to your life

Many studies have shown that running increases your lifespan. How? After a period of time running, the human body shows an increase in cardiovascular fitness, lower cholesterol, less body fat, stronger bones, better hormone regulation, and all of these (and more) are key to good health and therefore, a likely increase in your lifespan.

Increase in sleep

Sleep is important for every human’s functional wellbeing. Whether you’re an athlete, a mom, or a businessman, everyone requires sleep. Because of the intensity of running, your body is going to be tired and will crave the rest and recovery your needs. An article in the American Journal of Lifestyle Exercise touted a connection between exercise and sleep; the worse your sleep habits, the less likely you are going to exercise, and vice versa.

Weight loss

Everyone knows that cardio helps you lose weight. Running burns more fat than (almost) any other activity because you are using your entire body through the duration of the exercise. On average, running burns 100 calories per mile! Many people find that losing weight is not difficult, but keeping it from coming back is. The only way to keep off the weight is to commit to a long-term exercise regime, and running fulfills that need.

Reduces Alzheimers, cancer, and many other diseases

A completely unexpected health benefit of running is the stimulated release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps the growth and survival of brain neurons. This aids in protection from brain plaques linked to Alzheimers. A study done in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed a connection that high-fitness exercises had a lower risk for developing 26 kinds of cancers. Along with lowering the risk, running can also reduce the effects of cancer if someone already has it.

It’s no secret that running pushes the mind and the body, but there are SO many benefits when you commit to a routine of physical exercise. Here at Newton Peach Marketing, we also strive to push ourselves, by committing to continued growth and effort in our business. This new year, we are focused on growing personal relationships with owners to help them reach their new-year business goals. With many custom options available, we are focused on your personalized plan to help you expand your business. We want to see you and your business flourish in 2022!

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

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

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

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

Local business owners are resilient.

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

Winter Haven is full of hidden treasures!

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

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

The Package Deal: Social Media Management vs. Posting Alone

Social media is one of the, if not the, top means of advertising your business in today's technology-driven world. Because of this, marketing consultants and firms often advertise social media as one of their services, and when you outsource your marketing to these providers, they typically guarantee X number of posts per week/month on your selected social media platforms. While posting in and of itself is important when building your brand online, it doesn't completely cover your bases in the world of social media. That's why Newton Peach Marketing offers full social media management. 

What's the difference? 

Well, picture your business's social media presence like a retail shop. While it's important that each department run well, if you only focus on one department and ignore the rest, the store just won't work. The same is true of your social media platforms. Posting alone is only one portion of keeping your platforms running. Engaging with followers and commenters, keeping up with messages within each platform and responding in turn, overseeing job postings and applications (if applicable), making sure contact information is kept up to date and current across all platforms, and routinely maintaining visual appeal are all key parts in making sure your social media profiles are representing your business in the best way possible. Newton Peach offers all of this and more. Instead of simply posting for you on a schedule, we place ourselves in your shoes and operate the social platforms on your behalf. This includes engaging your customers and followers in the messages and comments section, changing out content and artwork (profile pictures, cover photos, etc.) with seasonally appropriate options or content of your choosing, routinely updating contact information, and so forth. 

When it comes to the posting itself, we are proud to customize content for each of our clients, including fun designs, a variety of both informative and entertaining verbiage, and linking over important items from your own website and/or blog to improve traffic between your various points of contact online. When you trust Newton Peach Marketing with your social media you are getting the package deal, and can rest assured knowing your business is in good hands. 

Give us a call for a free quote and find out how we can help you grow your business and build your brand! 

Show Your Favorite Businesses Just How Much You LOVE Them This Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is all about showing those around you how much you care. Giving gifts, acts of service, or a simple "I love you" to remind someone that they are important to you are all ways we share the love around this holiday. Have you thought about showing your favorite local businesses just how much you appreciate them, and care about their success in the community though? They might not be your first thought when Valentine's Day rolls around, but there are many ways you can show them some love and help boost their presence in the community not just on holidays, and EVERY day. 

How? 

Give them positive reviews. It's easy (and common) to leave a negative review. When we receive goods or services that are less than satisfactory, we want a sense of justice, and often, leaving a scathing review makes us feel somehow validated in our displeasure...and we totally understand that! After all, that's what reviews are for, right? They are the modern day "comments box" for businesses, and they give other potential customers insight into what they can expect from a particular business or brand. How often do you leave a positive review though? Taking those extra few minutes of your time to leave a review letting a business owner know how much you were impressed by their product, their service, or even their staff is a great way to show them some love, and send other customers their way. 

