supportlocalorelse.com

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In effort to support local businesses during these trying times, BW owner Corri Smith, thanks to the help of friend Garrett Tichy (Owner of Hygge, check it out), has launched a resourceful website to help support local companies in Charlotte.

supportlocalorelse.com

Charlotte’s small businesses empower the creativity, passion and community that make our city thrive.

But we are facing strange and hard times, and local proprietors, the people who have made an extreme investment in our city in order to create something unique and special for the local population to enjoy, are suffering greatly.

In an effort to support these businesses during these trying times of global health concern and a call for social distancing, we are working to create a network where people can engage local businesses remotely.

Because… without small businesses and the individuality they inspire, what makes our city special?

Do your part. Support local.

Please share this site with any business owners you know, or community members who are interested in supporting local during this time. 

We are in this together.

For businesses looking to promote remote/online support, click here to submit your deal.

To participate on the site ourselves, we are offering 1-hour social media consultations with Corri for $100 (that’s $50 off). 

This over-the-phone SM consultation is a cost-effective opportunity to receive customized care to your burning social media questions. Are you a new brand, wondering how to tell your story over social? Have a campaign you can’t quite finalize, or one you want to launch? Concerned about how to manage social media as a solopreneur? Thinking about getting onto a new platform? Bring these questions to the meeting and we’ll get to as many of them as we can during our time together.

In order to reserve, visit this link to make a deposit and book a time.

Fine Print: Deposits are nonrefundable. This meeting can only be rescheduled up to 1x by the purchaser, after which the deposit and appointment will be forfeited. Must use consultation within 45 days of purchase. If multiple hours are purchased, they cannot be used at the same time and must be used at least 1 week apart. For questions about this offer, please contact info@blackwednesday.co. 

 

Community Building For Brands

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People (especially younger people) want to show love for the brands they buy from and this can often be executed through engaging with these fave brands on social media: following, reposting, liking, commenting, etc. Many people don’t just want to buy things, they are looking for a sense of community and are very choosy about how they spend their time and money. The best brands are filling voids in their customers’ lives from a product or service standpoint… and strengthening that relationship by also adding additional value to build community. This brand then becomes a friend, trusted resource and recipient of loyalty. That’s where the magic happens, we say: when a brand becomes a trusted pal and further, a mainstay in the buyer’s life.

Building a community is a long game, but creates an authentic connection between brands and people. It allows for a strong qualitative relationship to be built instead of one that is strictly transactional. We see people returning to buy products where they have a special connection with the company all the time. These more meaningful connections yield return visits to restaurants, increased WOM/buzz, and ongoing/recurring sales.

Here are some key ways we’ve found success in building community around brands:

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

  • I went to the opening night of a restaurant and received a not-so-great sandwich. I was cool with it, I knew it was their first night and things can get weird! The manager promptly apologized, fixed the issue and sent me a new sandwich right away. The problem was resolved then and there. 3 days later, I checked the mail to find a gift card from the restaurant inviting me back in for a visit on them. I will definitely go back, not only because I enjoyed my experience that first time, but they demonstrated care for me by going one step further to fix the problem.

STRONG PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

  • Provision of storytelling can add value by offering tips, education, additional insight to the brand that is “free” and tells the buyer that “we are here for you.” Example: Instead of just promoting sales of a scarf, publish an Instagram post with 10 ways to wear it.
  • Use of user-generated content (reposts of user content) turns that brand believer into a FAN FOR LIFE. It tells your customers that you aren’t here just to push your own stuff in their face, the love is reciprocated.
  • Engaging your customers or other brands. Example: Wendy’s Twitter is on fire because all they do is roast McDonald’s (or followers who heckle them). They have crafted a very specific brand voice and write back to people who reply. It’s so brilliant and becomes a conversation topic and stays top of mind so you know where your next burger is coming from.
  • Speak to trending topics when they fit. If there is a theme your brand can easily translate into a relevant post for your users, do it. On Black Friday we made up social posts about why Black Wednesday was better than Black Friday. It was a hit because there were no lines.

