For a while now I've been wanting to write a weekly blog post outlining some favorite things I've come across during the week. And that's it. That's the goal. This isn't for building your business or understanding digital marketing ... it's just random things I like and want to share. I'll do my best to point out local businesses, bloggers and influencers, but also just want to point out anything fun that I think you'd like, too. 

Let's start with a person I admire and respect and who, as you can see below, eats plants ...

Wanna know which brands of vegan food taste the best? Ask Jewel. Have dietary restrictions and still want to try new vegan-friendly foods? Ask Jewel. I'm always having my mind opened up to new possibilities by her. Jewel is a local blogger who reviews vegan products, restaurants, and provides a wealth of education about veganism. You can follow her on Instagram at @jeweleatsplants. Keep a tissue handy - these food pics are going to make you drool. 

Did you know that plants can reduce stress and depression AND make your memory stronger? Yes, I'm not making it up (read more here). During the pandemic I've added 10 new plants to my house. And I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. Start with a local store if you're ready for more plants in your life. The plant above is located at Art Terrarium in Des Moines and is pet-friently, so your fur-baby won't get sick from your new green-baby.

Who else is trying to be healthier but also constantly craving sweets? (I'm raising both of my hands. Me. Me. Me!) I'm all about any recipes that satisfy my sweets craving while also being healthy. That's why I love Cassie from Blogilates. She's always coming around with the good stuff. 

We Rate Dogs is guaranteed to give you a smile after a long, hard day. The dog pics are cute and if you're a nerd like me, you'll appreciate the quirky, silly captions that go along with the photo. And don't worry - all the pups are rated very highly! 

Fill out the form below to get tips and tricks for quickly creating a holiday offer. We'll even send you drag-and-drop social image templates you can use to promote your message! We created the templates in canva.com which gives you the ability to add in images, your logo, change text, change colors, and anything else. 

Psst ... check your spam folder and your "Promotions" folder in Gmail if you don't see an email from us right away! You can also add ashley@thatdigitalrush.com to your whitelist if needed. ​

Look no further! We've created a few "drag and drop" holiday templates for your business to use. These are created in Canva.com. Canva is pretty easy to use, even if you've never used it before, but if you have questions just let us know and we'll help you out! Simply fill out the following form and we'll send everything to you. Plus, we'll keep you up-to-date with new templates throughout the year.

Did you know???? 74% of consumers make purchasing decisions using social media.
​(Source: softwareadvice.com)

​So it's time to take it seriously! Get to posting! Hurry up and fill out the form below to get started ... 

Psst ... check your spam folder and your "Promotions" folder in Gmail if you don't see an email from us right away! You can also add ashley@thatdigitalrush.com to your whitelist if needed. 

We have templates to help promote holiday deals, specials, and more. You'll notice there are 3 sizes. 
1. Social square image that can be used on all platforms
2. Rectangle image that looks best on LinkedIn and Twitter
3. Story image which is best for posting stories

Simply select the size you need (once you receive the email) and click the text to edit the message. 

​Plus, more templates to help spread holiday cheer!

This isn't it! There's more! So make sure to enter your email address so we can send the templates to you.

You can also use our "story" templates on Facebook, Instagram, and now LinkedIn and Twitter as well! When you receive the email from us, we'll explain HOW to use everything.

Fill out the form already so you can get started!

I'm not gonna lie. Since having my third child I sit around wondering how I'm going to get it all done. To try to stop by myself from being negative, I started writing "I have enough time in the day" in my planner so I can see it every time I open it. It helped to calm my anxiety more than I thought it would. Next, I started writing "I have enough time in the day to be successful" just to up my game even more. 

So what's next? I'm putting it on my computer background so every time I minimize my screen I see the affirmation. I recommend doing both things! 

After that I got "wild" (as wild as a tired mom can get) and created a few more so I can switch it out every once in a while. I thought maybe some of you might enjoy them, too! Just right-click and save it to your computer so you can use it as a desktop image. 

Recently one of my clients was hacked on Facebook. What a mess! You probably won't be too surprised to hear that Facebook support for Business Pages wasn't much help ... and actually made it worse. We opened a ticket to let them know that the account was hacked and someone was using the Facebook Business page. Facebook then shut down the Business Page and wouldn't explain why or what we could do to get it back up and running.. My only guess is that it was easier to close our support ticket by just shutting down (i.e., un-publishing) the Facebook Business page than to look into it with us. You can imagine how frustrating that was after YEARS of gaining followers. Long story short, we figured out how to get the Business Page back up and running. The biggest lesson???? Just work it out on your own without involving Facebook Business Support. 

