SageEden CEO featured in the Media!

Hello all!

Exciting news once again for SageEden -- SageEden CEO Sharell Carroll was featured in the Thursday issue of The Punch in the "Woman in action" section. 

This was another great opportunity to put SageEden in the spotlight and expose the company to new publics. If you know of media opportunities to highlight your company, take them!

Stay Connected-Get Involved with Community Events!

This past weekend, Team Sageeden Media Group participated in the SelfStarters Trade Show which showcased several businesses owned by Bahamian Entrepreneurs 30 and under.

It was also a great networking opportunity and we were able to get local media coverage in the press, via print, radio and television.

With this in mind, I wanted to remind you that there is no event too big or too small to participate in. Try to get involved with your community through trade shows and other gatherings that will give you marketing exposure and assist in promoting your company. You never know where your next client will come from so just be ready to jump in and participate.

Things to enhance your display set up at events like trade shows include:

Preparation: Be prepared in advance to have a lovely display set up. Knowing who your audience is helps a lot as well. Also try to have items that would be interactive and a sign in sheet so that you can remain in contact with those passing by or who are directly interested in your services.

A large banner: Ensure that your banner displays your company’s logo and slogan as well as a brief listing of your products or services. Remember that most people are visual so including a few photos of your various events or actual products would be beneficial.

Flyers and business cards: Don’t spare the expense! Ensure that you have eye catching and creative flyers and business cards handy because people who stop by your booth, or table will need something tangible to get in contact with you.

Visual Aids: These could include a computer screen or monitor that will portray video footage or even photos of your company’s activities.

Flowers:  Even if you don’t sell flowers, they can be a great accessory for the table. When setting up your displays, try to have something eye catching for your potential clients to notice.

People with personality: No matter how great your company is, if you don’t have the right faces and people sharing the information with those passing by, then all the effort is in vain. Smiling faces and genuine smiles definitely draw people in!

Lights camera action! Get ready to experience the best that life has to offer you as an entrepreneur who is making things happen.

Remember that your attitude determines just how far you go and grow. Life can be beautiful when you begin to believe that it can. No matter how difficult it may get, awaking to another day gives one hope that the best is still yet to come.

As the year wraps up, keep pushing. You never know where you will meet your next million dollar client, so treat everyone with respect and kindness!

All the best to you and yours!

Building Your Brand to Attract Clients!

Hello!

Team SageEden Media Group is feeling on top of the world! On Thursday, November 17th, 2011, we hosted a successful rebranding event that also provided an opportunity for networking!
Constellations was our theme, which essentially embraced the idea of "Stars gathering under the Stars" Individuals from all walks of life gathered and discussed their businesses, ideas as well as future plans.
From the feedback we received about the venue, food, programme, live music by Daniel's Den, the decor and charity opportunity, we truly felt that all the effort put into the event was worth it!

I would like to extend special thanks to Compass Point Resort, our corporate sponsor who provided an amazing ambiance overlooking the beautiful ocean! The cocktail items were scrumptious and the drinks were fruitfully satisfying.

We understand the importance of giving back to our community. With this in mind, we also hosted a silent auction and extend many thanks to all of those sponsors including:

• Via Caffe
• Suntime Bahamas
• Final Accents Boutique
• Blue Lagoon
• Designer's Image Boutique
• Beagard Land and Sea Designs
• Cheesecake Heaven

Other giveaway prizes were donated by:

• Touch of Inspiration Spa -- A facial
• S. Carroll -- Beyonce "Heat" perfume
• Nails by Marcia -- A manicure
• Sherika Brown -- "The Principles and Purpose of Relationships" (authored by her!)

Now, onto branding successfully....
Every company, organization or person should establish a brand that is relatable to the target audience.
Think very carefully about the colors you chose, because they also evoke certain emotions as well as the fonts and size you select.

As we know, branding is very intentional, and it should be. No longer are consumers blindly making purchases. Rather they look for brands that are strong, and consistent in their message. You can establish a brand through a high definition logo - one that is crisp and sends a specific message.
Brands may include words or just pictures. Some people have such a strong brand that they are able to use one letter in their name :) I think we all know and appreciate the gifts in that person! (O!)

a brand sets you a part from the rest of your competitiors. It causes you to be recognized for your quality product and/or service.

SageEden initially started out as the select company for Event Coordination with a few other products.
This was the first logo:

As the company grew and the demands for marketing, public relations, corporate training, motivational speaking and event coordination increased, I knew it was time to re-brand. I wanted a stronger image, however, I still wanted it to reflect my personality, and allow the theme of a creative but corporate culture to emerge.

I think we were successful! I am please to introduce you to our new logo. Our new slogan is, "Think Beyond & Create Your Signature" The look says it all!

