Feb 20 2019 How to Simplify Your Social Media Posted by: Anna Antic Posted in: marketing, Pro Tips, Social Media, Social Networking Tagged smart social media, social media, social media marketing Social media has done wonders for connection and exposure. It is easier than ever to reach out to folks you don’t know and stay in touch with those you do, and its ubiquity makes it an accessible tool to promote yourself and your business. Unlike you or your business, however, the threads of the world wide web never disconnect to rest. It’s easy to become overly attached to online happenings, and to neglect keeping a healthy distance from them. How does one balance the necessity of a social media presence with some semblance of sanity? Choose Your “Why” Purposefully Social media is, first and foremost, a set of digital tools. Just like a hammer has its purpose, so do all the websites and applications at your fingertips. Make sure you have clarity about your online purpose before establishing your platforms, to help keep you on task. Let Authenticity Clear The Path Once you’ve ironed out your “why,” the next step is dialing in how you’ll present yourself. I mentioned finding your authentic voice when discussing content overwhelm in our newsletter (hit us up here if you’re not already a subscriber). Authenticity is key to keeping your messaging and design focused and clear. When your message is clear, the means by which you share it stays clear as well. Focus time and energy on the appropriate platform(s) instead of spreading yourself thin on every one. An aside, of sorts: specificity in your messaging can also bolster your confidence in what you deliver, and lessen (if not eliminate) the urge to compare yourself with others. The vast reach of the internet nearly guarantees your customers and peers are out there somewhere. Give them the real you, and they’ll find you! Focus on What Fits Your Business This leads right into my next suggestion: limit your platforms. You might have recoiled at that suggestion. Isn’t it better to be everywhere? Not necessarily. Each platform has its pros and cons; focus your attention on the ones that fits your business best. Keeping your presence simple and straightforward also keeps your stress level low. Another way to keep stress at a minimum is with assistance. Social media management apps give you more bang for your proverbial buck by allowing you to collect and schedule your content in one place, even allowing you to share content across platforms. Having everything in one place saves both time and sanity. Like the platforms themselves, each app has pluses and minuses; we’re happy to discuss what apps can work best for you. Set Boundaries… and Stick to Them When it comes to your business presence, consider keeping your social media time within business hours. Yes, the internet never sleeps… but you need to! Just as you schedule time for meetings and events, consider scheduling time to follow and respond on social media. You might allot a large block of time (say, one hour), or schedule smaller check-ins throughout your work day. You can further loosen the web’s tug by turning off notifications, eliminating distractions and breaking the habit of immediate response. Another swell aspect of scheduling your social media time: it frees you up to create! Do you tend to scroll mindlessly when you really should be dialed into your work? (It’s okay to admit it — I definitely distracted myself with Instagram and the NBA app at least three times while writing this post!) Note the places of resistance when it’s time to put nose to grindstone, and notice if you sabotage your own efforts with distractions. Your social media should reflect who you are and what your business has to offer, but it doesn’t need to run (or ruin) your life. If you could use an assist in finding that perfect balance online, reach out and let’s talk (IRL even!).
