Author: Emily Bylund

October 22, 2019

How Facebook Can Boost Your Sales

How Facebook Can Boost Your Sales | Facebook

I was in a meeting earlier this year and we were discussing using social media to generate leads to do business. Someone in the room turned to me and said “but it is so hard to do business on Facebook”.

No joke.

I was shocked. Did they not know about the BILLIONS of people that are on Facebook? Or the THOUSANDS of people who make MILLIONS of dollars on Facebook yearly? I guess not. So for those of you who feel the same way, I am here to educate you.

How Facebook Can Boost Your Sales | Why Facebook

I talked about this in my Why Every Small Business Needs Social Media post, but Facebook has the most users of any other social media platform, on the planet. With over 2 billion daily users and over 1 billion mobile users, it is the most powerful social media platform for your business. You just need to know how to use it.

I have had several people argue with me that Facebook is for “old people” or it’s dying. Those both may be true to some extent, most Gen Zs don’t use it. But what about all of the Baby Boomers, Gen Xs and Millennials that are on Facebook? They are staying connected with old friends, meeting new people and discovering new products every day. And that is why Facebook is still incredibly relevant.

How Facebook Can Boost Your Sales | How To Use It

The first thing you want to do if you are a business, is create a Facebook business page. This gives people a starting point for your business. This is useful both on and off Facebook (see my post about why every business needs social media here). Now you need followers. The one thing I want you to take away from this post is DO NOT BUY FOLLOWERS. On any platform, ever.

So what is the best way to get followers? By posting things they are interested in. Of course you want to post about your business, but don’t do just that. You won’t gain followers that way. You want to become the preverbal water cooler of the internet. You want people to come to your space because you post interesting things they want to engage with. How do you find that content you ask? Check out my post about Twitter here.

How Facebook Can Boost Your Sales | How To Boost Sales

Now that you are using Facebook, you want to know how to use it to boost your sales. Which is why you are reading this post, right? There is a little something called Facebook ads. You can pay pennies per click or exposure to show people outside of your circle of influence your content. Facebook ads allow you to determine age, gender, interests, and even location of your target demographic. Their ad structure is unlike anything I have ever seen. Luckily you can utilize it on Instagram as well since they are both owned by Facebook.

Facebook ads allow you to create long campaign ads or even just boost one post for a specific period of time. You get to decide. You also get to decide how much money you spend on a campaign. Creating simple, inexpensive campaigns will allow you to grow your audience both effectively and ethically. I’ve done this on my own Facebook page for Breezing Through and I have almost 20,000 followers! That is huge for Facebook.

How Facebook Can Boost Your Sales | Seeing Results

Results won’t come right away. You will need to be patient. Money will have to go out for a little while before you see money coming in. But you will start to see that people are reading the content you post, both original and from other sources. They will click on your links and starting buying things you post about (whether it’s items you have affiliate links for or items you sell directly).

You’re probably thinking this is all well and good to say, but does she have proof? Of course I do! Breezing Through is my biggest example. I have been running that blog for 5 years now and the majority of the clicks for the website come from Facebook. And the people that click on my blog then buy products I talk about. Every single day. And I get a commission off of every one of those!

October 15, 2019

Why Instagram Is the Key To Establishing Your Brand

Why Instagram is the Key to Establishing Your Brand | Instagram

Personally, Instagram is my favorite social media platform. It is where I spend the most time and it is the platform I know the best. But I know that other people don’t feel the same way about it. There are other people who are intimidated by it and aren’t sure how to use it. It is much different than Twitter or Facebook and the algorithm is constantly changing.

While I won’t go into detail about how to use Instagram and how to work with the algorithm, not against it, I do want to talk about why it is important for your branding and how it can help grow your business.

Why Instagram is the Key to Establishing Your Brand | Branding Your Business

No matter what kind of business you have, you need to brand that business. A blog, e-commerce site, lifestyle website, brick & mortar, consulting, all need branding. It is how other people learn about your business and identify you and what you do. In order to do brand you business, you need to be Google-able. However, you don’t want other people to control what those results are. One of the best ways you can do this is by creating social media accounts that you control.

