Marketing

One of marketing’s prime functions is to reflect all different types of people so that viewers can resonate with the advertising they see daily. To accurately depict people’s differences, marketing campaigns must showcase different people in their advertisements and demonstrate that their products are accessible to a wide audience. One of the ways that businesses can do this is by using body positivity as a framework in their marketing campaigns. Body positivity is a movement that accepts all body types of different sizes, ages, skin tones, gender and physical abilities. The movement advocates for less focus on physical appearance and instead brings more attention to overall health to break problematic social expectations of ideal beauty. This is especially important for fashion, lifestyle and sports brands since they can potentially exclude a whole demographic by being narrow-minded in their advertisements. According to a 2022 review from the National Library of Medicine, the body positivity movement originated from fat, Black queer activists since fashion media rarely included their bodies. One of their main aims was to decrease the amount of anti-fat discourses flourishing in North American media. A common misconception about the body positivity movement is that it promotes obesity by showcasing bigger bodies after centuries of exclusion. However, body-positive activists state that this is not true since the movement promotes a healthier outlook on the body. Integral parts of the body positivity movement include taking care of your body by eating well, exercising and not participating in anything detrimental to your health. This helps people realize all the abilities and functions that their body can do rather than what it looks like.  A lack of body inclusivity in advertising media can cause mental harm for viewers. Another study from the National Library of Medicine determined that the more hours an individual spends on social media, the more likely they are to be dissatisfied with their bodies. This is particularly concerning when women aged 12-29 spend over 20 hours online weekly. In Canada, 43 per cent of girls and 27 per cent of boys are dissatisfied with their bodies. Body dissatisfaction has been classified as a public health issue in Canada because it can cause unhealthy eating behaviours and mental health conditions such as eating disorders. Marketing is critical when discussing the body positivity movement because advertisements in television and magazines are one of the main culprits of exclusively promoting thinness. Such mediums consistently promote that only one body type deserves to be advertised.  Including Black queer individuals in body positivity advertising is also important because not only did Black queer activists start the movement, but current body positivity marketing is whitewashed and shows women that are still conventionally attractive. Their bodies are not entirely excluded from the movement, but black queer individuals need to be in the center to accurately reflect the intentions of body positivity. Despite the somewhat slow progression, body-positive content in marketing has come a long way. For instance, since body positivity also wants to disrupt the social expectations around women’s body hair, Veet’s marketing campaign makes it clear that women should be the ones to choose which parts of their body they want to shave or not shave. They also showcase a variety of different body types in their advertisements. The body positivity movement not only focuses on women; it also wants to help men with their potential body dissatisfaction. Hanes’ Every Bod campaign showcased men of different body types wearing underwear to prove the company provides various sizes and fits so more men can embrace their bodies. Age exclusivity in advertising is also being challenged by ThirdLove’s To Each, Her Own campaign that shows women of different races, ages and weight enjoying their apparel. Furthermore, body positivity is focused on disrupting social expectations of weight and those around mental health, body hair, age and much more. Businesses that want to incorporate body positivity in their marketing campaigns must fully understand it. For instance, since body positivity is about prioritizing one’s mental and physical health, fitness advertisements should showcase different types of bodies moving and exercising to break the myth that a lack of exercise solely causes obesity. Additionally, since Black queer individuals founded the body positivity movement as a response to their bodies being excluded by fashion media, marketing campaigns must include different races of people to avoid repeating the past. It is not enough to include only one type of body in an advertisement and add a warning or disclaimer in the fine print if an image has been edited. These disclaimers have been found to have no effect on decreasing body dissatisfaction, and viewers continue to compare themselves to individuals in advertisements. Body-positive marketing campaigns must also be conscious of body-shaming language to avoid it altogether. This includes refraining from phrases alluding to slimming down and losing weight and generally not portraying weight loss as an inspiration. The body positivity movement has faced scrutiny because it refuses to follow what has for long been deemed socially acceptable perceptions of beauty. The main aim is to show compassion and kindness toward all bodies so that people can reflect that kindness onto themselves. Marketing should not only aim to sell more products but should also aspire to depict the people around us accurately. Furthermore, marketing campaigns should showcase body positivity to prove a business’s progressiveness and change problematic perceptions of beauty ideals. Together, we can ensure everyone feels represented, included and celebrated for themselves – instead of being surrounded by filtered, edited and unrealistic “ideals.”