Oct 02 2018 Be Our Next Social Media Maven! Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Business, Life at Upswept, Social Media, Social Networking UPDATE: this position is now closed as of Oct 26th, 2018! Thank you for your interest! We’re seeking someone who’s interested in social media management for small-to-medium-sized businesses. It’s currently a part-time, ongoing role, but it’s growing into a larger time commitment–-the more you bring to the role, the better it is for both of us! we’d be a great fit for each other if… you’re interested in creating engaging content that helps independent businesses grow and prosper you understand the importance of brand voice and feel comfortable bringing it into social media you’re comfy with analytics data and hashtag research, and use data to make smart choices for your clients’ social media feeds you know how to advise, communicate with, and collaborate with entrepreneurs who want to take an active role in their social media presence you’re laid-back and maybe even a little geeky, but always on top of important details BONUS: if you have skills and experience in graphic design or video production, that can help us open doors for you to put these skills to work for our clients! a taste of the things you’d be doing: Collaborating with clients to design and implement social media strategy that fits their business goals Create, edit, publish and share engaging content (e.g. original text, photos, videos and news) Setting clear expectations and goals, and reporting on analytics data to show progress Make sure social media accounts’ design looks top-notch (e.g. Facebook timeline cover, profile pictures and blog layout)</> Recommending and implementing new features to boost brand awareness, such as promotions, boosted posts, etc. Staying in-the-know with technologies and trends in social media, design tools and applications Contributing to our blog presence — if you have opinions about design, marketing, and creative, we’d love to have you share them! We’d like you to be able to commit approximately 20 hours per week to the position to start–hours may vary depending on client needs. You’ll need to come to the studio for client meetings, so if you have a flexible schedule, that would be ideal! Outside of face-to-face meetings, this position is flexible, and much of the work can be done from your home or your favorite coffee shop, if you like. A fast internet connection is a must, however! We believe strongly in working with local talent, and we want to grow and create opportunities in our own super-gifted Portland-y garden. With that in mind, we are only interested in candidates based in the Portland Metro area. We’re a small-but-fierce company, and we have a lot of experience producing solid work, but our process is always evolving and improving. You’ll have the support of our Creative Director and Project Manager for whatever you need–talking through ideas, scheduling meetings, onboarding clients, and so forth. But, we recognize that you’re the expert in social, and we welcome any wisdom and ideas that you can bring to the table. If you’re a good listener and communicator, and this sounds like something you could grow into, let’s talk about it! Or, if you can think of a trusted human who’d be a good fit, we’d love to hear from them, too. Rate is $18-25/hr, depending on experience. This position is now closed as of Oct 26th, 2018! Thank you for your interest!
Dec 07 2017 Creating Better Together Posted by: Janine Winters Posted in: Friends, Locals We Love, Portland, Social Networking Team Upswept Loves Local Businesses If you follow us on social media, then you probably already know that we love partnering with and supporting other local businesses. We feel so grateful to work in this diverse community of Portland creatives, and we hold a deeply-rooted belief that if the service or the product doesn’t already exist, we can create it! Like so many Portlanders, we place a lot of value on supporting businesses with local roots, who aren’t afraid to try something that hasn’t been done before. Pride-ified Books with Pictures Logo by Upswept Creative, 2017 Just like residential neighbors, the members of our creative neighborhood tend to face similar problems — whether it’s sourcing a sustainable material at a workable price point, or increasing studio rent — and we find that everyone feels stronger when we can face those problems together. We may not all be collaborating on every project, but keeping active in a network of other designers, artists, and entrepreneurs helps nurture those neighborly ties. And the knowledge-sharing is pretty great, too. When someone that you trust does the research to find a new printer, for example, and shares that knowledge, business gets better for everyone. Partnering with and shopping at local business is also important to the local community, because money invested here stays here. There’s no better way to know for sure that the person who made your clothes is earning a living wage in a safe work environment than to ask her, which you can do when you shop local. It’s pretty neat. Co-working Community Hubs Whether you are a hobbyist or own a business, want to learn new skills or tools, or just need somewhere to get your work done, we are rich workspace resources. Here are a few of them: The Perlene | A membership-based Social Club and Workspace for a diverse and ambitious community of women. The Perlene offers both dedicated desks and shared co-working space, not to mention a robust array of fitness classes, workshops, and social events. theperlene.com We launched Carolyn Hart’s new e-commerce website earlier this year. TenPod | More than just a place to rent a desk, TenPod comprises three comfy, pretty co-working spaces around Portland for those who want to rise up from their basement offices and cross-pollinate with other good people. tenpod.org Portland Apparel Lab | PAL is a member-based makerspace and collaborative knowledge-sharing community for sewn-goods, with an in-house design support team. portlandapparellab.com ADX | Art Design Portland is a hub for collaboration where individuals and organizations make and learn. ADX has a makerspace, learning center, and custom fabrication shop in SE Portland. adxportland.com Independent Publishing Resource Center | At the IPRC, individuals can access tools and resources for creating their own independently published media and artwork. iprc.org Local Businesses We Love (Go Buy Their Stuff!) Portland is overflowing with smart and beautiful products made locally by our hardworking neighbors. Here are some of our faves: Books with Pictures | Radically inclusive comic book store in SE Portland that just launched a subscription service, so you can your fix no matter where you live. bookswithpictures.com Carolyn Hart Designs | Ready-to-wear women’s clothing line, Focused on fit and design to wear from day to evening. All production is made by either designer or production houses in the PNW. carolynhartdesigns.com Tori Tissell of Storiarts screen printing in her home studio. Hubris Apparel | Beautiful and wearable clothing for real life in sizes XS – 3X. hubrisapparel.com Left Turn Clothing | An alternative athletic wear company that specializes in team uniforms, merchandise, and custom designs for men, women and juniors. leftturnclothing.com Rose Temple | Fashion made in Portland Oregon for nonconformist women. rosetemple.com Storiarts | Clothing and accessories that celebrates the intersection of fashion and literature. storiarts.com Union Rose | Montavilla boutique that carries only artisan and locally made products. unionrosepdx.com Creating Better with You As Upswept Creative expands our service offerings and grows our team, maintaining our connection to the vibrant local independent business community is a priority. We want to be here to help others grow their passions into their livelihoods here in the Pacific Northwest. If that sounds like you, drop us a line or fill out our Pre-Consultation Questionnaire and we’ll get back to you with swiftness and enthusiasm to schedule your free consultation with our team.
