Greenhouse Communications

  Public Relations | Social Media | Creative Marketing   www.greenhousecomm.com

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Read what our client David Adams, from David Adams Wealth Group in Nashville, TN, says Corporate America Has Wrong About Work.

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Social Media Marketing is tricky: Your business has to build brand awareness without sounding like an ad, your business has to announce achievements without sounding like a Press Release and your business has to sound smart without sounding like a know-it-all. But, what is unfortunate is when a business’s Social Media strategy is just plain sloppy.

I’m going to share my biggest pet-peeves small brands make on Social Media. You will be surprised how simple and common these mistakes are.

1. Liking your own status

If you have a Facebook friend who constantly likes their own Facebook status would you:

A.) Laugh at them

B.) Ask them if they meant to like their own status

C.) Unfriend them

D.) All of the above

If you answered yes to any of the choices above, why as a small business owner are you “liking” your own status as your business on Facebook?

It is possible that it isn’t you, it could be the other five people you set as admins and editors under the settings. When you aren't paying attention it is an easy mistake to make; but is an even easier fix.

Moving forward, remind everyone before they “like” to switch from the business account to their individual account by clicking on the drop down menu with a profile picture on the right side of the like, share comment options on your business’s post.

2. Connecting Twitter to Facebook

I see the appeal in connecting Twitter to Facebook to save time, but the point of Social Media is to be social with your followers. Without differentiating the two platforms, one account will suffer because your followers aren’t going to be thrilled to see duplicate accounts and start unfollowing.

When you are forming your Social Media plan, you can use the same content sometimes, but schedule for different days and use different Call-To-Actions by using sites like HootSuite and Buffer. They save more time anyways since you can link all of your Social Media accounts.

Just remember to check your accounts for comments and likes! The point of Social Media is to be social!

3. Using the page like a personal account

As a Social Media consultant, I struggle with this one a lot. I get hired by a company to build a brand, but the owner of the business will still post photos of theirself on vacation or uses the word “me” in statuses CONSTANTLY. Just like “liking” your own status as your business is vain, so is using your business’s platform to make it a page about your personal life.

People follow your business page to learn about market trends and company updates, to learn about your work culture and for customer service reasons.

I see how this mistake is made. A business owner wants the followers to feel connected and make the page more personable, but it doesn’t come off that way. Or, the business owner doesn’t have a real strategy and posts something to post.

If you are guilty of this and still feel like you want to be seen on Social Media, consider using photos of you and your team at a company lunch or a photo of you and a client/customer.

If you are guilty of this and don’t plan on stopping, Facebook does allow you to create a “Public Figure” page where people can follow.

I shared my pet-peeves, but I know I’m not perfect and learn everyday on what to do and what not to do. Tell me, which Social Media sins are you guilty of or which ones are you tired of seeing businesses make?

www.greenhousecomm.com

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5 Helpful Social Media Definitions

Social Media jargon has you saying WTF? Read this:

1. Hashtag- A hashtag is a pound sign (#) accompanied with a word on Social Media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google Plus to allow users to search for topics. Ex: #throwbackthursday

2.Direct Message- Also known as DM. Private messages sent between two Twitter users (this includes businesses) who are following each other. 

3. Handle- a user’s name to make it easier for people to search on sites like Instagram and Twitter. Ex: @greenhousecomm

4. Re-tweet- A Twitter user sharing a tweet by another Twitter user by pushing the re-tweet button.

5. Viral- When content (video, blog post, photo and etc.) on Social Media is shared and viewed by a large audience. 

Still confused? Feel free to contact us anytime!

Best,

Hayley Greenhouse

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Client David Adams Wealth Group weighs in on how investors should react to Brexit on Nashville Business Journa

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5 Free Tools for Public Relations

Hiring a Public Relations Firm can be expensive, we get it. Sometimes you have to think outside the box. So here are a few tools that you can use for free to market your business. 

1. Design

Not sure how to use Adobe Photoshop or InDesign to design media kits, blog graphics,  social media graphics, marketing tools or presentations for your business? No problem use Canva!

Canva is an online graphic design platform. It offers free access to a wide assortment of design tools and options, as well as premium options for paying customers.

2. & 3. Media Coverage

Not sure how to get quoted in trending topics? Help a reporter out!

Sign up for HARO and select what categories you are interested in receiving emails about. Once you sign up you will receive emails three times a day with journalists looking for sources. Then all you have to do is email the journalist with an answer and they could quote you! 