Websites are essential for any small business, yet not everyone has the skills and knowledge necessary to build one from the ground up. From coding to designing, crafting a website from scratch can seem daunting. However, there are several website-building services available that offer a wide range of ready-made templates to use. Many of these are beginner-friendly and still provide a professional-looking product. Read ahead to learn about some popular and accessible website builders. GoDaddy GoDaddy starts at C$11.99 per month. The builder offers free domain registration for one full term. Users are provided with a pre-built site based on their specific needs or a template to start with. There are hundreds of available templates, each allowing users to edit text, colour and fonts. It also includes an appointment booking tool for service-based businesses. The downside of GoDaddy is that live chat support is not always available, and customer service can be inconsistent. The pre-made templates also have limited customization options. In addition, plan prices increase upon renewal.  HostGator HostGator is one of the most affordable site-building services, starting at US$3.75. This builder is beginner-friendly with its drag-and-drop editing tool, allowing users to place anywhere on a page. HostGator also allows for online sales, though users are limited to having three products on their site with the lowest-priced plan. While easy to use, some of HostGator’s templates can seem outdated and overly simplistic, so it’s not ideal for users who want more complex designs. However, this simplistic nature does allow for more flexibility in site customization, as the templates seem almost like blank slates.  Shopify At C$51 per month, Shopify is one of the more expensive website builders available. Shopify is primarily geared towards e-commerce businesses, so all paid plans come with built-in shopping carts and several marketing features. It allows users to sell across multiple channels, including Facebook and Instagram. Shopify allows websites to be customized from templates or built entirely from scratch. On top of its already high plan costs, Shopify offers limited free templates. Users can purchase premium templates, but they typically run for over C$100. In addition, since Shopify mainly focuses on e-commerce, it does not include some built-in features that other website builders have, so extra applications may need to be purchased. Squarespace Squarespace starts at US$16 per month and has many useful features. The marketing features alone include email and social media support. Professional designers create templates optimized for desktops, tablets and mobile devices. Though the template designs are impressive, the basic editor doesn’t allow the user full access to customization. In addition, the editor can sometimes be too manual. For example, work doesn’t autosave, so users need to manually save their websites each time.  Weebly Starting at C$7 per month, Weebly is another one of the cheaper website builders available. It also offers a free plan with more limited features. Weebly provides helpful SEO guides to learn more about concepts like coding and keyword optimization. Site customization is limited, and users don’t have much control over creative aspects compared to other website builders. In addition, the templates aren’t as contemporary as other site builders. Weebly’s mobile optimization also isn’t very advanced, meaning websites won’t look the same on mobile devices.  Wix Wix starts at C$15 per month. It also offers a free plan, but the site will be on a subdomain and contain Wix display ads. Wix offers one of the largest template libraries, and its drag-and-drop editor makes it beginner friendly. It also allows for a lot of creative freedom, so users can customize their websites however they want to. Once users have selected a template and published their site, they can’t change it without starting the website from scratch. Also, more advanced functionality and tools require extra payments for third-party applications and premium plans. With so many website builders available, every business is bound to find one that is right for them. Make sure to research all options before committing to payment plans, and check user reviews to see how others’ experiences have been with each site builder.