Jul 20 2017 Analytics in Social Media Marketing Posted by: Josselyn Haldeman Posted in: Social Media, Social Networking We’ve talked about how setting goals and tracking them is super important in planning an effective social media marketing strategy. But how do you go about that? With analytics, of course! Analytics is simply gathering data and thinking critically about what that data means in context. By using analytics wisely, you can determine whether or not your overall strategy is working, and where tweaks need to be made. It’s a Numbers Game Social media offers a ton of data. Seriously, a lot. So much so that it can be overwhelming. This is where your social media goals come in handy. If you know exactly what you want from your social media presence – i.e. increased followership, more website views, lots of people viewing your posts, etc… – you can focus on collecting only the data you need to track those goals. Establish a baseline by recording the time and date you post. Then, after a consistent amount of time has passed, (the consistency is what’s key here, so you can reasonably compare performance between posts. My rule of thumb is one week) record the data points relative to your goals. Did the post have an affect on your overall followership? What was the overall reach of the post? Over time, you will be able to see your progress, and make tweaks if necessary. Facebook provides business pages with pretty robust analytics tools. Use them! Experiment If you are posting consistently and tracking your goals, but not making any progress, don’t be afraid to change your tack. A tweak in strategy might not lead to direct progress towards your goal right away, but it will give you more information, so your next adjustment has a better chance of succeeding. Through the course of a social media campaign, I’ll do this kind of experimenting most often with determining the best time to make a post. Making a small change, like scheduling a post for lunchtime instead of the evening, can have a huge impact. Eyes on the Horizon In the world of social media marketing, your goals are always changing. You’ve either met your goal and are setting a new one, or you’ve reshuffled your priorities and determined a new course. Paying close attention to how your posts perform, and whether or not they are accomplishing what you want them to, can help strengthen your overall online presence. An analytical approach to social media marketing can be intimidating. We can help you with that! We have several tiers of social media support, from providing a step-by-step outline for you to follow, to full and robust social media management piloted by yours truly. Interested in expert help? Learn more about our social media management services.
