Delight Your Target Audience (and Google) with "Helpful Content"

Building or maintaining a website that delivers tangible business results is done with intention, and requires a strategic process.  Defining a target audience is one of the most important, and helpful, steps in that process.

Press Release: Free Digital Marketing Workshop Offered through SBDC

Deer Park, Texas - Daybreak Digital Marketing has partnered with the Small Business Development Council (SBDC) to deliver free digital marketing workshops to local small business owners.  The first of these free workshops was offered on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.

The Ultimate Guide to Local SEO

This may come as a surprise, but nearly half of all online searches have "local intent."  For small businesses serving a local geographic area, it's crucial to have a website optimized for visibility and ranking in searches that include terms like "near me," "closest," or "local."

Keyword Topic Clusters: Everything Businesses Need to Know

About 70% of experiences online begin with a search engine. Meanwhile, 50% of all website traffic starts from an organic search. With search engine optimization (SEO), your website will appear for relevant consumer searches.

7 Benefits of Working With a Local Web Design Company

Did you know that over one-third of small businesses in the U.S. still don't have websites? Websites have become an essential part of any business, and not having one keeps businesses from keeping existing customers and gaining new ones.

Expert Tips for Aesthetically Pleasing Web Design

75% of users will judge your company’s credibility based on how well you can pull off your site’s visual design.

COVID-19: How To Help Your Kids Deal With Anxiety

Everybody likes things that are easy, helpful, and free. By registering for a free account at getmatcha.com I'm able to select one pre-written article each month to share with on my blog. If you're looking for ways to simplify the time requirements of your content marketing, it's pretty nice option. As a parent, helping my girls manage the anxiety associated with returning to public spaces has been challenging. I found this article to be helpful - I hope you do too! Children of all ages are experiencing stress through this crisis. Here's how to help. As Americans adapt almost minute-by-minute to keep up with evolving information regarding the new coronavirus outbreak, we must pay careful attention to our families. It is incumbent on adults to react appropriately to reduce children’s anxiety over the uncertainty, because children are always watching and they take cues from our behavior, whether spoken or signaled by our actions. To keep children as anxiety-free as possible, adults must practice and demonstrate self-management and self-awareness of their own anxiousness and be conscious of how this might be unintentionally transferred to children. Daily self-reflection is necessary, so adults are equipped with a mindset and skillset to positively interact with children of all ages. It is critical for adults to regulate their behavior, not only for their own emotional and physical health, but for that of their children. (This is known as consistent self-regulation.) First, adults should acknowledge their own worry and anxiety. They should then obtain the real facts concerning the situation, discuss these with other adults, and consciously plan for how to contain this anxiety, especially when in the presence of kids. As we acknowledge anxiety, we can also think about how maintaining a calm demeanor will assist children. We should consider that our discussions with children about the coronavirus will vary depending on the developmental level of each child. Adults should behave as normally as possible, remain calm, be creative about the new reality, and communicate as clearly as they can with children on a regular basis. It is important to design a daily routine for children similar to what they are used to, and to stick with it, so children’s anxiety does not escalate. When children hear news or conversation about this “new” reality, adults must consider the cognitive developmental level of children and always have discussions honestly. For example, when young children ask if he/she or you are going to die from what is going on, the response should be as simple as possible. Concentrate on the positive. “We are staying home as a precaution. We are washing hands more often to continue to be safe.” Emphasize that everything we are doing will help everyone stay “safe.” Adults interacting with children at very young ages should be highly aware of triggers for children, such as acting out in ways that are unusual, over-emphasis on the actual crisis (such as asking too many questions, dwelling on all the negative that is being given in the media), rather than staying with the established daily routines. These triggers might move them into negative space, negative thoughts, and might emotionally affect them in even more permanent ways. It is the adults’ responsibility to discuss, but to keep children in as normal a setting as possible. With older children, such as high school students, more specifics can be shared. However, it is still important to establish boundaries and routines for these children. Even though more specific discussions can be had, these children, too, might experience anxiety and nervousness that could manifest for a lengthy period. Routines are just as important for older kids. The takeaways for adults interacting with children during this uncertain time include the importance of all adults being mindful of their own anxiety and anxiousness regarding the current situation. It also includes being conscious of behaviors that might be interpreted by children as negative when they are not necessarily intended as such and practicing self-regulation with these behaviors. Finally, it is critical for adults to meet all children at their own cognitive level with honesty and clear and consistent communication. Adults must be mindful about the amount of information children are able to comprehend, so they should not offer anything that might make children more anxious. We should consistently convey the message, in our conversations and in our actions, that everything being done is meant to help everyone remain safe. This is true for children of all ages. Routines help all of us and will help reduce anxiety levels and imbue trust. Written by Ned Johnson and William Stixrud for Working Mother and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.

What is Inbound Marketing?

You may have noticed that consumer habits have changed.  If you have pre-teen daughters like mine, it's impossible to ignore them.