If you get hacked, I recommend following these steps below so you can avoid the hassle we had. Work fast to change your passwords and secure your account, then work on the cleanup. 

​I’m going to keep this simple and ask that you only focus on THREE things to get started.

1. Start a Google Business account.

This makes sure you show up in local search with photos, business hours, and a link to your website. I recommend spending time to take full advantage of all of they offer, however if you only have a few minutes, then at least just set up your Google Business page, add your phone number, your business hours, and at least one photo.

2. Set up a Facebook Business Page.

​This gives you a way to connect with customers in your area and gives you a digital advertising platform. Set up your page and make sure to fill out as much as you can in the “About” section – people do read this! Especially if they want to call you or learn more on your website.

Start spreading the word. What does this mean? It means your social media handles have to be EVERYWHERE and you need to be posting EVERYWHERE:

• Update all of your marketing materials (email signature, brochures, flyers, etc.) to include your Facebook URL so people can “like” your page anytime.
• Post on your Facebook business page and then share that post on your personal account to ensure even more people see our post.
• Ask customers to leave reviews on Google and Facebook.

3. Post on local Facebook community pages on behalf of your business.

These are great pages for promoting any specials, to say “thank you”, and to keep in front of your customers. SIDE NOTE: When you’re posting in a community page, make sure you’re not spammy, don’t promote yourself on someone else’s posts, are polite, and don’t over do it. You don’t want to turn anyone off … or worse, get banned from the page! Also, read the rules for the group to make sure company promotions are allowed.

​The best advice … is to have fun! You’ve got this!

Have you already done the steps above and want to go to the next level? Then it sounds like you need a Digital Marketing Business Coach to get to that next level. Let’s talk! Contact me today to get started.

​Having a hard time finding that PERFECT emoji? Don’t laugh! This is a real thing for us digital marketers!

​Emojis are a fun way to help you quickly – and most importantly, visually – tell your story online. You might argue … “Wait, wait, wait, this just feels so unprofessional. I’m supposed to be a refined expert.” It’s a great argument! But here’s another way to look at it: this is for social media where you’re having engaging conversations and showing that your business has a personal side, this is not for your website. AND you actually look behind the times and dated if you’re not using them. (Yes, it’s true. EVERYBODY IS DOING IT.) Obviously don’t go overboard with it … i.e., don’t replace all of your text with emojis just to take advantage of a trend – do what’s right for your audience.

Give it a shot! Utilize the stopping-power of an emoji to help your post get more views. Go to http://emojipedia.org/ and start searching. No more scrolling through tiny emojis and wishing you could find them on a desktop. Just search, copy and paste.

​Sounds silly but it’s a great resource! ☺️

​Yep, I’m an ignorant white person, too. I get called out by own spouse from time to time. He’s very patient with me and knows that I just don’t know because I’ve been white my entire life. However, that doesn't mean that I can't LEARN. And learning I am!

I see a lot of white people (mostly white women) complaining that they can’t “say anything right” when trying to support POC. Maybe go back through your communications and see what you’re saying. Are you saying “I’m sorry about George Floyd, BUT…” (psst, a lot of you are). Maybe say "I'm appalled and I'm ready to listen to stop this from happening again," and then just shut up and listen.

​What are you doing to change? Are you learning, watching, listening? Every single time I hear about another death or injustice, I realize I’m not doing nearly enough to be an ally. This time I’ve realized, I need to put my money where my mouth is. It’s not enough to argue with people and try to explain why murdering, abusing, and holding back black and brown people is wrong. I need to help those who are fighting in ways I can’t – legally, medically, etc. I’ll be donating to the NAACP Des Moines chapter monthly, forever, going forward. Maybe you can, too? The support is needed until there’s equality ... I hope that’s soon but from what I’m seeing from leaders, government officials, and my Facebook news feed … it’s going to be a while yet.

​Don’t look to me or any other white person for answers. We have no place trying to “work this out” because many times we’re so used to our white privilege that we don’t even know we’re oppressing someone and our ideas might actually do more harm. This blog post isn't about me having answers. It's about me showing support. I support Black Lives Matter. And my business is 100% behind equality, being anti-racist, and supporting Black Lives Matter. I'd recommend starting here if you're ready to get on board and find out WHO you should be looking to for answers ...