Why Instagram is the Key to Establishing Your Brand | How to Start

In order to start, you need to create an Instagram account. Personally, I think it’s best if you can get a username that is the same as your website and other social media platforms. That way people always know how to find you, no matter where they are looking. Then you need pictures. These don’t have to be of you or necessarily what your business is about. There are lots of places to get stock photos, but I will talk about that on another day! If you do want to have pictures of yourself, go do a photo shoot. Grab a camera, it can be your phone, and a friend and take a bunch of picture in good lighting. But that is the easy part.

Next you need text for your pictures. You don’t want to upload pictures without any context. Again, the pictures and the text, don’t have to be related. But you do want the text to be related to your business. This can be broad, but you always want to be able to relate it back to your brand.

In my mind, the hardest part is the hashtags. You can use up to 30 hashtags per Instagram post. I think it is best to use all 30 and you should be strategic about those hashtags. So you need to figure out what those hashtags are. To figure out the best hashtags to use, you can visit the original blog post here.

My advice for deciding on hashtags is the ones you use should come from a pool of images that don’t exceed 500,000 and larger than 1,000. This will ensure that your content is seen by people who really should be seeing it.

October 8, 2019

How to Get Over Your Fear Of Twitter

How to Get Over Your Fear Of Twitter | Why Twitter Scares Me

I am the first to admit that Twitter is terrifying. Give me a blog, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and I am happy to learn more about them and rock the platforms. But Twitter is an entire new ball game for me. There are parts of the platform that make me a little nervous and I am just not used to. But that doesn’t mean that I should disregard it all together.

Twitter has 321 million monthly users. So not being on Twitter is not an option. You need to be on Twitter. You need to get over that fear of messing up or not knowing how the platform works. You need to make sure that whatever you are doing, is at least showing up. The bare minimum is to show up. Even if you don’t feel like you can like, retweet or start a thread, you are at least showing up.

How to Get Over Your Fear Of Twitter | How I Got Over It

If you don’t already, set up a Twitter account. Get a username just like your others and put up a profile picture that matches your other ones, this creates brand consistency. Then start following accounts that are similar to the content you will be creating & pushing out.

I have talked about Buffer before. You know how much I love the platform. If it isn’t for you, that is fine, but you need to have a scheduling app for Twitter. Schedule out Twitter posts from your content as far out as you can. This will give you some buffer room to find other content to post (see what I did there).

But how do you find content that fits with your brand and is relevant to your audience. That is an excellent question! Of course, you want to have your own original content included in your Twitter feed. But you can’t have only original content, that would be exhausting.

To read more, and get a download for better utilizing Twitter, you can visit the original blog post here.

July 11, 2019

What To Do With Your Severance Package

If you’re considering starting a business and you’re in a position to negotiate a severance package with your current employer, you’re in an outstanding position. Here are a few reasons why:

Flexibility–You’ll have income from the job you are departing while you build up your new business.
Freedom from Distraction–Cutting ties with your current employer will help you be focused on your primary mission-being successful with your new opportunity.
Peace of Mind–Knowing you have several months’ worth of income can help you feel confident about moving ahead with your new opportunity.

A severance package may also help you secure funding and to help your significant other feel more comfortable with the coming change in your life. Visit AdlerStone.com to learn more about small business opportunities that might be right for you.

June 27, 2019

The Do’s & Don’ts of LinkedIn Profiles

The Do’s & Don’ts of LinkedIn Profiles | Why It Matters

Part of my job is looking at LinkedIn profiles. I have literally looked at thousands of profiles and I can tell you which ones are terrible and which ones are really good. I have reworked a number of profiles to help clients improve their LinkedIn game. So today I want to talk about the do’s and don’ts of LinkedIn profiles.

Your LinkedIn profile can make or break your interaction with someone. Whether they are a potential client, new hire or someone that is hiring you, you want to make sure you are leaving a good impression. People care about what is on LinkedIn now. You can’t just create a profile and then let it sit. You need to make sure you are presenting yourself in a way that shows you care. Even if you aren’t hiring, looking for a job or looking for clients. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour to get this done right, so take the time and do it!

The Do’s & Don’ts of LinkedIn Profiles | The Do’s

Do have a good profile picture. Ask someone to take a picture of you in natural lighting in work appropriate clothes. All you need is a head shot. Maybe make it black & white for a little extra professionalism.

