In a tourist-centric town like Durango, we often feel like the tourists are the ones we need to cater to. I have found that this is an inaccurate portrayal of what business owners need to be doing. I have a motto that I like to use: "Market to the tourists, serve like they're locals."

If you market your business as you would to tourists - using the latest digital and traditional means of advertising, you're likely to catch the eyes of not only the passers-by but also the locals. If you treat your tourist customers like you treat your locals - like you'll see them again tomorrow at the grocery store, down the street when you're walking your dogs, at the next local event you go to - your customer service will sky rocket. 

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Some things to keep in mind for 2017 and beyond: 

• Video is HUGE - show the intimate side of your business so people can get to know who you are. What events is your business sponsoring? What activities do you and your employees do on your time off? Are you unpacking some cool ew merchandise? Go on Facebook Live or publish it to your Instagram story to get the most bang for your buck. However...
• Photos are necessary - visual content is the #1 way to reach your customers. Video is hugely important, but photos are a necessity now. When thinking about photos for your social media channels, you'll want to: 
  • keep them authentic - don't use stock photos because people can tell when you're not being authentic. Take ten minutes out of your day every morning and snap some original pictures - you'll be surprised by how many people respond to authentic images!
  • repost from your followers - this will help you grow your audience but also SHOW your customers that you listen, that you're involved and engaged with their stories...it makes your customer service better, too, by being aware of what your customers are looking for and are interested in. 
• Respond to Reviews - making sure you respond to your reviews (respectfully, of course) can show other customers how engaged you are and how important their experience is to your business. What better way to gain trust?

​With 2017 nearly half done, and tourist season almost over, now is the time to start thinking ahead about what you can do during the typical "slow times" in Durango. Start thinking about what you want your business to look like online and use digital marketing to your advantage during the shoulder season. Are you especially slow right when school starts? Maybe it's time to sit down and write a blog post. Are you going to get super busy before the holidays? Maybe it's time to do a photo shoot - or two - of new product or of your employees and get some original visual content for your website. If you need more tricks or clever ways to keep your customers engaged year-round, feel free to contact us and we'll be more than happy to provide you a free online audit!

So, I've been writing a lot about writing. And I'm sure you get the point that you need a blog. But, why?  Why, as a small business, do you need to have a blog?It's just extra work that means extra time focusing on the arduous task of sitting down and writing about stuff. But, what stuff? Stuff about your business. But you didn't get into your business to write - you got into your business because you want to deliver your services and your products to your customers. So how do you write when you don't want to? It all comes down to the reason behind why you should do it: to connect with your customers in an authentic way (I mean, also for SEO, but...really it's connecting to your customers).

Writing on your blog is twofold: its providing your customers valuable information as well as convincing them to purchase whatever it is you're offering. Writing on your blog gives your customers that inside, first-hand knowledge that only you can provide. 

Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer for Marketing Profs and hardcore writing maven, wrote a nice little book called, Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content. In it, she says that, “in an online world, our online words are our emissaries; they tell the world who we are." This statement is the gold nugget that most content writers have embraced for years and, now, most digital marketers are starting to realize. Content helps you sell your business to potential customers and it keeps your current customers coming back time and again. But how do you get yourself to the point where you can write confidently, quickly, and still provide great quality to your customers? Some tricks of the trade that I have used and share with some of my clients are below.

Granted, it is hard to find even more time in your day - especially if you're running your small business solo. But making sure you have a competent, effective blog plan can really make your website more impactful.
If you need any further convincing, as a content marketing agency, Oh Hello can help you with strategic blog posts, your blog and content development, as well as other services to make sure that you are keeping your small business up to speed for 2016 and beyond. We have stats to prove it, too! Feel free to ask us what we can do for you.