Author / caitlyncallahan14

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Posts by caitlyncallahan14

I’ve wanted to be a writer for my whole life. In kindergarten, I wrote my first short story about a horse and her five babies, one of which got lost and had to find her way back. I started journaling in second grade. I started writing poetry in third. I took my first journalism class during my freshman year of high school. I worked for a local newspaper covering high school sports during my junior and senior year. I graduated college in 2014 with my Bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations, and 2015 with my Master’s degree in media management. I had spent the last five years studying journalism, communications, traditional and digital media. I’d held several internships, spent a year working for a local magazine, held reporter and editor positions for my college newspaper, and even spent time studying abroad in Italy, where I wrote for a local online newspaper. When I graduated, I began working for a mid-sized business as a member communications coordinator. Some of my job duties included developing a blog and wrote weekly articles, developed and executed a social media plan, coordinated the company Ambassador program with monthly newsletters and other forms of traditional communication, managed content and updates for web-based communications, reported weekly data analyses. A year and a half later, I moved to a different company as a marketing manager where I was in charge of the business line’s social media marketing, email marketing strategy, and publication content and advertising. Needless to say, I’ve spent almost my entire life immersed in the communication world. There’s nothing I want to do more than provide information to and help others through the power of the written word. After only three years at a desk job, I’ve found that it’s difficult to do what you love when what you do is determined by a greater need for meeting numbers, hitting profits, and reporting upwards. That’s why I’m taking my career, and my future, into my own hands. Working for myself, in my own home, on my own time. All the while providing support in the form of articles, copy writing, and development of social, content and email marketing strategies, and more for people and small business that need assistance.
by caitlyncallahan14

it’s a digital world (part 2: content)

A couple weeks ago, I published part one of a three-part series sharing some of my favorite statistics supporting social media marketing and how it can change the way you market and share your business.

Today, I want to talk about a concept that’s challenging to understand, and sometimes even more challenging to implement: content marketing.

Perhaps you’ve:

  1. Never thought about content marketing.
  2. Have thought about it, but don’t know how it applies to your brand or how it can help generate sales.
  3. Attempted to implement it in your marketing strategy, but aren’t really sure how to execute, feel stuck, or simply don’t have time.

IMPORTANT NOTE: “Content marketing” doesn’t have to mean blogs, though that is the primary tool for most businesses. It can also mean social media posts, video, photos, memes, emails, whitepapers, ebooks, podcasts, and more. The options are endless, and chances are you can find a form of content that works for you and your business.

If you’ve never thought about it, or think I’m crazy to suggest content marketing can help improve customer retention and drive sales, here are a few stats that may convince you otherwise.

  • 77% of internet users read blogs. However, nearly 30% of users block advertising on their connected devices.
  • Content marketing gets 3x the leads per dollar spent when compared to paid search tactics. It also costs an average of 41% less.
  • It generates more than 3x as many leads and costs 62% less than other outbound marketing tactics.
  • Small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than small businesses without.
  • 61% of online consumers make a purchase after reading recommendations on a blog.
  • Content marketing conversion rates are 6x higher than other traditional marketing methods.
  • Websites with blogs have 434% more search engine-indexed pages than those without blogs, meaning significantly more traffic to your website.
  • 70% of people would rather get information about or learn something from a company from an article or blog post rather than traditional advertising tactics.

I could get into stats about individual forms of content and how they can push your business to the next level, but I won’t here because that could be a 10,000 word whitepaper. The point is, content marketing is important, cheap, and can help boost your business and retain your customers.

Plus, the good news is you don’t have to be an “expert” to do content marketing. With today’s technology, building a website, editing a video, posting a photo, or even recording a podcast can be as simple as clicking a few buttons. And while you don’t want to put out bad content that could hurt your brand or business, attempting something can many times be better than nothing.

It can feel overwhelming to get started. But remember – no one knows your business, brand and products/services better than you. Think about what you can share with others regarding your brand. What’s your story? What are the questions your customers are asking? How can you be a solution? What do your customers like, and how can you engage and entertain them through different forms of content?

Check out some of these posts on how to develop a content strategy and get started.

If you want to talk further about how content marketing can help your business, need help getting started, or would like assistance with ongoing support, send me a message today. 

by caitlyncallahan14

it’s a digital world (part 1: social)

Digital marketing is fascinating. While the concept remains consistent, the execution changes almost daily. Think about social media platforms, how you use the internet, when, how and why you consume content – it’s constantly changing. Google, Facebook and other sites update their terms and advertising policies on a regular basis. That’s why it’s so important to have a digital marketing person on your team, or to hire a consultant who knows what they are doing.

While you may have a personal Facebook page, you probably don’t have the knowledge, time and effort it takes to run a successful Facebook Business page. Perhaps you read blogs, or even have a personal blog, but you may not be an expert in creating content for your business website targeted to your primary audience with the intent of increasing traffic and sales.

Or maybe you still don’t understand how all of this is important to your business and marketing plan.

I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite statistics supporting social media, content and digital marketing in a three-part blog series to help share why it’s critical to consider these tactics, and how they can help your business thrive.