Jun 08 2017 Social Media Management 102 Posted by: Josselyn Haldeman Posted in: Photography, Photos, Portland, Social Networking, Uncategorized Tagged How To, Portland, social media A few weeks ago, we talked about some basics of social media marketing. In that post, I went over how to set goals, decide which platforms to use, and urged you to stick to the plan. Now I’d like to get into another aspect of social media marketing that’s just as important… what the heck do you put out there on social media!? SET YOUR TONE It’s part of our brand to be a little cute and cheeky, so I’ll often make fun posts like this one. Deciding on the tone you’d like your social media presence to embody is a fundamental aspect of any online strategy. It’s also one of the most difficult things to nail down. Tone comes across through word choice in your posts and profiles, the actual content of your posts, and how you engage with followers, comments, and private messages. While the voice you use on social media should be similar to the tone of your website, it shouldn’t be a carbon copy. Social media is social after all. Find a voice that encourages engagement, whether that’s a “like”, comment, or click-through to your website. A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000… LIKES Across all social media platforms, posts with pictures get the most attention by far. This blog did an informal study that showed tweets with images garnered 89% more favorites than tweets without images. But you shouldn’t just attach random images. If you can, create or commision your own visual content by taking product pictures, crafting digital graphics, or snapping some thoughtful photos while at a work-relevant event. When using images created by a third party, make sure you have permission! Giving a peek into the behind the scenes of your business can be very engaging. This is a shot Sarah snapped during a recent photo shoot. The benefit of having in-house visual content is that you can make sure it’s all on brand. It will naturally feel a part of your overall brand identity. GET THAT GOAL Social media platforms are fantastic for bringing your brand’s tone and personality to the fore, and getting your name out to a lot of people. They aren’t so great as a place for information dumps, or straight-up advertisements — those fit better on a company website, and something people will be more prone to absorb if they’re already interested. Cast a wide net with your social media presence. Strike a tone that’s personal, use visual content that’s on brand and engaging, and craft content that makes people want to click that link to your website, ticket sale, or product page. I like to think of a social media presence like a digital storefront, and the overall strategy as the decorations and window displays. The goal is to get as many people in the store (onto your website, online store, etc…) as possible. Once they’re inside, it’s much more likely that you’ll make that sale! At Upswept Creative, we’re a one-stop-shop for branding, web design, and social media marketing. You can get all the elements you need for a successful online presence from our small-but-fierce firm. Check out our variety of service offerings, designed to meet the needs of business owners at different price points. We’re looking forward to chatting with you!
Mar 30 2017 Social Media Management 101 Posted by: Josselyn Haldeman Posted in: Branding, Business, Social Media, Social Networking Tagged business branding, online marketing, social marketing, social media Online marketing is so widespread, it’s hard to imagine a business today without some kind of presence on social media. But how do you even get started? It can be a lot to tackle. What is a good social media strategy? How do you manage posts across platforms? What does success even look like? This post will bring you through these basics of social media marketing. A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH The first step in any cohesive social media strategy is to formulate a plan. Start by asking yourself, “what do I want my online presence to accomplish?” At first, you might simply want to increase followership across platforms, getting your other brand assets in front of as many eyes as possible. Another goal could be to increasing website traffic, which is a good goal for online retailers. These goals will form the basis for the rest of your social media strategy, so feel free to take some time, do some research, and really think about what you want out of a social media presence. PUZZLING PLATFORMS There are so many social media platforms to choose from! Once you’ve set your goals, you can identify the platforms your company should be active on. Facebook is a pretty universal option, but it doesn’t always need to be your main focus. I Growing a presence on LinkedIn could be valuable, if you run a business-to-business operation. Instagram is ideal for visual-heavy businesses, like fashion designers or photographers. Twitter allows you to quickly reach an audience and link to out-of-platform content like a blog, or ticket sales site. Crossover content between platforms is ok, but it’s important to take into consideration these strengths and weaknesses when creating content. CONSISTENCY IS QUEEN Now that you know your active platforms, you can start drafting content. Posting regularly is the most important thing, so be sure to come up with a posting schedule you can actually stick to. A consistent stream of content, even if it’s just three posts a week, shows people that your business is active. You can also use social media tools like Hootsuite, which allow you to schedule multiple posts at once, to help you manage multiple platforms. STICK TO THE PLAN One of the most difficult aspects of social media marketing is determining success, but you’ll never be sure if you’re succeeding if you change tactics too often. It takes time to grow a strong social media presence, so practice patience. Use the built-in analytics tools most social media platforms provide, and keep track of your goals as the weeks go on. Experimenting with different types of content, posting schedules, and platforms is all great, but make sure to give each plan enough time to see if it’ll catch. If this all sounds like a lot of work, you’re right! Many small-business owners get overwhelmed by the nitty-gritty details of ongoing social-media management. It’s ok if you’d rather spend your time on other aspects of your business! Upswept Creative has our very own Online Marketing Maven in Josselyn Haldeman, who will allow you to do just that. If you’re interested in her services, be sure to say so when you reach out.
