Boxless Media – Lessons from Year One

This week we celebrate the one year anniversary of Boxless Media. To celebrate this milestone, I have decided to open the door and introduce you to the people that make Boxless Media work. Each day this week, one of our staff members will write a blog on the state of social media – sharing with you what excites them most about social media. The blog will be filled with some great advice so read on, meet the folks at Boxless Media and discover something new!

On September 20, 2013, I walked into the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office in busy downtown Chicago on my lunch break with incorporation papers, a check book and dream in my heart. I had previously given my two weeks notice at the Starlight Children’s Foundation and it was my last day. I was passionate about social media and surrounded by people who didn’t get social but wish they did. More importantly, they knew how important social media was and were looking for help. It was the beginning of Boxless Media.

To celebrate our one year anniversary, I thought I would share with you five things every new business must know about digital marketing. I hope you find them valuable.

Start With a Great Website

The first step to marketing your business online is the creation of a great website. Your website is where your prospects and customers will come to learn more about you and start the sales process. You also own your website so no one change it or take it away from you. You can do as you please there and are not bound by rules and boundaries. While there are tools out there to build your own site for free, don’t do it. Get a professional to do it for you. I cannot tell you how many clients have come to us to fix something they tried first. A good designer will not only create a beautiful site, but will also make sure it is optimized for search and is easy to interact with.  Did you know you can buy a helicopter in a crate and put it together yourself?  Would you bet your life on that? Don’t bet your business on a less-than-perfect website.

Use Social Media to Attract People

The power of social media is its numbers. There are now 1.32 billion users who use Facebook each month. There are hundreds of millions on the other major platforms. Everyone uses some sort of social media. Use a robust social media presence to interact with these people and bring them to your website where they will be convinced to buy.

Always Remember Social is About People

Merriam-Webster defines “social” as “relating to or involving activities in which people spend time talking to each other or doing enjoyable things with each other.” Social media is not a platform for posting press releases. Social is not a platform for announcements. It is a platform for interaction. Reach out to people. Respond to them. Spark conversation. Engage others. Share content your audience will want to share.

Don’t Be Afraid of Advertising

When business owners hear the word “advertising,” they often cringe. But advertising on social platforms allows you to deliver a targeted message to the exact audience you are looking for. The best part is you can do it for a very competitive price. No matter what your budget, you can create an effective advertising campaign. Many of the platforms, especially LinkedIn, will even offer coupons for free advertising. So take advantage of one of these coupons and try it out.

Be Boxless

It seems now that the directive to “think outside the box” has become the new box. We have adopted a philosophy at our organization that the concept of a box and restraining thoughts is foolish. Don’t get Facebook because everyone else has one. Don’t get a Twitter account if you have no idea what a tweet is. Don’t get on Instagram because everyone is talking about. Define some measurable goals, and then look at how to attain those goals using the social platforms. Then execute.

It has been quite a year. Boxless has built an amazing and diverse client base across so many different industries and geographic areas. From local Chicago restaurants to national chains, from biomedical manufacturers and aquaponics farms to metal finishers, we help businesses of all sizes and in all industries grow by leveraging the power of digital marketing.

Thanks for a great year and here’s to many more! If you like what you are reading, I encourage you to sign up for our mailing list (we only send what you ask for) or follow us on any of the major social platforms. Leave us a message. We’re social.