Do include an email address, one that you will check regularly.

Do have a good tag line. You want this to say what you do and how you help people.

Do use the about section to talk about why people should hire you.

Do list all of your experience. Jobs, education, volunteering. ALL OF IT. The more gaps there are in this area, the less appealing you are. This is your place to shine! Be sure to keep this section up to date. If you get a promotion, add it ASAP. If you leave your current position, add the end date to this section.

Do ask colleagues for endorsements. These can be huge if you are a contractor or a free lancer. You only really need a handful to get started.

The Do’s & Don’ts of LinkedIn Profiles | The Don’ts

Don’t have a profile pictures like ANY the following:

Taken at your desk with your phone or computer camera
Pool party pictures
Picture of you in your kitchen holding your pet (I’ve seen this more than you would think)
Grainy/out of focus pictures
10+ year old picture
Picture where you are so tiny, no one can see your face
Picture of a picture
Cropped picture from a friend/family members wedding

I can’t tell you how many bad profile pictures I have seen. The first thing people see when they look at your profile, is your picture. They can also click on it to enlarge the picture so you want to make sure you are leaving a good impression!

Don’t not include your background or experience in the About section. This is where you tell people about the benefits, not the features!

Don’t let your resume lag. I can’t tell you how many profiles I have seen where people have gaps in their resume. They have either stopped using their LinkedIn account or they don’t want to list that they are in between jobs. If you are in between jobs, that is okay! List what you are doing at the moment. Are you contracting? List it!

The Do’s & Don’ts of LinkedIn Profiles | Update Your LinkedIn Profile

Now that we have talked about the do’s and don’ts, it is time for you to go and update your profile! Make sure you are shining as bright as possible because people will be looking at this profile and you need to stand out.

June 20, 2019

Hate Your Job? Let’s Find a Career You Love

Dan posted this example on his LinkedIn last week of one of our real life clients and we thought we would share it with you:

True story (actual name withheld):

Bob one month ago: ” I can’t take this job anymore, Dan. I feel like I am building something for my boss instead of for myself.”

Bob last week: “I’m excited about the future and can’t wait to get started!”

What changed in Bob’s life? He is about to acquire an amazing franchise and leave his job. Like most positive changes, it started with a leap of faith. We can help you change your entire outlook on life by just changing your career path!

Take our Business Builder Profile Assessment to get started!

June 6, 2019

Step 8. Become A Franchise Owner

Become A Franchise Owner

Then comes the reward! At this point you have completed your research, selected and analyzed numerous concepts and decided on the best ﬁt for you. Because you have qualiﬁed for all the hurdles that are set before you and impressed the franchisor you have been brought into a growing business. Now you are in complete control over your ﬁnancial future and have all the support and guidance of a successful system and team. Congratulations! You did it.

The sky is the limit from here and your success depends on how much work you put into your business. You will have support from corporate but at the end of the day, it is your business and you have to put in the work for it to thrive. Once you have a thriving business, you may want to think about purchasing additional territory or investing your money into another franchise!

The Rest of the Steps

8 Steps to Buying A Franchise

Step 1: Start Franchise Shopping

Step 2: Acquire Funding

Step 3: Compare Your Options

Step 4: Prepare Yourself

Step 5: Franchisor Introductions

Step 6: Due Diligence

Step 7: Franchise Award

Step 8: Become a Franchise Owner

May 30, 2019

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | It Is Important

I know I am going to have a lot of people out there who don’t agree with this statement. Most of them are Baby Boomers and probably didn’t grow up with social media. That is fine! But in order for you to have a successful small business in 2019 and in the future, you are going to have to learn to use social media because it has a lot of benefits for your business.

I know some people are going to strongly disagree with me on this. Here some of their reasons why:

“My clients aren’t on social media”

“I don’t offer a physical product”

“I don’t know how to use the platforms”

All of these are incorrect, except maybe the last one. It doesn’t matter if your clients are not on social media. See the last section of this blog post for why. It doesn’t matter if you don’t offer a physical product. Putting your face and your life experiences out into the world will draw people to you. And you can also get more clients you never thought you would have gotten. Example: I run the social media accounts for Goodnight Consulting. This is a consulting business where none of our clients would hire us based on our social media accounts. This last week, we were approached by someone for a project based on LinkedIn activity. I post to that account 3 times a day and it has potentially brought in business. Who knew, right?