Jan 11 2016 Breaking It Down: Setting Goals for 2016 Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Business, Design, Pro Tips, Social Networking, Web Design, Websites The Future Is In Your Hands! Start Setting Goals and Make a Plan for 2016! It’s a new year, and everyone has resolutions and setting goals on their mind. If you’re anything like us, you might start feeling sort of anxious or overwhelmed about all the possibilities. You keep telling yourself to floss more, drink more water, go on vacation, catch up with friends and family, do yoga, etc. To help combat the anxiety that comes with having so many options, we like to break our goals up into categories: the Physical, the Emotional, and the Relational. Some of those examples may apply more directly to you as a business owner (seriously, go on vacation!) than others, the basic principle still applies. In what ways can your business improve physically, emotionally, and relationally? Here are a few suggestions: The Physical Everyone has something about their office that makes life harder. The printer never works. You don’t have enough space. Where have all the pens gone? Take this time to reflect on your physical space, and come up with some ways that you might be able to improve it. The Emotional Have you ever noticed how great it feels to do something nice for someone else? Find an organization that matters to you and give what you can. whether it’s time as a volunteer or a regular donation, you’ll notice your happiness levels increasing. The Relational Is it time to expand your network? There’s nothing like bouncing ideas off fellow business owners for feedback or support. Think about joining a network or organization that’s related to your business to spice up your relationships. Don’t Know Where To Start Setting Goals? We’ve Got Your Back. We’re growing and changing here at Upswept HQ, too, and that means we can do more for you AND do it better. We have some awesome new team members coming aboard to lend you a helping hand, whether it’s with the small stuff, or the big visions. (you’ll meet them soon!) Struggling with the Physical? We can help you make your business look fabulous on the outside with strong design, attractive and usable web solutions, and smart content strategy. Looking for the Emotional center of your business? When you do a branding and web project with us, we’ll be taking you through a more in-depth Discovery process, so you feel confident in your message and do better business. Feeling disconnected on the Relational side of things? We’re now taking on Social Media Management! We can help you create new content, manage campaigns, and navigate the technical side for you, so you don’t have to waste your precious day-to-day on Facebook. We can help you formulate an action plan for making your brand image smarter and prettier in the new year. A consultation with us is always free, and we love helping you grow! Click the link below, answer a few questions about your project, and we can take the wheel. Talk to us! We like you already. » Hearts, successes, and good vibes to you in the coming year!
Jan 28 2015 Saddling Up for a Fun Social Media Campaign Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Branding, Design, Events, Photography, Photos, Portland, Social Networking Tagged bachelor auction, brawn, high rollers, roller derby, social media campaign, throwdown showdown We launched a five-day social media campaign last week, and we had some, ahem, unique personalities stopping by the studio to be a part of it, earlier in the month. Venus de Mileage, a.k.a. “Frank from Jersey,” helps a fellow bachelor complete the look. We’re sponsoring the High Rollers in their 2015 roller derby season, and this past weekend, they threw The High Rollers Showdown Throwdown, a fundraiser party to support the team, and keep them outfitted with the gear, uniforms, and training opportunities they need for a winning season. One of the planned events of the evening was a Bachelor Auction with a twist: the “Bachelors” were female skaters, taking on male drag personas, complete with western outfits to match the old-timey saloon theme of the party. We were able to coax these five skaters down to Upswept HQ, to be transformed into their Bachelor personas in front of our camera. For some of our Bachelors, this wasn’t their first trip to the rodeo–they came prepared with authentic-looking mustaches and swagger to spare!–but some of these skaters weren’t fully prepared to see themselves as their Bachelor personas. “Oh my god, it looks REAL! Like a real beard! How does it look so real?” Just one of the five “Bachelors” auctioned off at the fundraiser! Fortunately, the supporting each other is one of the core values of the roller derby community, so the skaters pitched in with their makeup skills and drag king secrets, to help each other look their dude-liest for the auction. Once they were dressed and ready, we did a quick photoshoot with each Bachelor, and then worked up the photos into five different poster-style graphics, which we blasted out via the High Rollers’ social media channels. We used a heavier hand with the styling, and took inspiration from the saloon theme of the party, resulting in