Today, let’s highlight Social Media Marketing.

  • 3.5 billion people use social media, which is nearly 50% of the world population. Instagram alone has more than 1 billion users monthly. You have unlimited potential in reaching your target audience.
  • Nearly 70% of U.S. adults use Facebook. It may be the most popular platform, and one of the best to reach your potential audience.
  • 90% of millennials, 77% of Gen X, and nearly 50% of baby boomers use social media. Don’t let someone tell you that you can’t reach all generations effectively on social.
  • People spend 3+ hours a day on social media platforms. You have three hours to catch their eye with your content.
  • 54% of social users take advantage of social media to research products. It’s like another Google, but more engaging and interactive. They are looking for reviews and recommendations, they want to learn about your brand and see how you interact with your customers.
  • 71% of consumers who have a positive experience with a brand on social are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family. Use your social presence to build your business.
  • 83% of people who sent a Tweet to a company and received a response felt better about the company and were more likely to do business with them.
  • People are 26% more likely to view ads on Twitter than any other social platform.
  • Over 46% of all social media traffic to company websites comes from LinkedIn.
  • 90% of Instagram users follow a business on the platform, and are interested in hearing from and about brands. Instagram also has the highest engagement rate with businesses.

Now, re-read all of those bullets until they sink in…

These are just a few of many eye opening stats about social platforms and their positive effect on businesses, and companies are paying attention. Marketers spent nearly $90 billion in social media ad spend in 2019, and that number is expected to continue to rise.

Each platform has their own nuances. Each has different audiences – for example, you should advertise on Instagram if you want to reach a younger audience, Facebook for an older audience, and LinkedIn for a professional audience. Each has preferences for what types of ads work best – static image? Video? Link? It can be overwhelming, which is why it can be helpful to have the help of an expert.

Also remember, it’s not all about paid advertising. It’s also about organic content and what you post on your page. It’s how you interact with your audience. Social media gives you a prime opportunity to have two-way conversations with and learn from your customers and prospects. They can leave you reviews, interact with and comment on your posts, send you direct messages – and you can respond directly back to them. It’s a chance for you to share your brand, your story, information about your products/service, educational/informational/engaging content for your followers.

With social media, you essentially have unlimited potential to share your business and interact with your customers. Do it right, and you will see increased brand loyalty and consumer engagement, and even increase in sales. Do it wrong, or don’t do it at all, and you’ll be missing out on a huge and cost-effective opportunity.

I encourage you to do some research on your own if you aren’t familiar with all of the positive effects of being active on social media as a business. Comment some of your favorite stats below!

If you want to talk further about how social media marketing can help your business, need help getting started, or would like assistance with ongoing support, send me a message today.

by caitlyncallahan14

the importance of patience

I started back at work this week (FINALLY), and though working from home, I’ve now had to switch my focus to checking emails, joining meetings, and catching up on projects and things I missed during furlough.

Even though I’m back working full time, I’ve also been busier than ever with business clients. In the past three months, I’ve brought on four new clients, in addition to the three consistent clients I already had. I have a new organization system that’s really working for me and I could not be more excited to be continuing to grow my business, but it’s keeping me busy on top of my 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. regular job.

We also brought home a new puppy this past Sunday.

He’s a six-ish month old boxer/shepherd mix who has basically lived in a shelter or bounced from foster to foster all of his life. He’s the sweetest, most loving and friendly little guy, but he’s had essentially zero training. He’s not fully house trained, his manners need work, and he’s still a puppy with a lot of puppy energy.

Let me just say – I’ve really had my patience tested this week.

I’m learning a “new normal” being back to work (though working from home) and balancing my client load. Sometimes it’s tough to log into the meeting when last week I would have been sipping a glass of wine and reading my book on the patio.

And I’m also trying to train a puppy.

I knew what we were getting into with a puppy, but let’s just say I’ve never been the most patient person in the world. I’ve said “off,” “quiet,” and “potty” more times this week than I have probably in my whole life combined. I had to buy a baby gate to block off rooms in the house because he must be watched constantly. And our other dog is still getting used to him, so she needs to get extra attention!

I’ve found myself getting so frustrated. Either I’m on a conference call and the puppy is going crazy jumping on things and barking, or I’m trying to write a content piece and have to take him out 6 times before he goes potty. Or I really want to work on a client piece, but instead am focusing on a work project.

BUT THIS IS LIFE.

There’s always something to distract you. Something to drag you down or discourage you. Something that must take priority, even if you don’t want it to. When you’re building a business, especially if you’re also working full time, things won’t always go your way.

And that’s why patience is so important.

You won’t be a huge success overnight. Your client list won’t boom in one week or even one month. You won’t have as much savings as you’d like to quit your job. Your website traffic may take months to be where you want it. But part of building a business and being a freelancer is remembering these things even when it’s hard and life seems to get in the way or even knock you down. Trust me, it took me a long time to understand and embrace this.

It’s so important to have patience because that’s what will keep you going, knowing that one day you will be a huge success, and your client list will be nearly more than you can handle, and you’ll have enough savings to be able to quit your job and do what you love full-time instead.