A strong logo is essential for a business to make a good first impression on its audience. However, it is easy for a logo to be poorly thought out and ineffective. Creating a good logo requires a lot of work, but it pays off by helping to craft a solid brand identity. These are some of the most common errors when designing a logo — and how to fix them. Too many colours Too much of something is never a good thing. This common phrase is especially true for colours in logos. It is best to keep the colours to a minimum avoid a logo looking messy. Overusing colours also makes the logo’s message unclear, making it hard for an audience to resonate with it. Inconsistent colour values If a logo has multiple colours, keep in mind the values and saturation used. These terms refer to how strong and bright a colour is. Placing two colours of different saturations next to each other can be jarring. Ensure that the colours used are of similar saturations and values. Notice how the colours in each row all look good beside each other. However, when mixing colours from different rows, they tend to clash. A logo with similar colour values creates a sense of unity in the design, making it easier for the viewer to look at. Designing in colour first, rather than grayscale A logo design should be effective on its own without colour. The shape should be recognizable even when the design is in black and white, also known as grayscale. When designing a logo, try it without colour first to see if the message gets across. In the first set of logos, the design looks visually pleasing in colour. However, in black and white, the silhouette is hard to read. This can easily be fixed by starting with a strong grayscale design before adding colour, as seen in the second set of logos. Overly complex design Again, having too much going on is generally not a good idea when designing a logo, which also applies to using shapes. With too much going on, the design gets chaotic, and he main message can get lost. It can also signal a sense of uncertainty to the audience. It tells the viewer that a brand is unsure of its core identity and cannot present a simple image to represent itself. A complex design also makes transferring a logo across a wide range of media more difficult, limiting where the logo can be used. An overly cluttered logo can also become an accessibility issue. If individuals with visual or cognitive disabilities have difficulty deciphering a logo, a company risks alienating some of its target audience. Miniscule detail Similar to the previous point, only incorporate a few elaborate details into your design. Simplicity is often the way to go, especially for beginner designers, as it presents a clean, confident look. Always prioritize legibility over detail when designing a logo. It helps to think about what the main image the logo represents while ensuring viewers can read it easily. With so many details, it becomes hard to recognize what the logo represents. Focusing on the message over detail allows viewers to read the logo more easily. Forgetting the audience Always make sure that the elements used in the logo will resonate with the target audience. This will require adequate research to ensure the design is appropriate for the brand. For example, a law firm may want to avoid brighter colours for a more sophisticated look, while a children’s toy company may benefit from incorporating more bubbly, fun imagery in its logo design. Take the law firm example. The logo on the left is not necessarily bad, but it does not suit the image of a law firm. The one on the right is more professional and straightforward, which is the brand message the organization wants to send out to their target audience. Designing a logo requires more work than some may think, but it can be rewarding. Producing a solid logo is essential in developing a brand identity and making a company more memorable for its target audience.

Consumers deserve transparency about the products they buy and where they buy them from. About 72 per cent of consumers believe that transparency is highly important and would switch to brands that offer more in-depth data. However, some companies favour profit over an honest relationship with consumers. One of the main ways companies draw in large audiences is by using manipulative marketing techniques to present false information, especially when it comes to their environmental impact. Greenwashing is a deceitful marketing scheme in which a company uses false data and language to present itself as environmentally friendly. Jay Westerveld, an environmentalist, coined the term greenwashing in his 1986 essay regarding the “save the towel” movement in hotels. The movement involved reusing towels to save more energy by reducing the number of laundry loads. However, this