Our new website is in the process of being launched: http://www.sageedenmedia.com/

Once you have established your logo and slogan it's time to get it out there!
First start with the social networks, THEY ARE FREE :) Let's not forget blogs, as well as YouTube!

You can also begin speaking with various groups sharing the services and vision of the company.
Please note that your company is like a baby, you have to nurture it until it is strong enough to run on its own.
People are attracted to brands that are associated with "green" concepts, environmentally friendly, community minded, innovative and technologically savvy.

Other ways you can build your brand is to develop products and paraphernalia to distribute at various trade shows and events.
Investing in a great website is also key!

Think about the brands you love, and now you can add one more to your list...SageEden Media Group!
We are thankful to all of our supporters and those who follow our blog!

The journey has just begun!

Constellations...A Networking & Rebranding Event

We at the SageEden team are sooooo excited about our relaunch event this Thursday!

Since its incpetion, SageEden Media Group has been on a path of evolution and revolution adding and revamping services and products.

At Constellations, we will be unveiling our new logo which embodies our corporate yet creative culture. Additionally, we will be hosting a silent auction which will raise funds for donation to children living with HIV.
Our amazing silent auction partners have made this possible.

We would also like to showcase the internationally renowned Compass Point Resort who is the major corporate sponsor for this event. Not only are they providing a beautiful venue, but food and drinks as well.

Our special entertainment includes: Lenelle Michelle Mime, Kim Welcome and Giavanna Knowles with Daniel's Den musicians.

Our event will also serve as a reminder to clients and potential clients of our services which include Advertisement Production, Development of Business Presentations, Event Media Presentations, Marketing, Public Relations, Corporate Training, Event Coordination, Image/Product Branding, Media and Image Consulting, Motivational Speaking and more.

Overall I wish to say thank you to all of our supporters who have helped SageEden become the success it has become. Without you it would not have been possible, so let us say "Thank you!" See you on Thursday!

 

The power of a company greeting card (and how to do one right!)

It is almost hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner again. This year, SageEden has added yet another service to its growing list -- corporate greeting cards. Sending greeting cards to clients and customers at year's end is a great way to thank them for their patronage throughout the year. It shows your appreciation for their business, and even if they are not regular customers, it reminds them that they should be.

With that being said, here are some tips on creating memorable cards for your clients.

1. Don't be cheap. Send only high-quality cards. The card you send will be a reflection of your company. Don't try to cut corners to save money -- your company will look like one that cuts corners.

2. Don't alienate people. Be considerate of the fact that everyone has different beliefs. Don't use this as a time to impose yours on anyone. Use cards that read "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays" so that whether they celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, your card will be appreciated.

3. Be appropriate. Even though you might find a cheeky card funny, not everyone else will. Some people might even be offended by it. Stay on the safe side when choosing a design.

4. It's not about you. Don't use your greeting card as a mini-billboard for your business. Give them greetings and thank them for their business. They'll know who the card is from in the signature.

5. Personalize it! Hand write a personalized message inside the card for each recipient. It may be time-consuming, but it will be appreciated and remembered by each person.

If you are going to send greeting cards, do it right with the help of SageEden. We have the tools and expertise to make sure that you impress clients and keep their business. Thanks again for reading!

Ways to Increase Engagement on Facebook!

A reoccurring theme I have noticed within the small business and nonprofit arenas is Facebook engagement. Everyone is aware of the importance of engaging on Facebook, but cannot seem to get enough audience involvement to truly make it worthwhile. So, here are my secrets to increased Facebook engagement.

Ask Questions!

When you are sitting in a coffee shop, or at a work mixer, the best way to engage with someone is to ask questions. So it goes without saying why this tactic would generate more responses on Facebook. However, there are a few tricks to this trade. John Haydon sums up the key to asking questions superbly in his “16 Ways To Get More Comments On Your Facebook Page” post. He says:

“Asking questions are probably the easiest way[s] to get fans commenting. But keep in mind that Facebook fans don’t like homework. If they have to spend time trying to understand a question, they’ll be less likely to answer it.”

The takeaway here is to be simple in your questions. These are my top 5 question types:

• Yes /No
• True/ False
• Requesting Tips or Recommendations
• Ask “heart string” questions
• Specific Questions

An added benefit of asking questions is that you get a better understanding of your audience based on their responses.

Responding to Comments

One of the first things I learned about engagement is that the company, brand or person behind the blog post, Facebook post, or Tweet, should almost always respond to comments. The key to replying according to Guy Kawasaki is to do it:

• Fast: Within 24 hours
• Often: Reply to everyone’s comments, and comment on your fans/followers’ posts as well

Always responding to comments may not be the best practice for all cases. A company should never directly defame their critic over social media. There are two large companies that do this well and use different approaches:

• Dunkin Donuts: hardly ever addresses negative criticism, instead their fans/followers respond
• LivingSocial: always takes negative conversations away from social media, by publicly requesting the follower/fan to call or email them

While it is important to engage it is equally important to stay away from conducting negative conversations over social media. By doing this you ensure that they do not evolve in a public arena, and that you are not feeding the media negative information.

