When you want to talk about someone whose light shines BRIGHT, you’re talking about Mary Katherine Hawks. MK is a hairstylist and owner of the most referred salon in Clarksville, TN, The Color Room. In her first year of business, MK expanded to a second location, increased her salon’s offerings with new hires and re-established what her role looked like as a mom of three and busy entrepreneur.
That’s where we came in. MK hired Local Collaborative to create and manage the social media accounts for both her salon and her personal business page.
Our first month together we only had access to the Facebook pages (thanks tech obstacles!) but we saw :
THE COLOR ROOM
Facebook:
+83 page likes. TOTAL 1,925 total likes, 2,004 follows.
8,811 people reached (+3%)
Post engagement +63% increased, Video watch time +62%
MK HAWKS HAIRSTYLIST
Facebook:
+28 page likes and +29 follows. TOTAL 1,701 total likes. 1,748 follows.
2,796 people reached (+46%)
Post engagement 1,421 (+145%)
Instagram:
Reels: 2,678 views.
Moving forward:
I will bump from 3x/wk on FB to 5-7 while we don’t have IG.
Make Reels videos
I also want to create story templates and test them on FB
Adding more GIFs and animated elements to static images.
Updated content
Update to profiles coming when we can get pics of new space.
We’re big supporters of focusing on more than your follower count but numbers don’t lie.
The Hardwood Grove was an existing brand based in Clarksville, TN that was popular across the country. Their following trusted the owners and brand as humble, hard-working individuals who stood by their word. When they developed and distributed their epoxy products, they began flying off the shelves! We came in because the owner was still in the Army and needing someone to manage his social media.
Here are some highlights from first quarter of managing the Hardwood Grove’s Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest:
Most businesses we work with hire our social media management team because their hands are literally full with duties inside their business. If that sounds like you, let’s talk!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of debate over rising grocery prices, particularly beef. Our business is proud to support our farmers, especially those in my own family. We just built a website for Kansas residents to purchase locally-raised beef.
The family farming operation offers several services including homegrown crops and beef. Their main goal was setting up a website to place and sell their beef orders. A small hurdle was figuring out how to separate two different LLCs between the father and son so they worked on the same website. We also needed an FAQ page for the consistently asked questions.
Before the website, they were fielding social media posts and questions. This website allowed them to direct everyone to one platform where questions were answered, details were given and online orders were accepted with online payments.
They had a few requests to help personalize the website (which we love and highly recommend) which included a business plan outline to pull accurate information and a family background story to emphasize the locally grown products. They also requested some K-State Purple which we could never say no to!
We decided to use a website that would be easy to edit, which they would be doing about once a month as new order information came to light. When building a website, it’s important it looks just as good on a desktop as it does on mobile. See these screenshots.
*Logo pre-existed and was not created by Local Collaborative.*
There are simple updates a business can make to their social media in order to reach their goals. In multiple examples from clients showcased in our portfolio section, you’ll see what having a presence with strategic and relevant content can do to boost your traffic...and sales!
A North Carolina brewery requested help with their social media content creation and posting to boost their online presence as well as communicate with customers. Over the course of the first quarter, which was pre-pandemic, Local Collaborative achieved these results on Railhouse’s social media channels.
Here are screenshots from before Local Collaborative’s management.
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Instagram:
Gained more than 51 new followers.
Reached ~1,000 new accounts/week.
People increased interaction, sharing and tagging since we were active.
Facebook:
Received 119 check-ins.
Gained more than 110 likes.
Gained more than 127 followers
(This was new followers PLUS 17 people who had previously unfollowed the account and CHOSE to re-follow the business Facebook page. This is from consistent and valuable content.)
Some screenshots from the end of the first quarter after
Local Collaborative’s management.
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CHOSE TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR AUDIENCE AND SHOW UP FOR YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS.
This client came to Local Collaborative with the beginnings of a beach towel company. She would offer unique and fun patterns to break through the boring and mundane industry. Not only did we immediately offer several marketing ideas for her anticipated launch schedule, we completed a Branding + Positioning Strategy for her which provided a color palette, logo and messaging under a new name.
Based on the goals of the company and the desired outcome to the clients, SunDay appealed as a Lover and Jester brand to us. We narrowed down her audience, the do’s and don’ts of the company and, everyone’s favorite part, the words, voice and tone compiled in a brand bio.