movement had little environmental benefit compared to the financial benefit hotels got by reducing their laundry costs. Unfortunately, there are many other examples of greenwashing. In 2018, food and beverage company Nestle stated that they are aiming for 100 per cent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. Despite this, they have yet to share meaningful data, such as a clear timeline to show their progress. Similar to other greenwashing incidents, big companies attract consumers with sustainable goals but fail to follow through with data and actions. The purpose of greenwashing is not only to attract customers and enhance brand reputation but also to cover up a company’s environmentally harmful actions. The Nestle example demonstrates this tactic. Although they promised sustainable packaging in 2018, they were among the world’s top polluters in 2022. Companies that exercise greenwashing underestimate how much consumers hold them accountable for their promises. Customer satisfaction levels drop 1.34 per cent when a company’s sustainability goals and commitments outweigh its actions. Furthermore, greenwashing is a dishonest practice that alienates customers. In 2023, The Roundup reported that 78 per cent of consumers believe sustainability is important. Consumers also stated that they would make a conscious effort to find out more about a company before purchasing its products. Conscious consumerism is one of the ways to identify greenwashing. Companies that are actually working towards sustainability often work with third-party certification providers that evaluate and assign a score based on how environmentally friendly they are. Companies that receive good scores will openly advertise it and make it publicly accessible. Meanwhile, those that don’t work with third-party certification providers do the opposite. The rule of thumb is if a company that claims to be environmentally sustainable does not share studies, deadlines and data that prove them to be, they likely are not. Examples of third-party certification providers that substantiate how green a business is include Green Business Bureau, LEED and B Corp. Another way to spot greenwashing is through vague language and misleading imagery. Vague language includes words such as green, natural and sustainable. These terms can be vague and essentially meaningless. Natural products, for example, can consist of materials that are harmful to the environment and humans, such as pesticides. Misleading imagery includes packaging that uses healthy landscapes and earthy colours in its marketing, even though the manufacturing process or waste produced from that product harms nature. Greenwashing is frustrating because it puts the burden on consumers to conduct background research on a company to confirm that they are truly sustainable. This is why consumers also value companies that make their environmental impacts known and never falsify data. To make a positive environmental impact, companies must leave behind greenwashing and adopt greener practices. That way, their marketing campaigns about being environmentally friendly can be truthful instead of just empty promises slathered with a thick coat of green paint. Can you guess which products are and are not greenwashed? Cleaning Products Some cleaning products are advertised as non-toxic, but this is a vague term because most cleaning products contain toxins in their ingredient list. Water Bottles Water bottles often showcase images of nature meanwhile, the water bottling process releases 5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. Reusable Shopping Bags Reusable shopping bags are more durable and can be used for several years as an alternative to plastic bags, just as advertised. Using a reusable shopping bag ensures less plastic pollution. Bamboo cutlery Bamboo cutlery is advertised as reusable, which is correct because it can last for years. Bamboo is also sustainably sourced because it grows quickly after being harvested. Trash bags labelled as recyclable No environmental benefit occurs from recyclable trash bags because they are rarely separated from other trash at the landfill and during incineration, so they cannot be reused. Beeswax Wrap Beeswax wrap is a zero-waste option to cover food in the fridge. Although beeswax is considered an animal by-product, beekeepers are able to refrain from harming the colony when they extract the excess honey in the wax honeycombs. Paper straws Paper straws are not recyclable and are not considered to be sourced and manufactured in sustainable ways. Mushroom packaging Making mushroom packaging consists of collecting and grounding up agricultural waste and fusing that waste together using mushroom roots. The manufacturing process is sustainable, and can be used for packaging when dried.