How to Setup Zoom Video Virtual Backgrounds

7 Ways You Can Build Customer Trust During the COVID-19 Pandemic

If you've found yourself struggling to deliver the right content during the COVID-19 pandemic, you're not alone. Throughout the Spring of 2020 businesses have struggled to understand the implications of a world that is rapidly changing. In the development of my own content, I've found clarity in an idea presented by a growing number sales and marketing influencers. That idea: "Helping is the New Selling." In the spirit of that idea, I hope you enjoy this guest blog post! Coronavirus: An opportunity to build customer trust, not to push sales. With COVID-19’s rapid spread, the bull market constantly bucking up and down, and the recent declaration of national emergency from the President, consumers are becoming increasingly anxious about the reality that is about to face them. Panic buying is rampant, schools and universities are closing, and offices are asking workers to work from home. Certainly both online and offline businesses are feeling anxious as well. For some businesses, sales may be surging because of supply hoarding, until the bull-whip effect sets in and no supply remains on the shelves. For other businesses, sales have dipped significantly as consumers guard their wallets and spend on essentials first, as they nervously watch the unpredictable market rise and fall. So: what’s a brand to do? Over the next few weeks, things will more likely than not continue to get worse before they get better. While sales may be down for your business, there is still a huge opportunity to win with your customers by building their trust in your brand, especially if you are an online retailer with an email list or any business with an engaged online community. 7 Ways to Build Customer Trust During the Coronavirus Outbreak 1. Send an email to your list or a post to your online community with a statement on your business’s approach to coronavirus. Sending a thoughtful email to your list outlining what your brand is doing in the wake of the coronavirus is a great way to build trust with your customers. You should avoid being promotional in this email. Its purpose should instead be to establish expectations for your base for any orders placed in the coming weeks and to quell any anxieties your customers may have about deliveries, supply chain, or your production process. Another best practice is to address your customer by name directly or to address your brand’s community as if in a formal letter and to end your message with a warm sign off from a member of your team. We love the email sent by DTC brand GEM below. 2. Keep customers updated on how you are handling any potentially unstable supply chains. After your initial email to your base with your plan for handling supply and demand, keep your list updated if anything changes in your supply chain. If stock on a popular product runs out, try and give a reasonable estimate of when it will be available next. If you don’t know, be honest about that too, and recommend any alternative in-stock products to your customers. Put honesty and transparency above all else, and the consumer will trust that you are doing everything you can to resolve their issues. When you are honest and transparent, they will also understand when certain things are out of your control. 3. Give them your brand's promise, whatever it may be. If you refuse to price gouge even when demand is high in the market (see: toilet paper, hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes), let your customers know. If you foresee any issues with delivery, assure your customers that they will be fully refunded if the product does not arrive to them within a certain time window in the event of supply or delivery issues caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Finally, remind customers of any existing promises your brand has made in the past that you plan to stick to, like abiding by certain regulations, practicing a sustainable supply chain, giving back X% of proceeds to your chosen charity, etc. Just make sure the promise you make is a promise you can 100% keep. 4. Share with them what your business is doing to combat coronavirus. If you feel comfortable doing so, share with your customers the practices and precautions your own brand is taking in order to care for your employees and their loved ones. It is an excellent “we’re all in this together” approach. If you have introduced a new work-from-home policy or guaranteed sick leave for employees, share with your customers that your brand is doing its part in containing the virus as well. 5. Assure them that they will be taken care of. Customers want to know that they can rely on your brand. Remind them that they remain a top priority, and that your brand will do everything they can to make sure orders are met. If supply or delivery circumstances change, have a plan to address customers that may not receive their order when expected, including refunding an order or providing store credit for future purchases. 6. Offer an outlet to voice any concerns they may have. Along those lines, inform customers about how they can best reach a member of your team to voice any concerns or ask any questions. If you have multiple channels of outreach (phone, social media, email, etc.), let them know which channels will get their questions answered the fastest. Additionally, give them realistic expectations of wait time given the changing circumstances, as well as a promise that your team will get back to them as soon as they can. 7. Provide educational content to help them in this time. Thanks to the coronavirus, the lives of many Americans will be changing drastically over the next few weeks to next few months. No matter what business you are in, there are a number of ways you can address the coronavirus in a way that provides extra value to your audience and puts them more at ease. Blog content is a powerful tool because it can be flexibly used both to nurture your existing audience and to draw a new audience to your brand. At a time when most consumers are not buying as much, you can focus on filling the top of your funnel with new email leads for your list by promoting gated content. Need ideas for content, or content itself? We've got you covered. Because the coronavirus on everyone’s minds today, it’s a topic that any industry or brand can find a way to relate to. However, coming up with content ideas may be difficult. That’s why we’ve broken down some content ideas for you below! We’ve listed a few examples below, but you can find a comprehensive list of 30+ content ideas for coronavirus communications here. Content on reducing stress and mental health best practices Ideas for staying connected even when practicing social distancing At-home workout routines or tips for working at home Positive round-ups of some more uplifting stories from the past week Tips on keeping healthy & hydrated to ward off illness Discover even more great ideas here. Written by Celia Quillian for Matcha and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com. Thanks for visiting the Daybreak Consulting blog! I've you'd like to find out more about how we can support your small business content development with meaningful and engaging website, blog, social media and video solutions, please visit our website at www.daybreak-consulting.com, or reach out directly to us to start the conversation.