You can also use Hey Press! to find relevant journalists. For example, if you are a Financial Adviser just type in “finance” and the site will find you finance journalists and give you their email!

4. Pitching

Finding journalists’ emails can be frustrating, so download Upitch App. Upitch is described as Tinder for journalists. You pitch your idea on the app, select how long you would like the pitch to remain in journalists’ feed, select a category and then wait for an interested journalist to swipe right!

5. Event Awareness

Are you having an event, but don’t have the funds to buy an ad to raise awareness? Go to your local newspaper’s site and submit a listing. Here in Nashville, Nashville Business Journal, Nashville Lifestyles and The Tennessean will list your event online for free! (If the event benefits the community you could also invite a few journalists and pitch your event to the editor to be in the newspaper in the community section!)

I hope these tools help you and your business succeed! 

Best, 

Hayley Greenhouse

Founder and Public Relations Specialist

Greenhouse Communications

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We Are Finalists for Nashville Business Journal's 2016 Small Business Award |

We are pleased to announce that we are a finalist for this year’s Small Business of the Year Awards. Click the photo to find out what other businesses made the cut!

Congrats to our client David Adams Wealth Group on being a finalist for Nashville Business Journal’s Small Business of the Year Award! Sponsored by Comcast Business

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Mistakes Businesses Make on Social Media:

Job seekers on Social Media are warned not to post party photos and to avoid using adult language so they can appear professional just in case a potential employer “Googles” them. So pretty much if you don’t want your to mom know, don’t post it. But what makes a business appear professional on Social Media? What makes a professional Social Media presence that attracts customers or clients?

 Here are mistakes that I have encountered (and thankfully nudity or foul language is not listed):

1. Lack of branding.

“Two Facebook pages with different contact information?” “Why does this business’s Facebook page have a logo, but the Twitter account has a personal photo of the business owner?” 

These are thoughts that go through my head when I find some local businesses on Social Media. 

Without strong branding, potential clients or customers can be confused when they find your business. They may think they found the wrong business and not “like” your page. As a small business owner, make sure all profile photos and cover heads are identical, check that all contact and location address is correct on all accounts and make sure there are no fake accounts under your business's name.

2. Announcing, not communicating.

Social Media is a platform for businesses to communicate with their customers and clients to get to know them better, to inform their audience and to use it as a way to play a role in their local community. Unfortunately, the main purpose is overlooked too often. Businesses talk way too much about their selves or if a customer reaches out to them on Social Media they take way too long to answer.

To find out what your followers are interested in the most, go to your “analytics” and find out who your main demographics are and cater your posts to that or ask questions like in a form of a Twitter poll to strike up a conversation! 

If you happen to be the business that never communicates back with their customers, find an employee who is Social Media savvy and is communicative and have them check daily to answer questions and or concerns. You might even just have a friendly conversation with a customer who just wanted to express their “love” for your business!

3. Not Investing.

A business should be putting both the time and money into their Social Media presence. Facebook and Instagram has algorithms that creates an obstacle for businesses to reach their audience. A business must post relevant content everyday that attracts a lot of likes and/or paying for a sponsored post or an ad to reach the people they care about. If a business wants to see a ROI, they have to be putting in the work. 

In order for a business to appear professional on Social Media, they should have a consistent brand, have strong communication skills and should be investing time and money! But, it does help to avoid a Twitter feud! 

Best,

Hayley Greenhouse

www.greenhousecomm.com

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5 Tips for Pitching to Journalists

1. Follow the journalist on social media.

Journalists are extremely busy people dealing with breaking news so they do not have the time to read another email or take a phone call to hear about your business’s new product or charity event. But, just because they are busy- it does not mean they don’t care. Follow the journalist on Twitter and read their articles, re-tweet their articles and talk to them! That way when the journalist is looking for a source for an article or a soft news story they will remember the business owner or business that took the time to  know them rather than use them. Also, some journalist prefer to receive relevant tips on social media.

2. Hold a side desk meeting. 

Could you imagine signing onto your email receiving a million pitches and not knowing who any of these business owners or publicists are asking for free coverage? A journalist does. They have to read their emails and try to find the press releases and pitches that will actually help them- and most of the time it is from email senders they can put a face to. Holding a side desk meeting is taking the first tip to a new level. Ask the journalist or editor over email if they can meet. Let them choose the day and time. If they agree, during the side desk meeting let them know you are here to help their job easier and take the opportunity to know them personally (don’t make this an opportunity to talk constantly about yourself). 