According to Indeed, a business market is “a method a company uses to sell products or services.” A business market’s size fluctuates with the number of customers. Knowing and understanding the different types of business markets can help you determine how to market to your ideal consumers. Business-to-consumer market Businesses in this market advertise and sell products and services directly to consumers for purchase (i.e., retail.) This market caters to the largest group of potential consumers as they base their marketing strategies around certain demographics within the population like gender, age groups and special interests.  Business-to-business market Companies focus on advertising and selling their services or products to other businesses to reuse or resell them. Some companies may also sell to consumers.  An example of a business-to-business market is a company installing internet services or cable in an office.  Services market A company advertises and sells services to consumers and businesses, thus working in both a business-to-business and business-to-consumer market. According to Harvard Business Review, companies benefit from maintaining long-term relationships with customers. A professional services market helps specialized professionals advertise and sell services. These companies’ employees usually have specific certifications or licences.  Service-based business This business sells a service consumers need. Examples of service-based businesses include health care and home repair. Service businesses tend to focus on individualized customer experience and maintaining positive client relationships. The pricing varies based on the industry and the experience of those operating the service. Product-based business According to Small Business, a “product-based business sells actual physical things,” including raw materials and agricultural, consumer and technology products.  Google and Microsoft are product-based companies. According to HubSpot, the more familiar you are with consumer habits, the better you can “market your product.”  Customers can easily determine a product’s purchase value and exchange, return or rate it, influencing prospective consumers. Thus, product value is determined by consumer perception. Product-based businesses make the product compelling, due to their workforce that produces it at an enticing price. Product vs. service business A business’ marketing message and strategy depend on whether it’s a product or service business. The product business sells a physical product, while the service business provider sells their skills. In a service business, you emphasize the customer’s user experience, while product-based businesses deliver consistent products. While consumers can purchase products online from anywhere, most service businesses can only offer services to consumers in their local market. It’s difficult to receive ratings for a service business as it may take longer for a service to be completed or take effect. Meanwhile, a product can be used, evaluated, reviewed and shared almost immediately. According to Harvard Business Review, international economies have “become dominated by service-focused businesses.” However, a lot of the techniques and tools used by service managers were designed to address product companies’ challenges. Product-service hybrids A company offers a product for sale and is presented to the consumer as a service. This is most common in technology through service-based software programs. These programs fulfill customers’ immediate needs, providing customer support. Product classification  This organizes products based on consumers’ buying behaviour, price range and similarities with competition. This is crucial to establishing marketing strategies.   Convenience goods  These are products that are purchased repeatedly by consumers without a second thought (i.e. toilet paper.) Once they’ve chosen their brand, they usually stick with it.  Shopping goods  Products that are commodities that are researched and compared before purchase. Specialty goods  Are unique on the market such as luxury cars. Unsought goods These are products folks buy because they feel they have to, such as batteries. Tangible financial benefits  Benefits that are verifiable in value according to buyers and sellers. Non Tangible financial benefits  Benefits with a value that sellers perceive but buyers cannot easily verify.  Intangible non financial benefits  These hold a value that neither buyers or sellers can quantify. Product development breakdown According to Shopify, new product development “is the process of bringing an original product idea to market” and beyond. It requires identifying a problem for which consumers are willing to pay for a solution. You conceptualize the product and determine how it serves customers. Then, you build your product roadmap, identify goals and establish your product vision and mission.  Research market demand. Seek unbiased feedback, draft your proof of concept and ensure the product’s technical feasibility and that problems are course-corrected.  Learn how your competitors attract customers and sell. Determine your potential customers’ preferences and your retail category. Create a user experience prototype, then develop and release a viable product. Update your product based on user feedback. Market your concept, find your brand voice, test packaging and prices and analyze ideas, complaints and suggestions. Consider consulting experienced professionals.  You should also source materials and secure manufacturers. Determine your cost of goods sold, including expenses, to establish a retail price. You may conduct webinars addressing how your product benefits consumers, then launch it. Zoom and Dropbox are examples of successful new product developments. Consider brainstorming new product development ideas by conducting customer surveys and identifying problems to solve and new technologies. To reap the most success in your business venture, you must know where to situate your business. Doing so will guide you in marketing your product or service and targeting it to your ideal customers.

