Four States Small Business Blog

In today's over-saturated market, your business can no longer afford to throw statistics, testimonials, or facts at your audience. Your company needs to pull at your consumer's heartstrings and engage on a much deeper level. Brand storytelling can help make this happen. Research shows that 55% of consumers are more likely to buy the product in the future if they love a brand’s story. Forty-four percent will end up sharing the information, and 15% will buy the product immediately. 

Thought leadership is a type of content marketing where you draw on your company's experience, passion, and talent to answer your target audience’s most critical questions. Simply put, thought leadership means you provide the best answers to your consumer's biggest questions. 

Even though many people confuse a brand story with a product story, they are, in fact, very different. In truth, a brand story is something much bigger. It is a cohesive narrative that encompasses the vibration set in motion by your brand. Unlike a product story, which is basically your company talking about your offerings, your brand story inspires so much more while enticing an emotional reaction from your consumers.

Today's job market is more competitive than ever due to the abundance of people seeking employment in a relatively slim job market. Since many workers are seeking new employment opportunities, now is the ideal time to revisit your company's recruitment and selection strategies. Top candidates often stay available for just 10 days before they get hired, and you want your business to be at the top of their list of places to work. Eighty percent of HR representatives note that branding can have a huge impact on a company’s ability to attract the right candidates. By including a few best hiring practices in your recruitment strategy, you can increase your ability to attract top talent to your open positions. 

OTT, or "over-the-top television," services allow viewers to stream content directly to their devices. The first streaming devices went "over-the-top" of traditional cable devices, earning the nickname OTT in the process. This service allows viewers to be pickier about what they watch, when they watch it, and how they want to view their content. Platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+ and Peacock have become increasingly popular. Twenty-eight percent of Americans are OTT-only viewers, and the average American household subscribes to at least three streaming platforms. 

In order to maintain your competitive advantage, your business needs high-quality team members with the skills necessary to help boost your position and improve your standing. As a result, you need to put your recruitment efforts into the avenues that are going to bring you the best results for your business. You don't just want employees for the sake of filling open roles; instead, you want to recruit top talent who can advance your business, create opportunities for innovation, and help you continue to build your position in the industry. Just what are the best avenues for recruitment? Consider some of these options. 

Across the United States, only around 65% of households subscribed to cable or satellite in 2018--a number that has continued to decline in recent years. As many as 74% of households subscribe to at least one streaming service, and the average household subscribes to three or more. Many cable TV subscribers spend more time streaming content than they do actually watching cable. OTT is taking over a space that was traditionally filled by primary television advertising--and it's becoming increasingly important for advertisers to consider the importance of this medium.