This is a great article if you’re wondering where to start and who to listen to: 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

You're eating out anyway. You may as well get a gift card, too! We write blog posts and post on social media to help support local businesses. We’re looking to crowd-source this information in an effort to find local businesses in Des Moines and the surrounding communities with diverse backgrounds, offerings, and clientele.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

3-5 photos – including of the establishment (inside and/or outside) and food/products. If owners and employees allow, pics of personnel is also nice to have (make sure to get their names and permission if you do that).

3-4 paragraphs (at least 4 sentences in a paragraph). Include information about:

• Background information of the owners, only if you have it
• Atmosphere of the establishment and other observations you have
• Review of the food/products/services (positive reviews, we’re looking to support local and help local businesses increase their foot traffic)
• Best/favorite part of visiting the business

You agree to give rights and ownership of all assets (text and photos) to That Digital Rush to be used for our clients.

WHAT YOU GET:

We’ll send you a $25 gift card to a local business of your choice or we can send you $25 via check or PayPal to be used where you’d like.  

TO GET STARTED:
​
First and foremost, we must first agree to work together before you receive payment. Please send your local business recommendation to us (the place you’d like to review for us), along with a sample of a review you’ve written on Google or Facebook in the past (doesn’t need to be for that particular business, and doesn’t have to be long or include pictures – we just want to see your writing style and descriptive words). We’re only choosing 4 a month, so stay patient with us as we filter through requests. 

Sound good? Fill out this form to get started and we'll reach out to you. Thank you so much for your interest! 

Starting a Facebook Group is a GREAT way to connect with your customers and let them start conversations around topics pertinent to your business. If this is something you're thinking about, I say go for it! My biggest word of advice? Make sure you can dedicate the time! You will need to jump in to answer questions, comment on posts, respond to violation flags from members, and accept new members if your group is private. Here are few benefits to starting a Facebook Group ... 

Here are few reasons why you might want to give it a shot. 

• Connect with super-fans
• Build brand advocates
• Establish expertise
• Engage consistently
• Collect ideas for content
• Needs assessment for your business
• Stay connected with clients who aren’t able to convert yet

Put some thought into how you want your group set up. A public group can grow quickly but you will eventually start picking up people who might bring your vibe down by being negative and you'll also get more trolls (ugh). A private group won't grow as fast but you can have FULL control over who joins. You can even ask them pre-qualifying questions ahead of time to make sure they're a good fit.  

Types of Groups: 
Public: anyone can see who’s in the group and what they post.
Private: only members can see who’s in the group and what they post.
 
RECOMMENDED:
For businesses using Facebook groups to interact with customers, private is the best option. This allows your audience to be more open (knowing not just anyone can view what they post) and it prevents spammers and bots from joining and ruining your conversation.  

Ok, so how do you get members to join? Start inviting them!
​
INVITE MEMBERS:
With a private group, you’ll want to invite members. You can invite them via email, on your social platforms, when they’re in the office, etc.
 
ASK THEM TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FIRST:
One way to make sure they’re ready to be engaged (and lessen the chances of a bot) is to have them answer pre-admission questions before joining. Questions like:

• Why do you want to join?
• How did you hear about our group?
• What’s your biggest challenge in [what fits your industry]?

 
This allows you to collect a bit of information for your own tracking, but also forces engagement right away.

You must include rules or a code of conduct that members need to accept before joining. This keeps your Group open, welcoming and provides a safe atmosphere.
 
Here are some common rules or policies that groups use ...

• No self-promotion, spam or advertising. (You can add “without running it by the admins or moderators first.” If you’re ok allowing some of this.)
• If this group membership is part of a service, then make it clear that they’re membership will be canceled after the other service is over.
• Respect others, no hate speech or bullying, no abusive language, no politics
• Respect everyone’s privacy. Don’t share any information, including screenshots, from this group as we are providing a safe, confidential environment 

The biggest tasks of group moderators include ...

• Making sure the content posted and the members are not violating the groups rules and policies. You may have to delete spam and other unwanted content.
• Adding/Removing members as needed. This includes approving member requests and removing those who continually break the rules.
• Reviewing content that has been flagged for review by other users.
• Posting conversation starters, polls, questions, etc.
• Replying to comments from other members to keep the conversation going and to let them know their contribution is valued. 

 Continually policing the group will help keep the group positive and open. You may need to ...

• Temporarily block a member who might need to cool off.
• Permanently remove an offending member.
• Turn off commenting on a post if comments are getting heated and controversial.
• Remove member and delete all of their past posts.

Come up with engagement ideas (polls, questions, etc.) so you're ready to start conversations and then get your Group started! Comment below with a link to your group if you'd like to have us join!