Understanding what someone in the industry says is fine and great but don’t we all love to see it come to life? YES! We included patterns, symbols, colors, fonts, and this mood board to encapsulate the brand’s content and inspiration.
The client loved the monochromatic palette and agreed we should lean into the feminine/retro vibe. She decided on this as her final logo.
We’re excited for SunDay to get on the market and for everyone to Lay Down Luxury!
Nonprofit marketing is usually the first thing to take a hit when it comes to budget cuts. What’s seen as a luxury is actually a necessity. The message, purpose, and drive of an organization has no way of reaching those they’re trying to help if they
1) Don’t know you exist
2) Don’t know how to connect with you (because they can’t find you and/or
3) Don’t know what to search for
It’s also detrimental when trying to raise donations. We get it.
When you’re changing people’s lives being on Facebook is likely the last place you want to be, granted you understand how to use it effectively, and updating a website has been sitting on that back burner for…well, a long time.
Veterans Village in Washington state reached out because they understood how important this was and meetings that would grant them large amounts of funding were the push they needed.
Before, the website was in the ‘get the job done’ phase. They had some photos, information, and (as seen in the last slide) some unfinished touches. It was difficult to find among the other chapters and they wanted to portray their business online as professional as they were in person.
BEFORE
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AFTER
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Just like their tagline says the website now evoked quality and a clear purpose. We redid their copy, updated the services and offerings, modernized the features, and put the focus on the residents. Updated SEO words and phrases made it easier for potential clients to find them and provided information that matched the handouts given to potential donors.
There’s no question Veterans Village is doing great things for those who served our country and a facelift to the site provides an updated, current, and helpful next step for those seeking a renewed independence and purpose. View The Live Website
Local Collaborative developed a relatable and professional brand for Jessica Jenkins & Associates. What started as an idea and hope in her mind turned into a classic, trendy and modern brand that speaks to legal professionals looking for staffing solutions and participants wanting to participate in research studies.
When You Need To Secure Excellence
Jessica Jenkins & Associates Recruiting & Marketing Solutions (JJ&A) raises the bar when it comes to recruiting solutions. Founder, Jessica Jenkins, formed a recruiting and marketing agency in 2020 with a clear vision:
Provide custom recruiting and staffing solutions in the most efficient and influential way possible. As anyone in the research industry knows, this starts with getting the right people’s opinions to you. You know the task, we know your people.
JJ&A’s brand included Jessica’s favorite words and colors as well as exuding her Hero & Sage brand archetypes. We collaborated on perfecting her logo and continuously updated her website until it was not only functional but beautiful. Our goal was to bring the recruiting and marketing personality to make her stand out from other stuffy recruiting agencies in the industry.
One of the additional items we created for the website was creating a participant form that would be forwarded to her email account upon completion. JJ&A is set to launch in 2020 and now has a strong brand foundation and website for clients and potential talent alike! This project was so fun to balance both worlds and we’re excited to see how she brings them together.
When your client’s only desired outcome is to win, you need to find The Power Of A Winning Partnership. This is what Kellye Raymond does as a trial consultant.
Kellye possesses a rare combination in the trial and jury consulting field as she is both a licensed attorney and a consultant. We created a simple and bold logo to pair with strong and approachable colors and a clear branding strategy by leaning into her Sage archetype.
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After remodeling her website for the first time in two years and refreshing her Facebook page, we were able to increase her social media posting, improve audience interaction, and established a consistent presence online to educate, entertain, engage and promote service to her audience. Here’s a breakdown of what that’s looked like thus far:
Before Local Collaborative:
Facebook Page Likes: 137
Average Organic Reach: 12
most recent:
Facebook Page Likes: 157 (+20), 160 followers
Average Organic Reach: 37 (Increased 209%)
The best part about Local Collaborative and Raymond Trial Consulting’s partnership was the reaction from her clients, friends, and potential speaking opportunities. She not only collected reviews and testimonies but also received speaking opportunities, new client work, and referrals or directions from previous clients. When you show up consistently, you get consistent results. Get your audience to know, like and trust you and provide them a place to send referrals. Here are just a few of the responses we received in the first quarter.
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When you work with Kellye Raymond Trial Consulting you’ll realize The Power of a Winning Partnership. Follow Kellye on Facebook and check out her website here.
Kellye chose to pay attention to her audience and show up for her potential clients. If you desire clearer communication and more meaningful content, claim your Free Discovery Session here. Talk soon!