When creating a business identity, it’s important to consider how recognizable a brand will be. Much of this has to do with having a memorable logo. Colours play a big part in achieving that. Brands become attached to their logos, making it impossible to imagine one without the other. More importantly, it becomes difficult to forget the colours associated with both.  What is colour psychology? Simply put, colour psychology is the study of how colours affect people’s perceptions and behaviours. Different colours are often associated with different emotions. Consider these common associations: red is an angry colour and blue is a sad colour.  Colours can also have associations that go beyond emotions. For example, green is often thought of as a colour of nature and healing.  While there are many common ideas of how people perceive colour, colour psychology remains a highly controversial field. Perceptions of colour are dependent on a variety of factors. And not everyone will have the same associations with every single colour.  A study shows that men tend to prefer bolder colours, while women tend to prefer softer colours. But this study leaves out several variables. It only includes participants from Western societies, so it doesn’t include many cultural or religious variations. The study is also unable to consider personal associations. Much of the perception of colour comes down to personal experience and preference.   Colour psychology and marketing A brand needs to have a strong presence to attract customers. This includes having a memorable logo.  Colour choice is often a big part of logo design as companies try to use common colour associations to build their identity. For example, the iconic golden arches at McDonald’s are yellow, which is considered an optimistic colour. It tends to give off a cheerful aura and is easy to spot from a distance. That makes it perfect for attracting customers on a busy road.  However, as mentioned before, colour associations are not always universal. While one person may see yellow as a happy colour, another may see it as a sign of caution.  How can colour still be an effective marketing tool if its resulting perceptions are inconsistent? To answer this, it’s important to have a slight change of mindset. Don’t think too much about what the colours mean to every single customer. Don’t attempt to cater to the colour associations of individuals as that is next to impossible.  Instead, think about what the colour means to your business’ identity. Do your business’ colours match what the business has to offer? Think about what the colours mean to your brand and then consider how this might connect with customers. There are no clear-cut guidelines for how to do this. It might come down to trial and error. But it’s important to be able to find colours that match your business’ identity.  A study shows that people prefer easily recognizable brands. Part of this means having a relevant set of colours included in your brand’s personality.        Designing a logo for your business  In her paper about brand identity, psychologist Jennifer Aaker presents five core dimensions that most business personalities fall into. These include sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness. Some businesses have an overlap between two of these traits, but most fall into just one.  When creating a brand identity, think of what personality you want your business to have. Then, use colours in your logo to support that personality.   Again, there’s no single formula for achieving this and choosing the perfect colours. But common colour associations can be somewhat helpful.  They are not meant to be the entire basis of your colour selection. But knowing some associations can help build a personality when considering different colour combinations. Note that the following list applies mostly to Western cultures and may not be applicable worldwide.   Notice how some logos borrow from multiple colour categories. For example, while the Walmart logo is predominantly blue, it also features eye-catching yellow. The company is able to benefit from both colour associations. While also having a large colour contrast to make the logo more memorable.  Some companies also benefit from breaking conventions in colour associations. As a gaming company, Xbox often inspires excitement and action. But they still choose to use a calm green in its logo.   There is no definitive answer on which colours work best for which brands. Regardless, it’s important to carefully consider which colours to use for a business’ identity to connect with its customers. It becomes much easier to market to the public when you have a logo that sticks with people.

Marketing is an important part of building a consumer base and creating interest in your small business. New small businesses especially need some level of marketing to get the word out and let people know it exists.  Traditional ways of marketing can be expensive and it is important to use your money wisely when building your business.  Commercials or billboards are expensive. They also aren’t the most effective ways to market your business in today’s world.  People spend a lot of time online scrolling through social media. So, it makes sense to advertise where people will see it.  Social media marketing is the most cost-effective method of marketing. If done right, it has the potential for the largest reach.  Stats Canada released a report in 2021. According to the report, 97 per cent of Canadians under 50 and 93 per cent of Canadians 50 to 64 are internet users. Facebook is the social media website most commonly used by Canadians, followed by YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Making accounts for your small business across different social media websites could help reach a lot of potential customers. The first step would be to make these accounts. From there, begin consistently posting and engaging with online communities through hashtags. A hashtag is a way to organize digital content, making it more accessible by social media users.  Most social media websites also allow you to have a “business” profile rather than a regular personal profile. Business profiles allow you to view your analytics. These include how many people your posts are reaching and the demographics of your followers. This information can guide your next move. You can see what genders are most interested in your content. You can see age groups and regions as well, which can help with making business decisions.  Social media sites like Instagram and Facebook also allow you to post sponsored posts. These posts are shown to users who are not following you, allowing your business page to reach more people.  You can choose the budget for your sponsored posts, which allows for a more cost-effective approach. You can spend as little as five dollars to push your post out to a larger audience. This method is flexible in terms of cost and a good way to widen your reach.  Influencer partnerships are another way to increase engagement. These can be quite pricey if you decide to partner with someone who has a large following. It is more cost-effective to partner with a local influencer with a smaller following. Getting them involved with your business would be a small investment that could lead to large rewards. Another cost-effective method of building buzz around your business would be sending free products. These would be sent to people within your niche who have a dedicated following.  For example, if you are an up-and-coming skin care brand, you could find someone local with a skin care account. You could send them your products and if they like them, they will post about it. Allowing your business to reach new accounts. Though maybe counter-intuitive, the small production cost can earn huge profit gains if new customers start flowing in.  It can be challenging to build a consumer base on a budget. Luckily, there are many ways to market your business and products online that are low-cost, effective and high reward.