PR.

  • Having someone on your team that is ready to address community issues, concerns and messaging can help you do what you do best.
  • Be proactive about programming, anticipating press opportunities and trying to plan ahead with strategy.

EDUCATIONAL BLOG AND EMAIL CONTENT.

  • Sending out additional information and content through email and blog can be a great way to build a community. Throw in some perks and promos along the way to keep your open/click rates high. Again, this “free” value is important because the buyer won’t feel like your sweater is that expensive when they get to hear from you with useful information all the time.

LOYALTY PROGRAMS/EVENTS.

  • Show your fans that you love them. Host events, offer rewards, create programming that consistently thanks them for staying a part of your family. Once they have built up so many rewards, they will continue to seek more and will have so much brand affinity they won’t consider leaving.

Again, this is a more long-term goal and focus, but will serve you down the road. So next time, be more thoughtful about how you proactively plan to engage your customers and how to be more responsive on the back end too! What have you found through trying to build your brand community?

Oh hey, #ItsReallyMeCLT

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This fall, we are launching a campaign surrounding the faces behind some of our favorite social media accounts around town. Why? 1) because there are a lot of great people who get 0 credit for their hard, amazing and consistent work 2) because we want to remind people that there are ACTUAL HUMANS at the other end of the line.

Social media is hard work. It’s the most economical marketing tool and probably the toughest one to figure out. There’s nuance to the creativity and a science to the execution. To do it well takes hypervigilance, extreme care, innovation, marketing savvy and critical thinking. Graphic design skills? Yep. Wit? Definitely. A stellar sense of humor? Need it. Ability to stay professional? REQUIRED.  Plus about 301 other skill sets.

These people are the voices behind the brand. They uphold and sometimes even create personas, ensure brand consistency, support customer service, and can often define and solidify brand identity. The best professionals, in my opinion, personify their brand via social media (at least, that’s what we focus on at Black Wednesday).

People follow brands that they feel they could be friends with – after all, isn’t that what social media was created to be? A place to keep in touch with your pals. Brands that fill that void for people are the ones that generate relationships, loyalty, trust and ultimately, yep… sales. Come on, it’s not all candy and rainbows – brands are on there to make money. BUT when the social media manager can balance promotion with storytelling and creative engagement, that’s where the magic happens. When a brand can touch us as human beings and also offer a product I need, I’m in. You follow me? (Yes, pun intended).

Each week (13!) of our #ItsReallyMeCLT campaign, we will reveal the face(s) behind some of the best Charlotte accounts and they’ll answer some questions about their work via our blog. In the interest of getting things started, I’ll answer some of the questions now…

Meet Corri, Owner of Black Wednesday.

Instagram Handle:

@blackwedco

Twitter Handle:

@blackwedco

Website:

blackwednesday.co

Brand:

Black Wednesday

What’s the purpose of your brand?

We offer creative marketing services including consultancy, social media, PR and design. The purpose? To help brands connect to their target audiences in authentic, genuine and cool ways.

How long have you worked with/on your current brand?

BW is 3.5 years old.

How many people are on your team?

We have 6 staffers who engage with our clients, but Evelyn and I manage the BW social.

Look at her face! (She never shows it but sometimes we can force it out of her)….

How do you adapt your account to popular/trending themes?

We mostly focus on adapting trending and popular themes that suit our clients’ social activities. On BW, we can sometimes jump in and create a story around something that’s trending, but clients ALWAYS come first. We will always work on client stuff before we work on our own. So I guess you’d say we adapt if there’s something that fits AND we happen to have time.

What do you wish people knew about your role/account/brand?

I wish people could understand how much time it takes to do social media well. Lots of times brands want to hire us and they can’t understand our rates. They know they need support with social, they know it’s their ONLY marketing channel, but they also want to pay $250/month for it. We are managing our clients’ channels 24-hours a day, we spend hours every day planning, designing and creating content. We make visits to capture live and general content. We respond to customer inquiries, bad and good reviews, we engage the community. It’s a full time job +. I wish people saw the value in the work and were also willing to see value in paying for the work.