Make them your first choice. How often do we say we like a local business, but the first time a shopping need comes up, whether for a gift, a home service, or simply something for your home, you jet off to the big box store down the street simply because it's convenient? Taking the extra time and effort to utilize local small businesses as your first shopping choice not only makes them feel loved, but makes them successful, and that benefits everyone in the community. Cities where businesses are growing and thriving have better economies, and higher employment rates. What's not to LOVE about that? 

Refer your friends. Word of mouth is a key way to grow small, local businesses, and any marketing expert will tell businesses owners how vital it is to get people talking about their brand and name within the community. A business card, a social media post, or even a booth at a downtown fair or market are definitely key points in growing a business and brand, but even those who visit the booth, see the Facebook ad, or receive a business card might not follow through and become a patron unless a friend or family member can personally attest to the quality of the goods or services offered. That's where YOU come in. If you love a local business, tell people about it! Share their posts on Facebook and throw in a personal reference for your contacts. Did someone comment on that great piece of jewelry you're wearing from a local boutique, or ask you how you've landscaped your yard so beautifully for the upcoming spring season? It's ok to name drop! Spreading the names of small businesses will help them immensely, and will ensure that your treasured goods and services that they offer will be around for years to come. 

Newton Peach Marketing is committed to making sure our local businesses in and around the Winter Haven area thrive and grow. By customizing plans for each individual client we ensure quality services at a price they can afford. When you put your business growth in our hands, you are given the freedom to pay only for what you need, and nothing more, unlike pre-determined packages with larger marketing firms. That means you're left with more money to invest back into your business, allowing you to continue to expand...and nothing makes us happier than seeing you succeed. Interested in what we can do for you? There's a simple two step process: give us a call, and tell us how you want to grow in 2019. We do the rest! 

Ready, Set, Take-Off: Boosting Your Business (and Staff!) in 2018

Now that Christmas and New Years is behind us, we are all looking at the rest of 2018 on the horizon and gearing up for everything it brings with it. Preparing for the coming months has many people making resolutions about health, finances, personal growth, or even items to check off of their bucket list, but for business owners, ringing in a new year involves other types of preparation as well. When you are the head of a business, regardless of the size, you know that the upcoming year means not only managing yourself, but also a team of employees, and all of the personal and financial efforts that come along with them. However, it's key to remember that your staff is worth that effort, because they are the heart and soul of your company! 

There are many ways you can give your staff a much needed (and likely appreciated) motivation this coming year, to ensure they are happy, efficient, and ready to help you continue to be successful and grow throughout 2018 and beyond. Ideas to consider include: 

• A facelift! Giving your office space a facelift can be a huge morale boost for you and for your employees. Whether it's sprucing up the bathrooms, adding a new break area, or giving your employees better desk and seating options, making the area where you must work each day more inviting is a great way to kick off a new year.
• New Incentives. Everyone loves incentives, from small children receiving stickers for their efforts, to adults working hard for their next work bonus. There are many types of incentives you could use to keep your staff energized and excited about their daily work. Perhaps you could offer a special staff lunch for quotas being met on time, or give an employee a day off for reaching a certain number of sales/calls/etc. for a particular time period. Whatever you choose as the motivation, your staff will be sure to perk up and work harder if they have some type of reward to look forward to. 
• Make your staff feel appreciated. Holidays aren't the only time you should recognize your staff as people outside of the work they do each day. Hosting periodic business breakfasts, taking your employees out for dinner, or simply picking up a surprise box of donuts for the break room are all ways you can remind you staff that they are noticed and appreciated. 
• Motivational training. Consider having your entire office (YOU included!) take some kind of motivational training. Learning together about topics such as teamwork can offer tools for making your business stronger from the ground up. 

We hope these ideas help spark a plan for your business this coming year. We know your goal is to grow and thrive, and that's our goal for you too. Newton Peach Marketing makes it easier by doing the hard work of getting your business in front of the people who need it, and growing your customer base for you. That lets you focus on the important things, like managing your business and taking care of your staff. 

Give us a call to let us set up a custom marketing plan for you in 2018, from social media optimization to designing your new business cards. We've got you covered!