Mission statements are commonly known as  organizational tools for employees. However, not enough professionals have been recognizing mission statements as potential marketing tools.   Consumers want to understand a business’ intentions and goals before becoming loyal customers. Mission statements can communicate this to conscious consumers and draw in the target audience if written effectively.   In simpler terms, mission statements define what a business is, its goals and how it will achieve those goals.  An International Journal of Business, Marketing, and Decision Sciences study outlines the key makings of an attention-grabbing mission statement. According to them, it needs to include an explanation of products, philosophies, competitive edge, expansion plans and the target audience.   The same study emphasizes the importance of mission statements forming an emotional bond with consumers. The bond increases the probability of people spreading the word about how much they resonate with a business’ ethics, services and more.   Mission statements are appropriate for all businesses at any stage, whether it’s a new small business or a large establishment. They can be developed at any stage. But earlier is better as it clarifies business aspirations and ethics for employees and the target audience.    There is no pressure to get a mission statement perfect the first time. In fact,  it’s best  to check back on a mission statement and revise it depending on economic changes.  The length of mission statements varies, but professionals recommend making them at least one sentence long.    The International Journal of Business offers advice to integrate the steps below and make a customer-oriented mission statement. They say to keep it under 100 words while being clear and concise.   Although mission statements are short, they still require critical thinking. They need to be broad enough to encompass business goals but still specific enough to resonate with consumers.   Below are some aspects to consider and questions to ask oneself. That is, while creating a mission statement that attracts a target audience.   Identify a target audience and the products or services they need While businesses explain their goals in a mission statement, they can overlook mentioning their target audience and products. Anyone can be a consumer of a business’ goods or services, even if they don’t align with the target audience. But pinpointing a target audience can be like talking directly to them, which helps eliminate competition.  Speaking directly to a target audience gives them a sense of how a business’ products can help them.   For example, if a business sells homemade pastry products, they may say: “Our customers are health-conscious people who enjoy fresh and organic baked goods.”  State the business’ competitive edge  Stating a business’ competitive edge is another way to reveal how they differ from other similar businesses. It is a smart way to highlight additional services that can be useful to the target audience.   Using the same type of business model above, an example may be: “We provide vegan and gluten-free products.”   Asking oneself how the business is accessible to more consumers can help identify competitive advantages.   Outline the company philosophy   Consumers are more likely to resonate with a mission statement that outlines the business’ ethics and contributions. A business should state if they donate, practice sustainability or acknowledge inclusion. This information draws customers with similar morals.   Using the above-mentioned business type, an example may be: “Our company works towards eliminating food scarcity by donating leftover products to shelters in the local area.”   Asking oneself what problems the business aims to solve can help clarify a company’s philosophy.  Get employees involved in the development process   Reevaluating the mission statement gives employees the opportunity to contribute to it. Entrepreneurs suggest that management write a sentence describing the company and then ask key employees to do the same. That way, more of the team can deliberate on what best reflects the company.   Sitting down to write a mission statement may seem like a challenging task. However, completing it will lead to a stronger bond with loyal customers.  