Kayla and I met when I was taking headshots for Local Collaborative (yes, the ones you see all over the website, blog and Instagram!) She is insanely talented, kind and highly sought after in our area here in NC.
While shooting she mentioned the need for a website revamp to match the quality of photos she had taken. Kayla had a unique scheme and look she was going for so we complimented the photos with a moody yet clean and fresh layout. We added an FAQ section on her website to help clientele learn more about Kayla’s business.
She previously had a Squarespace website but, after hearing from photographers and other website builders, we decided to build out a website on ShowIt. You can check out her website here!
There were a few other stats we paid close attention to and you might find it useful to check in on your own website.
January 2019 to May 2019
She had 474 Unique Visitors.
82 percent of visits are on mobile. Making sure the site was configured for both desktop and mobile is always mandatory!
While 77 percent of her clientele interact on her socials, Instagram (41) and Facebook (215) , a majority of her visits were coming from Google. This meant that the blog built into the website would showcase her best portfolio work and relevant topics Kayla wanted to speak on. The more keywords you can add to your site and content on top of linking as many pages and topics as possible the easier potential clients can find you!
Now she is able to showcase her best work, raving reviews, and more!
Megan and I have known each other since we were kids so growing up so working together in the creative branding, marketing and graphic design world just seemed to make sense. In fact, we partnered on several of the other brands you’ll find in the portfolio before even touching each other’s companies.
“But, Marin, wouldn’t helping the competition hurt your business?”
Nope. Not worried about that. Why?
Because there are millions and billions of people out there (freelancers, small agencies, large agencies) who are more than capable of helping. But it’s WHO you can afford, who is nearest, and who you connect with.
We often reference each other for help with industry questions or collaborate on client projects. The entire Local Collaborative vision is being lived out daily because we know two creative, strategic brains are better than one.
Since Megan is a web and graphic design pro, my suggestions for logo and web design were paired with a strategic approach and I offered solutions to her biggest question: Target Audience and Brand Clarity.
I’ve written tons of articles on these topics. You can check out the blog for posts like this and this.
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As with every Branding + Positioning Strategy, we developed (and focused heavily) on WHO Megan was serving, WHAT they wanted and WHY they were coming to her.
When you find out what potential customers are looking for, you can use the vocabulary and thoughts they use in your own copy to resonate and serve them. Ding, Ding, Ding!
We also had some fun with that copy, letting her personality show through in her bio. This was another focus of ours since her full-time career as a racer held an entirely different persona than this feminine, creative business.
Megan is located in Kansas however her #laptoplifestyle allows her to work with a variety of brands across the world. If you’re interested in working with us, schedule a FREE Discovery Session and check out her website and Instagram below.
Kate has been a well-respected, Five Star Award Winning Realtor in the KC/MO area for years. Through that time she’s navigated what she does and doesn’t like, what turns clientele into raving fans and the direction she wants to grow her business. She decided it was finally time to get herself a logo and solid brand!
Kate’s company regulates a majority of their branding and rules so we stuck in those guidelines and added her personality and focused on her Unique Selling Proposition (USP) to set her apart from a very competitive market.
BEFORE LOCAL COLLABORATIVE (Jan 2019):
Facebook : 486 likes, 477 follows.
Average Organic Reach: 162 Instagram Followers: June 2019319
CURRENTLY
Facebook: 648 likes (+162) 648 followers (+171)
(PLUS 100% followers. This means all new likes AND
those who previously unfollowed are now following!)
Average Organic Reach: Avg. 290-345 (This is an increase of 183 or 112.96%)
Instagram Followers: 381 (+62 since June 2019)
I worked with Megan on created a logo followed by an animated logo as seen above. We also created social media graphics to accompany a strategic monthly marketing approach which has converted in several referrals, traffic and sales.
Being able to create and manage Johnson Homes Team’s social media and online marketing approach has allowed her to focus on her business, clients and family while still publishing frequent content with a strategic approach. We have seen a great response from the clientele and after implementing and reviewing for several months we’ll add in the exact numbers.
If you need a realtor in the Kansas or Missouri area, check Kate out on her social media!
Danette and I met yearsago through 4-H and thanks to the assistance of the internet and our business passions, have finally been able to work together!
Danette had a blog as a side venture/hobby for a year before she decided she wanted a re-brand. We changed her name, streamlined blog topics, set her up for a future growth plan and inserted strategic approaches to approach her audience.