I’m more motivated than ever to continue to provide excellence to my clients and grow my business, portfolio and profits. And, I have more work than ever to prove it. I’ve had to be patient with myself while I figure out how to juggle my time and work and normal life after three months of having endless time to do whatever I wanted. I’ve had to be patient with the puppy, because after all, he’s just a puppy. (One day, he will be an amazing dog and these puppy months will be a distant memory.)

I’ve found that the more patient you are with yourself in life, the more you will be able to get out of life. And yes, this is much easier for me to say than do. But if you give yourself time to become who you want to be, and build what you’ve always dreamed, getting there is so much sweeter. And, you get to enjoy the path along the way.

They say to live for the journey, not just the destination. It’s easier to do so once you understand the importance of patience ✌️

by caitlyncallahan14

a cup of coffee and a pen

If you’ve poked around on my website or read any of my blogs, you’ve probably come to the understanding that I’ve always loved to write. Ever since I was a kid, I’d be making up poems and short stories, family newsletters, articles, journal entries, and anything else I could click out on the typewriter or scribble in my notebook.

Throughout my life, I’ve never lost that love or passion for writing, which is why I am where I am today – working in the marketing field, freelancing and owning my own digital consulting business. And while the consistency ebbs and flows, I still write as much as I can.

I believe practice makes perfect. The more you practice a new skill, the better you become at it. If you believe Malcolm Gladwell, after 10,000 hours you will be an expert at that skill. That’s 416 days of constant practice. I’d say over my lifetime, I’ve accomplished 416 days of practice writing. I’d say that makes me an expert.

However, just because I’m an expert doesn’t mean I get to stop practicing. I have a few pretty consistent writing gigs for clients, generating blog posts on various topics for their websites. I also write for my full-time job. While I do consider this practice, because I’m still writing, it’s not what helps me retain my expert status.

Instead, it’s the writing I do for fun. The journal I try to update every day. The poetry that sometimes just flows out of my brain. This blog. “Short stories” or scenes I see while I’m laying in bed or day dreaming watching the birds in my backyard. When I have to grab a pen and scribble as fast as my hand can write, or type it out on my laptop or phone because it’s faster and I don’t want to forget. Most of the time it’s whatever comes however it comes, without editing or thinking. This is the practice that will help me to rise above and continue to improve – for myself and my clients.

Here’s a challenge for you.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Or tea, if that’s what you prefer. Pick up a pen and notebook, or scrap piece of paper, or grab your laptop or phone or tablet – whatever “writing” instrument you prefer. Sit and place the cup of coffee within your eyesight, or you can hold it. And write. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? How does the coffee smell? How does it taste? Describe the cup. Write about your surroundings. Detail the coffee, the way the creamer swirls around or the steam rising off the top. Spend about 5-10 minutes just writing. Don’t think, don’t edit, just write.

Did you complete the challenge? That’s practice.

For as long as I can, I will continue to practice. Continue to improve myself and my ranking as an expert. I’ll do it for my clients and my career, but also for myself. Because I love it, and it can be as simple as writing about my cup of coffee.

by caitlyncallahan14

i don’t edit my blogs

I don’t edit my blog posts.

It’s quite the opposite when I work on pieces for my clients.

Once I’m finished with a piece for a client, I put it to the side and don’t look at it again for a day or two. Then, I print it out and edit the old fashioned way – with a pen. Reading the piece out loud, I mark up as I go. Once I’m finished, I make all the corrections on the electronic copy. If the piece is long or a complicated topic, I’ll print it out and hard-copy edit again. Or, I’ll read through the electronic copy, making additional edits as I go.

Depending on how extensive the piece is, I can spend up to an hour editing. I don’t rush. Sometimes I’ll put it to the side and sit on it for another day or two. I find that giving myself space from the piece clears my head and gives me additional clarity. Most of the time I’m able to go back and catch things I missed, make additional edits improving the flow, or realize something that made sense when I wrote it no longer does.

Giving my clients exceptional work isn’t just so I can continue to have a business, but it’s also what I expect from myself. Spending extra time editing and making sure what I submit to them is perfect is simply part of the job. It helps ensure I’m adding quality pieces to my portfolio, and it keeps the client happy.

However, when I write my own blog posts, I feel differently.

On my own blog, it’s important to me to be authentic. To be real, and honest. I write like I’m having a conversation with you because that’s how I want you to feel. And by editing and re-writing, I feel I lose some of that authenticity and spur-of-the-moment conversation feel.

This isn’t something I’ve always done. When I first started my blog, I felt like everything I wrote had to be perfect because I wanted people to trust that what I’d create for them is perfect. But over time I’ve found that there is a separation between my work for my clients and writing for my blog, and there are different expectations.

Building a relationship with my clients is critical to both of our success. If you want to see my portfolio of my professional work, and learn what you’d expect if you hired me to write for you, go to callahancommunication.com/portfolio. But if you want to understand me as a person, what I represent, why I do what I do, and why you should trust me to help you with your digital marketing, read my blog.