When to publish a post

Everyone knows that it is important to share information on Facebook. But did you know that you could generate up to 20% more engagement by sharing it at specific times? Below is a table designed by Buddy Media which indicates when publishing information should generate the most engagement. Over the course of two weeks in January - February 2011, they analyzed the Facebook posts and engagement rates of approximately 200 clients, to generate these results:

Strategies for effective Facebook wall posts

By timing the publishing of content when fans/followers are most likely to be on Facebook, companies/brands have a higher probability of being seen in newsfeeds and updates. These results do not mean that all information should only be shared during this time. It simply implies that if you follow these steps your engagement should increase.

What are your secrets to increasing engagement on Facebook?

Non-Conventional Ways to Promote Your Business

Hello dreamers, thinkers, and achievers!!!

Daily, our world is becoming smaller, and this wonderful melting pot allows for numerous benefits, depending on your perspective. If you are one who sees the glass half full rather than half empty, then you will be amazed at what you can do through networking and the application of modern technology for your business.

Many times small businesses that are working on building their brand through providing products or services, find that the budget for marketing or public relations is minimal to non-existent. Trust me, I know the growing pains all too well. However, it is essential that if you are not able to afford the high end agency fees, you find a way to implement a marketing strategy that will create a buzz about your company...that is, if you truly want it to grow.

I'd like to share on some of the creative ways that you can simultaneously affect change and increase your brand awareness.

Recently I was in a local pageant where I learned so much about myself, communicating with others, staying organized, and how to raise sponsorship dollars!! It was an amazing learning experience that I would not trade for the world. While I placed 1st runner up, the opportunities I had to share love, life and God with others was invaluable, and guess what else made it worthwhile?

I was able to represent SageEden because it was my title sponsor. Sponsoring or entering a local or international pageant is a great way to promote your business and support your community.
With little effort, my company gained a household name as being one of the leading boutique marketing/pr training and event coordination organization through repetition of its name within the media (print, radio, television)

Each time the name Ms. SageEden was called to answer a question or receive an award on Pageant night,  a feeling of new beginnings and amazing opportunity came to mind. (and thousands who I probably would have never reached or come in contact with, became acquainted with us)
The more you expose yourself and your company to the global village we call our world, the more accountable you are to produce quality work, maintain a high standard of excellence and do amazing things!

While I wanted to share my personal experience of subtly but profoundly promoting my business through sponsoring a local pageant, this also serves as a reminder of other ways you can build your brand.

Consider the following: 

• Create a jingle or really cool commerical that you can circulate via all the social mediums.

• Wrap your vehicle in paraphernalia that would clearly outline what your business is about and the services you offer. (mobile marketing)

• Stage a photoshoot, then circulate the photos via email and social networks along with media houses. (include detailed captions and provide some info on your business as well)

• Sponsor community building events.

• Partner with other larger complimenting companies that host large annual events and volunteer your services.

Remember that starting up a flexible and afforable media campaign definitely calls for strategic thinking and sacrifice of time if not money. You can do it, just allow yourself time to get creative!
If you need additional innovative ways to get started with your customized media campaign, share your thoughts, or email us at sageeden@gmail.com.

Does your business need Public Relations?

Use effective PR to ensure success!

Many small business owners try to do it all to save money or to ensure that everything is done correctly. You'll even find a lot of people struggling to create a flyer in design program on the computer, and calling it marketing, advertising, or public relations.

This is not public relations.

Public relations includes a number of actions whose end result is to present a company in the best light possible. And a good public image of your company, of course, leads to tons of lifetime customers, which is what every business wants. This is NOT achievable with even your absolute best flyer from Microsoft Publisher.

Here are some benefits of getting in touch with some professionals if I haven't convinced you to do so already:

• PR firms have connections to media houses that make it easier to get information about your company on TV, the radio or in the newspaper.
• They know how to put a creative spin on news about your business.
• They can help you create a strong online presence on social networks to help you reach millions of potential clients.
• PR firms can coordinate events and design presentations to promote your business.
• They can mobilize and execute successful advertising campaigns to bring in new customers.

These are just some of the benefits of hiring a public relations professional -- someone who is a writer, an artist, a psychologist and a business person all rolled into one. Also, if you're worried about the cost, most firms, including SageEden Media Group, have marketing or public relations plans at different price ranges. So consider it today -- it's something that could ensure the success of your business!