2021 has been a difficult year for so many. At the same time there are so many who have served heroically in their respective work places.
Below is a list of professionals we wish to thank. Each item reflects an actual event we have witnessed and for which we express our gratitude.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
As 2021 closes, we encourage comments regarding professionals you wish to thank.
When it comes to making your mark in the social media world, consider making your business “Instagrammable.”
Because Instagram is all about the looks, being Instagrammable means looking iconic, photogenic, likable, and share-worthy. Having spaces inside or outside of your business that inspire people to pull out their phones to take a picture is a great way to give your business a presence in social media and attract more customers.
To make the Instagramable spaces in your business, consider what makes your company unique and capture that in the form of a backdrop or art piece somewhere visible to your clients and customers.
An example of a business that has an Instagrammable exterior is the colorful and beachy Des Moines Doghouse.
Seattle Chocolate Company has created Instagrammable spaces both outdoors and indoors. From the street, people can see a vibrant, large-scale wall mural. Inside, the factory as a whole is picture-perfect and has multiple walls that make great backdrops for pictures. See our office administrator, Holli, featured below. With the entire wall covered in truffles, who wouldn’t want to get a picture and share it with their friends?
Another business that has created Instagrammable spaces using its products is diecutstickers.com. In the photo below, Owner Daniel Diederichs and General Manager Jerry Perschke are standing in front of one of two walls that are covered by small stickers the company has created for its clients. These sticker walls not only help make them Instagrammable, but also help them support their clients’ brands. In addition to these two walls, there are walls that are covered with large-scale, landscape stickers.
These walls don’t just make for great backdrops for photos! They also show clients how large and impressive diecutstickers.com’s stickers can be. In addition, there are walls in staff offices and the conference room that have inspirational graphics that make thinking of a caption for an Insta pic really easy. Displaying the range of their work (from small to large-scale) in this way prompts clients to snap selfies during a tour of the state-of-the-art facility.
For businesses looking for clever ways to get more interaction in social media, we recommend finding or creating a space in your business where people will want to take pictures. Whether it is a statue, a fun wall, or a unique product, having something aesthetic in your business will lead people to stop, look, snap a picture, and post. This is a natural way to create brand advocates and people who will market your business for you.
If you would like to brainstorm specific ways to make your business more Instagrammable, please feel free to contact info@4cesi.com.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a chamber of commerce is “an organization consisting of people in business, who work together to improve business in their town or local area.”1
When my husband and I first founded our business in SeaTac, WA in Fall 1998, we felt we could not afford the modest annual membership fee. But after four months of trying to drum up business, we found we couldn’t afford not to join the local chamber of commerce.
While chamber membership didn’t immediately produce new clients for our business, it did provide us with immediate mentoring. Because of the chamber, I learned to describe the services our business provided in less than 20 seconds and in less than 20 words. I also learned essential tips for networking such as putting your name-tag on your right side near your shoulder so that when people go to shake your hand, their eye is pointed in the direction of the name tag.
Through the chamber, I met successful entrepreneurs who had weathered decades of owning a family owned business, and I received words of encouragement that helped me carry on through difficult downturns in our country’s economy.
During chamber functions, I learned about local business resources such as the Small Business Development Center https://wsbdc.org/about/our-leadership-staff/ and business to business service providers such as promotional product sales companies, accountants, attorneys, and health brokers.
In recent years, our local chamber’s name has morphed from a mouthful (Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce) to something a bit simpler, Seattle Southside Chamber. This change has helped it more closely align with our local tourism promotion authority, Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. Given that tourism and retail fill major niches in our local economy, this closer alignment is critical to continuing economic development in our area.
I am thankful for our local Chamber. While I realize it doesn’t meet every need of an emerging business, it does meet some mentoring, training, and networking needs in a very affordable manner.
I highly recommend getting a chamber membership to any business operating within a ten mile radius of our contiguous local cities: Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila, Washington. To learn more go to https://www.seattlesouthsidechamber.com/.
Each of our clients offer something special to the Puget Sound area. I continue to confess to my colleagues that I have managed to develop a little crush on each of our patrons. My latest heart throb takes me back to one of my first loves, my pets. Soggy Doggy continues to impress me. They are simply one of the best stops for all your pet needs.
We have been working with Soggy Doggy since November 2004, and David has been the owner and operator as his parents were before him. David keeps his employees first so that they can keep the customers first. With many different locations, its no problem to find a Soggy Doggy close to you.
I have two animals in my home (not including any of my siblings or my sweetheart). I have had my beagle, Bessie, for over 10 years (featured left). My cat, Keesa, is the most recent addition (featured right). It goes without saying that I want to give my furry babies the best. This is where my love obsession with Soggy Doggy begins. Not only do they have friendly and well-educated staff ready to help, but they offer specialized shampoo and conditioner for you to use on your pet, whatever their skin/coat needs may be. I was so happy to discover that they have specialized tubs, so I don’t have to hunch over on my hands and knees to give Bess a well-deserved scrub. The best part of it all is that they will do all the clean up afterwards.
Soggy Doggy isn’t just a self-service dog wash. You can entrust your K-9 pal with the qualified individuals working here and they can complete all sorts of services for you. From wash, to groom, to nail trimming, to gland expression, Soggy Doggy strives to help you take care of your pets in the best way.
After a long day at a doggy spa, your pup deserves a treat. Soggy Doggy makes many of their high-quality treats in house. If you don’t find something you or your pup likes in the showcase, I’d bet you would find something to fit your fancy on the shelf. The owners were very intentional to select vendors that only make “the good stuff”. Whether its wet or dry dog food you’re after, they have incredible options that will provide your bow-wow buddy with a well-balanced, nutritional, high-quality meal. They also stock many flea and tick control options as well as fun, long-lasting dog toys.
