Could This One Mistake Be Costing Your Small Business Multiple Sales?

In our little community, we are so blessed to have a plethora of small businesses. Cross any street and you'll find a good hair stylist, mechanic, photographer, restaurant, or clothing boutique to suit your needs.

But as more and more businesses pop up and try to make a go at it, I see a common mistake among many of them that could easily drive up more sales revenue.

What could that little move be that many are skipping out on?

The owners never introduce themselves on social media or the local newspaper.

Now, if you're like me and have your name in your business name, it's pretty easy for people to figure out who you are. But there are a ton of great businesses around here who do not use their personal names in their company logo and they never share a photo of themselves for a profile picture or on their socials at all.

That doesn't mean they should go and switch their name that they spent a lot of time and thought on.

I can't tell you how many times I've come across a post or heard someone talking about "that new business" and wondered who owns it. And in this busy world the thought that I should stop in and check it out and meet the owners is gone as quick as it comes to mind. I never get around to visiting or ordering from "that new business."

The number one reason I believe this is hurting small businesses is because clients and customers want to trust the person or company they are supporting.

Think about it for a minute. Those of you who are on Instagram or YouTube, who are some of your favorite "influencers"? I can almost guarantee they are the people you feel like you would be best friends with in real life. The kind you'd call up to grab an iced mocha & hit up a farmer's market for the day.

That's because they've shown you just enough of their day-to-day life to make you feel like you could trust them as a genuine friend and therefore you jump on every item they recommend your way.

If you've never shown your face on your page, it's a little hard to build that sense of trust that many of us have started to long for after seeing how monopolies are ruining are local economies. When you post a headshot of yourself or your employees with great lighting and your best foot forward, people sense your confidence in your product or service, and they are much more likely to pay you for those things.

Behind the scenes shots with you in the frame helps your clients understand that you know what you're doing, and you're passionate about it. I'd recommend doing most of those types of shots on your "stories" and save the polished shots for your posts on your page and to submit for paper ads. While I'm of the generation that rarely reads the newspaper, I know there are quite a few older folks who still appreciate knowing the faces of local business owners and being updated when ownership switches hands. Might not hurt to keep that in the back of your mind, especially if some of your clients or customers are in that age category.

Putting a face and personal name to your business also helps your already supportive fan base show their love and share your information more frequently as well! Sometimes friends and family members think your business is doing well enough that they don't need to keep sharing your posts or dropping your name in influential circles. But every small business owner knows that in this economy, we need all the love and support our friends & family have to give to help us keep going.

Which brings me to my shameless plug that you should get a professional photographer to do a branding session and headshots for your company at least once per year. How many of you are running around with a LinkedIn profile picture that is older than your firstborn child? Are we even still using LinkedIn?

I am just as guilty as the rest for not wanting to spend the money to update those things, but a few polished, professional photos can take your business to the next level quicker than you might expect.

Not only that but you can then use those photos for multiple things like your website, social media pages, paper ads, billboards, etc. You really can't go wrong having those professional photos of you in your best for whatever opportunities may arise in your future.

Of course, I'd love nothing more than to be your photographer for those polished shots to level up your brand. Reach out today and let's chat about your vision for your company!