When it comes to learning how to use the platforms, you can learn. There are lots of classes out there where you can learn how to use them. Or just type it into YouTube!

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | What Platforms?

So what platforms should you be using? ALL OF THEM!! I know that sounds a little overwhelming, so start off with 2 and grow from there. People always want to know if they should have a Facebook page, Instagram account, LinkedIn Page or Twitter account. The answer to all of these is YES! I can’t say it enough. You need to show up on social media consistently, so start with 2 platforms that you are either already comfortable with or can get to know and post on them. If you aren’t sure which ones to start with, I would suggest LinkedIn and Facebook. There are lots of tools out there for you to use to help automate this. I will be talking more about this in the future and may be offering something to all of you to help you out with it.

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Social Proof

One of the things that most consumers look for now before hiring someone or purchasing a product, is social proof. They want to know that other people like your products/services so they know they will too. Social media is the easiest way to do this. You can post pictures of clients, your products, your travels. All without sharing any proprietary information, of course. But by showing up on these platforms consistently, you are showing potential clients/customers that you care about how they perceive you.

Social proof is also needed to show your clients/customers that you are an expert in your industry. If you just post pictures of your kids/dog on your LinkedIn account and nothing about your industry, no one will take you seriously. But when you post about industry news, your own articles and links to your website, you become an expert in your industry that people will come to when they need something. And they will come to you because your content will be showing up in their feed ALL THE TIME.

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Searchable

You already have a website (I hope) so there is always going to be somewhere that people can find more information about you. But in 2019, a website just isn’t enough anymore. People want to know about the people behind the brand. They want to know what your day to day life is like. They want exclusive deals and behind the scenes. By having social media platforms, you are giving your customers/clients more places to find and connect with you. When they type your company’s name into Google, your social media accounts will show up in the results as well. This shows your clients/customers that you care and it gives them more places to find you.

Why You NEED Social Media For Your Small Business | Want to Learn More?

You have read this blog post and now you want to know how you can set up your social media accounts, get them automated and post the right kind of content. I am working on a course that will walk you through the entire process. You can sign up here to know exactly when the course will be launching!

Emily Bylund is a partner at Adler Stone. She runs social media accounts for 5 companies and has a blog, Breezing Through.

May 23, 2019

Step 7. Franchise Award

Franchise Award

Getting the Franchise to say YES to you! Because the franchise is a business in itself and they are trusting their system to the care of each franchisee, the franchisor has a process that will determine if you are a good ﬁt for them. This is important to their business to ensure they will be successful in the long term and that they are only bringing the best candidates into their business. Our goal with this step is to work with you and ensure that you have everything you need to impress the franchisor on the things that they are looking for.

This step usually includes something called Discovery Day. This is when you go to the franchisor’s corporate office to get to know their management team and they will decide if you are the right fit for their company. Depending on the company, you may sign the paperwork for your new franchise during Discovery Day!

The Rest of the Steps

8 Steps to Buying A Franchise

Step 1: Start Franchise Shopping

Step 2: Acquire Funding

Step 3: Compare Your Options

Step 4: Prepare Yourself

Step 5: Franchisor Introductions

Step 6: Due Diligence

Step 7: Franchise Award

Step 8: Become a Franchise Owner

May 9, 2019

Step 6: Due Diligence

Due Diligence

After the introduction to the Franchisors, you will decide which one(s) you want to proceed with. There will most likely only be one that you want to really start looking into though. You will then receive a document called a Franchisor Disclosure Document (FDD). This document can ONLY been disclosed by the Franchisor. It contains information about the franchisor, including very high level financial information. This information is not going to be helpful when it comes to deciding if you want to buy that franchise. So we will arrange for calls with franchisees within that system. During those calls, we will be able to get detailed financial information and questions answered about how that specific franchise works and relationships with management.

This step is designed to ensure that you will get ALL of the information you need to make an informed decision about buying a franchise.