Social media analytics can be very useful for business owners, offering relevant information about their audiences. Each platform presents its analytics in a different way. It’s best to explore each one in order to maximize the effectiveness of social media marketing. Instagram, Twitter and TikTok provide rundowns of their respective analytics pages on each of their websites.  Instagram Instagram requires users to have professional accounts before accessing the analytics page. An account must be public to switch to a professional account. Analytics will only be provided for content posted after the switch is made. The analytics tab on Instagram is labelled as Insights. It is split into two major sections: Insights Overview and Content You Shared.  Insights overview This is further split into three subsections. Each can be tracked for a minimum of seven days up to a maximum of 90 days:  Accounts reached: tracks the number of unique accounts who have seen a user’s content. It provides demographic information on these accounts, including top locations and age ranges. Accounts engaged: tracks the number of unique accounts who have interacted with a user’s content. It provides the same demographic information as accounts reached.   Total followers (requires at least 100 followers): tracks follower information such as growth (followers gained/lost) and top locations of where followers’ are from. It also tracks age ranges and times followers are most active on Instagram.  Content you shared  This section is split into subsections for all types of content on Instagram: posts, stories, reels, videos, lives and ads. (Posts can be boosted into ads through a daily payment for a set amount of time chosen by the user.) Content of the selected type can be sorted through metrics such as reach, number of comments and number of likes. Metrics can be tracked from a minimum of one day to two years.   Twitter The full analytics dashboard is only available to users on a computer with an account at least 14 days old. It includes three main sections: Home, Tweets and More.  Home Twitter provides an overview of a user’s activity over the past 28 days. It includes tweet impressions, profile visits and followers gained/lost. There is also a monthly performance review with the following metrics: Top tweet: the tweet that received the most impressions (the number of times a user’s content was displayed to other users.) Top mention: a tweet that tagged the user and received the most impressions. Top follower: the account with the most followers that followed the user that month.  Top media tweet: the tweet with a photo and/or video attached that received the most impressions. Tweets This section provides a graph showing all of a user’s tweets over the current 28-day period. It also shows the total number of impressions each one received. Below this is a chart split into the categories of Top tweets, Tweets and replies and Promoted. (Promoted tweets are set up similarly to boosted posts on Instagram.) For each category, the number of impressions, engagements and the engagement rate (number of engagements divided by impressions), are shown. More There are three subsections of the More tab. Videos are the same as Tweets but for any videos uploaded. Conversion tracking measures a user’s return on ad spending. It does so by reviewing the actions other users take after seeing or engaging with their promoted posts. Events manager is similar to Conversion tracking, performing the same task for web-based content posted outside of Twitter.  TikTok  Similar to Instagram, TikTok requires a business account to access the analytics page. Here, the main sections are Overview, Content, Followers and Live.  Overview This section displays a user’s content engagement over a certain number of days. It includes video views, profile views, likes, comments and shares. Metrics in this section can be tracked for a minimum of seven days to a maximum of 60 days.  Content  A user’s video posts are shown in order from newest to oldest. Following this, an overview of a user’s trending videos is shown. It’s listed in order of most to least views over the current seven-day period.  Followers This section shows a demographic breakdown of a user’s followers, including their genders, top locations and active times on TikTok. There is also a graph displaying a user’s follower growth with followers gained/lost. All metrics in this section are based on the time period set in the Overview section.   Live This section focuses on a user’s live-streams on TikTok. It provides information on their total number of lives, total views, total live time, new followers and unique viewers. These metrics can be tracked for a minimum of seven days to a maximum of 28 days.  Using analytics  There are many ways social media analytics can be beneficial to businesses. More basic metrics such as likes and comments are the simplest example of this. They’re useful for determining which kinds of posts are more attractive to the public. Business owners can use this to help build a brand voice that best connects with their audience.    As another example, a user’s top follower locations and active times help create posting schedules. If a user knows when their followers are active, they can establish the best times to post during the day.  If used to their full potential, social media analytics can be a powerful tool for businesses. They can help to better understand their customer base and appeal to them more effectively.