Okay, so all these things are great if you have a dog. Yes! But, Soggy Doggy also offers wonderful cat care options, too! From tasty treats, to brilliant quality food and litter options, this will quickly become your feline friend’s favorite spot, too.
To top it all off, Soggy Doggy is now introducing a delivery option to selected locations with an online purchase.
To top it all off, Soggy Doggy is now introducing a delivery option to selected locations with an online purchase.
Now its my pleasure to introduce to you some of Soggy Doggy’s talented and experienced staff. They are ready to help and answer any questions you may have during your visit.
If you are in the Federal Way area and decide to come in, say hi to Mo and Amy, the resident groomers! Mo (featured left) has been with Soggy Doggy going on over a year and confidently says that it’s the “favorite salon I’ve ever worked at”. Starting first at the University Place location, Mo is happy to be a part of our Soggy Doggy team.
Amy (featured right) has been grooming for 7 years and she just loves spending everyday grooming these sweet animals. With 3 furry babies of her own, she knows firsthand the importance of a wholistic approach to cleaning. Often, the dogs themselves are not as anxious as their mommies and daddies. Entrusting pups to these talented hands help both the dogs and owners breathe a little deeper, making the whole experience a lot easier.
Looking into the Kent location? Tammiy (featured left) will likely be the first face you’ll see when you enter this little store. She’s been with Soggy Doggy for over 6 years! Having started her relationship with Soggy Doggy as a customer for PUP, People United for Pets, Tammiy knows exactly what customers care about when it comes to the quality of the food. She has both the knowledge base and experience to make great suggestions.
Spending her weekends up at the Normandy Park location, Kendra (featured right) has been at the Kent Soggy Doggy for 3 years. Kendra’s favorite thing about her job, other than the puppies, are the piggies, kittens, goats, and ferrets that all come in from time to time for their own baths. Kendra also encourages that she is right there ready to help point you in the right direction if you are unsure how to give any four legged friend a good bath.
Now on to the Normandy Park location. Rachel and Kalya feel as if this little shop is a second home and they carry that comfort and confidence into their work. With 8 years at Soggy Doggy, Rachel says the owners feel like family; David is such “a great boss” and truly has their back. Kalya (featured left) comes to work every day striving to be open minded, whole hearted, and animal driven. She loves watching the puppies and the clients grow each time they come in. Guests even pick up on the comforting atmosphere. They love washing their dogs here because not only is it easier but interacting with the staff is such a pleasure.
With wonderful staff, quality product and now delivery options, Soggy Doggy is a great place to go for all your pet needs. Interested in more details or ordering pet supplies online, check out Soggy Doggy’s website at https://www.thesoggydoggy.com/ .
Since the early days of the 21st century, the use of social media for business has grown exceedingly, becoming an integral aspect of an overall marketing strategy. This is due to a growing awareness that cultivating relationships with potential customers is key to growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Using methods of social media marketing helps form relationships with potential consumers in ways previously unavailable to the business community.
Research confirms the necessity of incorporating social media into comprehensive marketing strategies. According to Jacques Bughlin’s July 2015 article, Getting a sharper picture of social media’s influence, “Consumers who use search engines to gain some initial knowledge of a product are also more likely to tune in to social media before a purchase.” *
Although research shows that businesses that invest in SEO (search engine optimization) can increase conversions by incorporating social media in their marketing plans, this approach can be maximized further by also including email marketing, SEM (Search Engine Marketing), and Reputation Management into their marketing plan. Why? Because each of these channels cross-connect.
As we have seen, consumers make connections with companies to obtain or deepen their knowledge of products prior to making a purchase. But, how are potential customers using social media to reach their decisions to buy or not? A PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey conducted in September 2015** revealed the social media activities that influence digital shopping behavior. The report, based on a worldwide sampling of 22,618 digital buyers aged eighteen and above, shows that:
45% – Read reviews, comments and feedback
44% – Receiving promotional offerings
30% – View Ads
25% – Stay on top of current fashion and product trends
22% – Write reviews, comments and feedback
20% – Associate with particular brands or retailers
16% – Purchase products directly through a social media channel
Businesses that understand and master the digital domain can use each type of contact in their social media marketing to guide consumers along the way, whether they arrive to the business’s website from an ad, a blog post, a review, a tweet, an image, etc. Each marketing channel can be an extension of the business through which the consumer gains knowledge, forms opinions, and develops impressions that will lead to making decisions.
An advantage of using social media is the ability to better track and respond to the information that is circulated on the internet. When a customer feels strong enough to leave a review or comment regarding a business, they will most likely go to that business’s website. Businesses who do not utilize social media in their marketing plan may not know the feedback they receive. However, customers pay close attention to such information and will use it to determine future actions.
For small businesses, the opportunity for interaction and for conversions is great due to their ability to develop closer, more intimate relationships with their customers than larger businesses. Customers who frequent smaller, local businesses tend to spread the word online to friends, co-workers, and within community groups.
Small businesses can use social media to:
• Quickly release information about a service or a product going on sale
• Post and discuss pictures of their products
• Respond to customer service inquiries
• Build e-mail lists for the purpose of alerting customers of specials, ads, community events or causes, contests or even personal announcements, such as births or weddings
When a small business uses social media to interact with their customers, they make deep inroads into the community in which they serve. They get a better understanding of their customers’ wants, needs, and future desires which, when acted upon, may lead to greater success in the marketplace.
Thinking of incorporating social media into your marketing strategy? Cascade e-Commerce Solutions supports small business with their SEO, SEM, Social Media, and Reputation Management needs.
Contact us today at 206-244-9092 or info@4cesi.com.
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* http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/getting-a-sharper-picture-of-social-medias-influence
** (February 2016 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, “They Say They Want a Revolution: Total Retail 2016.”
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