posters that were two parts Old West “Wanted” Poster, and one part Magazine Cover. The results? The Bachelor Auction was a hotly anticipated highlight of the fundraiser, and we even turned the graphics into framed and autographed posters, that turned out to be popular raffle prizes! The party was even hailed by some alumni skaters as the best in High Rollers history, and the team is kicking off the early season with full pockets and even fuller hearts. We had way too much fun putting this project together, and re excited to have played even a small role in making their fundraiser more successful. Interested in a poster of your own? Only a few lucky people could win the one-of-a-kind framed and autographed prints of the Showdown Throwdown Bachelors, but after all the wonderful feedback we got from this campaign, we’re offering a limited run of Bachelor Auction prints! You can now order a print of your favorite bachelor online, or even a set of ALL FIVE, with every order benefitting the High Rollers. View/Order Bachelor Auction Prints! > Portland professional photographer | Portland branding agency | Upswept Creative
Dec 31 2014 Making 2015 Awesome: New Year, New Ideas, New Business! Posted by: Perry Eising Posted in: Branding, Business, Pro Tips, Social Networking, Web Design Tagged goals, new business in 2015, rebooting social media This holds true whichever year it is. Let Upswept Creative help build your brand! Hello 2015 – Goodbye 2014! The New Year is only hours away, the bubbly is already chilling, the resolutions are already written (let’s hope they are different from last year). Is creating new business this next year one of your goals? You are probably not the only one! In this final installment of “Making 2015 Awesome”, we’ll take a closer look at what you can do to jumpstart the success of your brand this coming year! 1.) Go public with your goals. Many people focus on the future this time of year – many of us have resolutions, whether personal or private. Take advantage of the collective atmosphere of renewal by getting your customers on your side. One way to do this is to blog openly about your new year’s goals – actively drawing people in to your journey and your success. Creating a compelling story on social or on your blog will allow your customers to participate in said story, bolstering your traffic and your business. The ladies of Confident Creatives launched an all-new venture (with photos by us!) in 2014. What will you do in 2015? 2.) Launch something new. There are many options for this one–which is why you can make it your own, regardless of your brand or business. Create a sale, offer a time-limited coupon, review your price list, change a menu around, play with the layout of your newsletter, update your slides, change your header image on social or on your site, make a weekly giveaway, start a youtube channel…the list is endless, but the end goal is the same: Keep yourself looking fresh. People notice changes – virtually and in the real world. Now is the time to renew – personally, and professionally. 3.) Create some mystery! If you are not quite ready for a big reveal, don’t worry! As we all know, sometimes even our best intentions get derailed. If you are more of a long-term planner who doesn’t want to make a quick decision, or you have some big news in the pipeline that is not quite ready yet, don’t blow it all in the first few weeks of the year. Instead, opt for another route: Create some mystery. Create a series of posts, email blasts or social media posts to create a the buzz before you launch your big news in a couple of weeks or months. Other people’s big news and big changes may have fizzled out already, and you’ll be rising above the crowd.
Dec 05 2014 Show Why You Love Local, and Win! Posted by: Sarah Giffrow Posted in: Events, Portland, Social Networking Tagged Christmas, donations, holiday contest, Professional Headshots, upswept loves local We love local makers, and we love that the holidays give us even more opportunities to Shop Local. We want to get YOU in on the action, with our #UpsweptLovesLocal social media contest! How To Play: while you’re shopping for the holiday, share your snapshots of why you love Local–it could be a product you adore, your favorite neighborhood shop… get creative! use the hashtag #UpsweptLovesLocal when you share your photos on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, so we can see your entry. post your entries between now and December 22nd, 2014, and tell us about it: who made the item, where you’re shopping, and so on! After the contest closes, we’ll pick our favorite entry for a two-part prize: The local business or maker featured in your photo will win a 90-minute photography session for their business! YOU will win your own headshot/portrait session, to kick off your new year! So, get out there and win for you and for your favorite local business, and support Portland’s independent businesses while you shop this holiday. We can’t wait to see what local loveliness you share with us! #UpsweptLovesLocal holiday contest Now thru Dec. 22nd on your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Portland web design – Portland professional photography – Upswept Creative
