The power of a quarter
Have you ever wanted to make a difference but didn’t know how? Read on…
Aldi grocery stores are among my favorite places to shop. I think of it as simplistic shopping. One of the things that is a little different is that you need to make sure that you bring a quarter with you for the grocery cart. Aldi has just a handful of employees so they don’t have time to chase carts down in the parking lot. They have an apparatus that links all of them together. That’s where you need to pick one up and bring it back.
Sometimes when my husband and I shop we spy someone in the parking lot that hasn’t taken their cart back and we’ll hand over a quarter so they don’t have to walk back up to the store. And occasionally some will say keep the quarter. How nice is that??? The first time it happened to me I had a huge smile on my face. Then I wanted to pass it on. We didn’t stay in the parking lot to see if that next person did the same.
Now I have a couple of missions when I go to Aldi. Shopping is obvious. I will try to pass off the cart to someone else and tell them to keep the quarter. Or I don’t remove the quarter from the slot when I take the buggy back. It’s especially thrilling to do something that no one sees. You wonder who will be blessed by that simple quarter!
Oh and one more thing…when I am able to pass a cart off to someone else, I make sure and say “Have a nice day!”
Mary Lu Saylor South Office for Grow Real Companies
Times are a changing….again for Facebook
Facebook announces changes….again! But this time you will want to listen up. This will likely impact all users of the social media platform in one way or another.
Read Mark Zuckerberg‘s message to Facebook users here.
Facebook is working on stripping out some of the junk that’s been populated and trying to create more value within their system. We all need to work on building on what we really believe here at REAL RELATIONSHIPS! Build your community and peel back the curtain on your business! This will mean the following for businesses:
- You need to be more intentional. Spend time delivering to your customers what they need…not how it will benefit you.
- Develop Facebook groups that serve your community. (Read more about the new one we are launching here at Grow Real Companies!)
- Money spent on Facebook Ads and boosts will need to increase. It’s really important to remember that this kind of advertising is very inexpensive and if you do it well it can pay off.
- Make sure you remind your fans that they need to set your page to SEE FIRST status. This will ensure that they get see what you are providing!
Remember social media is here to BUILD relationships with family, friends, and clients. If you need help please feel free to chime in on our Facebook page or right here in the comments.
Check out our Grow Real Companies video chocked full of great tips and some info about what we do.
Mary Lu Saylor/South Office for Grow Real Companies
Embrace the new year ahead with goals!
We’ve entered 2018 and I’m excited, how about you? Dreaming, creating goals, resolutions….whatever you want to call them are part of life pumping yourself up and setting the tone for this clean slate of a year we have ahead.
Goal defined: the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. (Oxford Dictionary)
Why should we set goals? One of my favorite Christian writers Reverend Norman Vincent Peale said, “All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do. ” No doubt Rev. Peale believed that God sets the plan for each of us and it is our job to make it a reality. We do this through prayer, listening to the messages he sends us, and realizing that he has given us abilities beyond what we can comprehend. Goals are part of this process.
What are my goals for 2018? At the end of 2017 I took a big leap of faith and decided it was time to work full time on social media management and training. Now that I work at home, part of my 2018 goals include professional and personal ones that intermingle. I am setting up new work systems for myself and family. I want to work on spending more time cooking (something I really enjoy) healthy recipes. I love experimenting in the kitchen and have a husband who loves to be the taste tester. I will also spend more time devoted to prayer and exercise. Professionally I want to be able help more people learn how to spread their message successfully on social media.
Shared goals! One of the great things about the work I do with Grow Real Companies is that I get to work with Tracy Barse. She and I live in different parts of the country, but we share work goals. We are in constant communication and share great ideas back and forth that can help our clients. This is part of what makes us such great team because we bring different skills and experiences that can help the other. And this happens every single day! We love to dream, set goals, and watch them blossom.
Goals into reality: Goals that are worthwhile are not easy. For example, most people can’t go out and run a 5K race without some sort of preparation. If you can, wow!!! The reality is it’s all about the training or action steps you take. I’ve seen numerous experts quoted saying the best thing to do is to write it down! The act of putting pen to paper, typing it out on a keyboard, creating a picture, or whatever works for you is what creates a visual representation of this dream you have.
How about you? Do you have an idea, project, new career, or anything that you just can’t get out of your mind and want to see if you can make a go of it? We want to offer you encouragement to give it a try. Start by writing out your dream, then a few steps you need to take to make it happen, and most of all get some friends to support you in your vision.
“If you set goals and go after them with all the determination you can muster, your gifts will take you places that will amaze you.” Les Brown, Motivational speaker
Do your goals include starting a new business or perhaps you need help with marketing a business or organization and take it to the next level? Please contact us. We would love to help share in making those dreams and goals a reality.
Happy New Year! Mary Lu Saylor Social Media Strategist
Don’t Do Business On Your Personal Facebook Page
Our world is all about sharing what we are experiencing. Most of the time we are doing this through social media. We want to show our friends what our kids are doing. We share that great new restaurant that we tried. Or even the new color choice for our remodeling project.
When it comes to business DO NOT do business on your personal social media page. I see this all the time especially those who are in direct sales. I understand you are very excited about your new business but set up a business page and invite your friends, family, and acquaintances there to do business. Your business will have more success if you treat your business seriously and not mix it up with your personal social media pages.
5 Keys to a Great Business Social Media Page
1. Have a great cover photo with your logo. If you don’t have a logo yet, create one using a tool like Canva.com.
2. Make sure you have filled out all the information in the “About” section with your hours, location (if you have one), website, phone number, etc.
3. Create some eye-popping graphics (again, use a tool like Canva) to catch people’s attention and make them stop scrolling through the feed.
4. Post at least one time a day. Feature new products or services, inspirational quotes, or anything that is going to help to educate your audience.
5. Record a video or do a Facebook Live! Videos are huge on social media platforms. Try unboxing a new product for your audience or show off the new collection of jewelry on display.
After you have posted to your business page then share it to your personal page if you like. While you are at it get a few friends to help you spread the word about your fantastic business. A friend of mine uses this at her church and calls it the “Like and Share Club.” They are spreading the world about things going on at their church.
Remember you are working on building a relationship with potential clients. You want this to be long lasting. So work hard to educate, inform, and enlighten.
Click here to check out our video with more tips to be successful on social media!
If you have any questions leave them below or feel free to email me at marylu@growrealcompanies.com
Thanks for stopping by!
Mary Lu Saylor Social Media and Marketing Strategist
Don't Be Shy. Get In Touch.
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