3. Make sure what you are pitching is relevant. 

If you ever follow the hashtag #PRfails on social media, you already know why this mistake needs to be addressed. It is unbelievable what some business owners or PR people find acceptable to send to the media. Journalists care about the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. If your pitch can answer all of those, then you are in. Also, make sure the publication and the journalist’s beat match up to what you are pitching. A finance magazine will not care about your lifestyle pitch, just like a real estate writer does not care about your health care pitch. *Side note: Any pitch can be made relevant with the right direction/twist.

4. Be nice.

This tip is so simple, it’s almost stupid- but I had to say it. Be nice to whoever you are pitching to. Address them by their name, let them know you know what they write about and address a recent article they wrote and tell them what you liked about it, ask them how you can help and always say thanks. And, if the journalist says thanks, but no thanks on your pitch- you thank them anyway. DO NOT HARASS THEM OR BE MEAN!

5. Be available. 

We have already established journalists are busy people (and yes, as business owners/publicists you are too, but you need their coverage) so when they say they are ready to write up your pitch you (or client) need to drop what you are doing and meet them or pick up the phone for an interview. Being available makes a good impression and will make you a regular source.  

Best,

Hayley Greenhouse

Greenhouse Communications

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Wanting more Facebook engagement for your business or brand’s Facebook page? Here is a helpful info-graph!

By Greenhouse Communications

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Unlike the annoying spam social media accounts you see on Twitter and Instagram offering to sell you 5k followers for $10.99, I am going to give a few simple tips on how to get more Twitter followers for your small business.

Before I do here is my credibility: I am a PR/ Social Media consultant for a few businesses in the Nashville area. For Social Media, I create/post the content, communicate with/monitor the audiences and advise my clients when and where to spend some money on advertising to reach a specific target.

Tip 1: Analyze your audience’s demographic. 

Twitter allows businesses to view who is reading your tweets. You can see gender, interests, location and even what phone carrier your audience is using (which is important to know for mobile advertising). Once you know who your audience is you can cater your posts to that demographic and make it shareable to attract new followers. 

Tip 2: Make a Social Media budget.

Even if you aren’t paying a social media consultant to run your accounts, you should still expect to spend some money. Fortunately at the moment Twitter does not have an algorithm like Facebook and Instagram that makes it harder for businesses to reach their audience, but sponsoring a post still guarantees that the people you care about see your post (ex: a restaurant running a lunch special and targeting people in a ten mile radius of the restaurant). The best part about ads on Twitter is that you control the budget. If you want to spend 10 dollars for one day or 10 dollars a week- go for it! Just keep in mind that your budget is a bid war between you and another competitor for that spot!

Tip 3: Keep creating engaging content and then keep conversing with your audience.

Once you are catering to your demographic’s wants/needs by targeting them with sponsored videos, interesting blog posts, eye catching photos and promotional deals, the only way to keep them is to communicate back with them. Social Media does not and SHOULD not replace customer service, but it should be integrated into the customer service plan. The best part about Twitter is that it is in real time. If someone direct tweets at you with a happy emoji or even an unhappy emoji you can figure out why your business made them feel some way. It’s easier for a customer to tweet an issue rather than go back to your business or even make a phone call. Also, social media gives you a voice. People will want to follow your business and even be a customer or a client if they know they can communicate with you!

Thanks for reading my tips on how to get Twitter followers for your business! 

Best,

Hayley Greenhouse

Greenhouse Communications

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Name: Jessica Davis and family Location: Nashville, Tennessee Size: 4200 square feet Years lived in: 2 years Full of fresh white walls, warm materials and bold splashes of color and pattern, it's not surprising that the home of Jessica Davis, principal Interior Designer at JL Design Nashville, is lovely to look at. But it's the way she has incorporated smart design choices—and fun—that has made this home so warm, welcoming and family friendly.

Client Press Alert: Jessica Davis from JL Design was featured in Apartment Therapy

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Our client David Adams from David Adams Wealth Group guest blogged for Nashville Business Journal!

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10 Unique Ways to Make a Beautiful First Impression in Your Kitchen

These changes make a big (and unexpected) impact.

Check out our client in Good Housekeeping! They are number 6!

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Wow, thanks Facebook!

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Yay! Interior Design Client’s home featured in Nashville Lifestyle

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One couple breathes new life into a 1960s-era ranch.. From the moment the Bentley family moved into their 1969 rambling ranch home, they could foresee their vis...

JL Design’s latest project featured on Nashville Lifestyles.