As many personal brands can attest, the scariest part about beginning something new is putting yourself out in front of those who know you. You get major imposter syndrome. We came up with some solutions to overcome potential issues and she has a fantastic mindset.
I created the new branding of Soul Purpose to match her main pillars, business outlook and colors and fonts to compliment her mission. While balancing a full-time job, she is in the process of converting her website and social media. I’m excited with the small daily changes and commitments she does to move the needle in her business. I can’t wait for her future business partnerships and accomplishments to come up!
While there were some issues with claiming a domain, she was finally able to purchase an available URL! You can check out her website here.
Nichole was full of life, personality and charisma and she wanted branding that would help portray that to potential customers. Local Collaborative revived the copy, marketing approach, delegated a target audience and receiving referrals and reviews from past clients.
Here are some mock-ups from our logo ideas. We played with her favorite color, turquoise, glitter, traditional house shapes and non-traditional realtor logos.:
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Her goal in the future is to start up another creative edge to her business so we focused branding around her name, purchased and adapted a URL and always had growth on the mind. I always like to create a mood board for clients on ideas for content, cover imagery, and an overall feel for their brand’s archetype.
I had a great time working with Nichole and her high energy. If you’re looking for a realtor in the Kansas City area,
This Branding + Positioning project was just as adorable and fun as the name sounds.
This mini farm and start-up floral business in Petal, MS (Again…how perfect) is starting out with a tough sell as the new guy in a good ol’ boy town. They’re biggest challenges when they approached Local Collaborative were needing a logo, branding package and creative ideas on how to approach their new market to bring in business.
We wanted to bring a feminine, floral and dainty logo that we could use on all digital and printed marketing materials. Here were a few mock-ups and logo options.
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We developed fun copy for her bio and projects, outlined a marketing approach including seasonal product ideas and focused on their tagline
“Homegrown In Petal. Handcrafted With Happiness.”
Even if the locals were difficult to hop on board we focused on bringing in nearby college students and young females as the target audience. This was a brand full of personality and exuding a fun experience. We had a great time supporting another female and military-spouse owned company and are excited to see what they do!
IF YOU’RE looking at launching your passion into a business , PLEASE REACH OUT HERE. WE love creating your dream come true!
During my undergrad I had the opportunity to work with a variety of clients through Kansas State University creating campaigns, copy, designs, social media approaches and much more.
One of these courses included a summer internship with the highly awarded and recognized Bailey Lauerman Advertising Agency. My internship team and mentors allowed me to work with high-profile clients including Cuties, Mighties, Panda Express and meeting Alex Borstein as a representative for our non-profit event at the College World Series.
While these were not clients through Local Collaborative (in fact several years before we even existed) it still fueled my passion for creatively marketing businesses and gave me the strategic background to assist my clients.
Sedgwick County 4-H is the second-most populated county in Kansas however they were struggling with youth enrolling in their program and balancing a demanding workload.
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Local Collaborative worked with their extension agent to create graphics, marketing approaches and provide a variety of services including video edits and photography for outstanding projects. One of our main focuses was on their school enrichment programs as well as fundraising auctions and the county fair. We continually create graphics for their website, social media, printed materials and marketing approaches for different events and programs.
One of the larger projects we collaborated on was overhauling their curriculum guide and program booklet. Here are some examples of the Before and After.
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If you’re not already familiar with Local Collaborative’s passion for giving back to 4-H, please reach out here. We drop our rates for clubs, extension offices and more!
This was a combination effort for an entire business based around an author/speaker, his events, his books, his clients and more. As a Marketing Manager at REFERCO I was tasked with numerous communications jobs. Some of the titles and sections I operated on were REFERCO, Generosity Generation, CATALYST*, Certified Referral Trainers & other programs.
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I implemented a monthly newsletter for coaching clients, 12-month calendar for weekly coaching tasks, copy/creative writing for weekly blog & newsletter, social media management. Scheduled print, audio & visual features & scheduled webinar guests & created challenges, research, conducted surveys, established systems & campaigns, oversaw concepts, streamlined branding/design & live events. I created several channels of communication and experienced the many responsibilities of a small team. *I didn’t create/don’t own gold logo in above slideshow.*
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While working at REFERCO as a Marketing Manager I was tasked with promotion and communication of his Bestseller (7L). Maher’s book is the foundation and most popular form of referral to his live events and coaching programs. I shared testimonies, reviews and current standings in the Amazon Marketplace where (7L) is consistently ranked in the Top Row for business books. I used the material for newsletters and content posts and assisting his coaching clients among other promotions.
Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents by Michael J. Maher and Hal Elrod
While working at REFERCO, I was tasked with promotional strategy, public relations and indirect sales for The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents (MMREA). Maher used this book as the structure for his #30Mornings challenge, one of REFERCO’s most popular programs. As the Marketing Manager, I shared testimonies and reviews, monitored the rankings in Amazon’s Marketplace and shared the successes of the book. I used material from the book for newsletter and content posts, a monthly promo offer for purchase and guidance for those taking the challenge.
Thomson Team Training (TTT) was founded February 1, 2016. They built up a referral-based business (something every business dreams of) and firmly stated their mission statement, tagline and basic branding position.
EMPOWER. ENCOURAGE. EQUIP.
However they were gaining clients like crazy, developing new clients, building their team, creating new programs and being full time wives/mothers at the same time. It was time to bring in some help for their questions and to reach their goals more efficiently without letting their personal or professional lives suffer!
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December 2018, Thomson Team Training joined up with Local Collaborative to gain engagement and influence in social media, formulate new campaign and launch approaches, create graphics and boost their email marketing campaign (CRUCIAL for any business. This isn’t going anywhere!)
GROWTH AND RESULTS
Since undergoing social media and website construction to optimize their potential and current client experience, TTT’s Instagram saw an increase in the following:
153 to 324 followers (+171)
One Week Reach averages 451 impressions.
One Week Reach increased to 515+ accounts, 1,242 impressions, +244 average increase in Content Interactions.
TTT’s Facebook saw an increase of:
379 likes in December 2018 to 782 in November 2020. (106% increase)
About 40+ new likes every two months.
Increased from 365 followers to 805 followers.
Average post reach per month is now 4,188.
Post engagement is increased at least 35% each month.
Doubled comments and shares.
TTT also saw a leap of double digit email sign-ups and at least two new clients in the first four weeks of implementation. We were able to create a ‘birthday’ campaign giveaway that received them (just some of the basic insights) over 6 check-ins, 10 shares, more than 14 followers on Instagram, over 19 page likes on Facebook, over 18 referrals and reached over 4,000 people on Facebook and Instagram alone.
The best result? December 2018-March 2019, the first quarter of collaborating, TTT brought in 49 NEW clients! Actively responding to clients online, giving your clients something to share and having their network see them on your platforms is invaluable.
When your clients and referrals are looking for something from you…are you actively greeting them online? Social media is your handshake before selling. Be ready. Let’s talk about how to do this in your business.
Donze & Associates is a small insurance firm in Olympia, WA and faced struggles most small businesses are: HOW do we get WHAT we want to WHO we want?
They had a website and Facebook page but were struggling with what content would attract their ideal clients. We branded their online and printed business materials to resemble their service of trustworthiness, honesty and service first. Their biggest challenge was focusing on one cohesive message and adding a call to action.
After seeing their personalized plan, Donze & Associates implemented the suggestions to revamp their website and pursue SEO; making both user-friendly. Their new approach helped reach their target audience and provided them with ideas for their own personal side businesses and hobbies.
If you or someone you know is in the Pacific Northwest, refer them to Donze & Associates.
Shannon came to Local Collaborative with a big dream in mind: Create a women’s mindset coaching program. While she was still working her full-time job, she wanted to explore the opportunity of mindset coaching. Shannon is passionate about reaching out to women to share her story, perspective on mindset and tips, strategies and advice on how to reach your best self.
Local Collaborative took her starting point and created a Branding + Positioning Strategy for her ideal client. We created a niche target audience for her to focus on creating material for and gave her the starting point as well as future projections for all her options. It also included included a mission statement, logo, outreach strategies and her tagline:
pursue what empowers you!
Her Unique Selling Proposition (Tagline) enhanced her original branding to encompass all of her pillars and attract her audience. Local Collaborative’s goal was to have a brand that the audience would want to display and last longer than any business card. Her materials will attract and be visually appealing to attract and retrain clients; the main goal while starting out.
Since implementing, Shannon has been able to use her platform for engagement, influence and an outlet for her creative, intellectual and successful mindset placement. Her audience has become raving fans of hers and she continues to use her skills in her coaching business as well as full-time job for an influence bigger than herself.