Anything else to share?

We hope you like this series. The intention is to bring us all a little closer, to remove the screen between us, and to inspire even stronger relationships with the brands you already love.

MORE THAN SOCIAL.

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Notice something different? Maybe it’s magic.

Really, we’re still the same and we’re doing the same work. BUT, it was time for a change. Why?

For almost 3 years (what!) we’ve helped different sized businesses develop unique and creative grassroots marketing programs that include social media, events, PR, consultancy, email, etc.

AND WE’VE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

We truly believe there are so many ingredients that participate in a brand’s marketing plan that all come together to create one cohesive platform. You need the story, you need the partnerships, you need philanthropy, you need social media and email, you need ads, and you need parties; you need to invite people to your place and you need to come out to where they are too.

Until now, we’ve focused on all of that… but somehow, because our name included the word, “social,” people started to only think of us as a social media company. Don’t you dare get us wrong: we LOVE social media. We love the way it can help brands live and breathe like human beings. We love that it allows brands to create real relationships, authentically connecting them to their community, followers and the broader universe. It’s seriously unbelievable how social media can serve a brand.

But we don’t believe you can only have social media. You just can’t. People still want to shake an owner’s hand, and meet the maker, and share the same space, and read about them in the news… and we can help facilitate that.

Long story short, we do a lot. And a lot of it is social media-oriented, but a lot of it is about more. We’re writing, we’re storytelling, we’re connecting, we’re pitching, we’re building marketing partnerships, we’re hosting influencer events… and we’re picking up the balloons on the way.

There’s so much that goes into supporting our clients.

It’s more than social. It’s Black Wednesday.

#BWLuckyDog: Ziggy

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Meet Ziggy!

Our #BWLuckyDog this week is Ziggy, from Halfway There Rescue!

Learn about Ziggy through his own point of view:

Hi! My name is Ziggy! I’m about 10 months old. It’s hard to tell what breeds I might be by looking at me, but I’m super handsome. I currently weigh 40 lbs and am going to be a medium sized dog. I was adopted when I was a tiny puppy, but my adopters decided I was too big and energetic so returned me last week. I didn’t do anything wrong. I am a super sweet and a smart puppy, but they didn’t provide me with the type of exercise and stimulation I need to be calm, therefore found me hyper and hard to handle around their small children. My foster mom says I’m a really good boy, I just have a lot of energy!

Once I’ve been for a walk and played with I love to chill out and lay in a lap. I saw a cat yesterday and excitement got the best of me. I really wanted to chase it, so my foster mom thinks I would do best in a home without kitties, even though I most just want to chase and not hurt them. I’m super affectionate with my foster mom and follow her all over the place. I’m quickly learning that new places aren’t so scary by going out on adventures with my foster brother and sister. I was pretty scared of the car at first, but my foster siblings are showing me that car rides mean going to fun places, (even grouchy sister loves to ride in the car so maybe it’s not so bad), and I relax a little more everyday!

My foster mom has also introduced me to this new thing called a crate. There’s lots of good toys and things to chew in there, but I’m still a little anxious about going in. Once in, I will lay down quietly though and wait until I’m let out. I’ll get used to it soon and will learn to think of it as my own little den. I’m proud to say I’m fully housebroken and whine to let my foster mom know when I need to go out. I also haven’t chewed on anything I’m not supposed to, so I may not need to be in a crate too much.

I would love to live with a person or family who is very active. I love to walk and my foster mom is pretty sure I would also love to go jogging, running, rollerblading or even biking with my human.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. If you think you have the room in your heart to give me the forever home I deserve, please consider adopting me! I would love nothing more than to be your jogging buddy and best friend, and I promise I’m a really good boy. I just need to be given a second chance by the right person or family!

 

For more information on or a chance to meet Ziggy, please e-mail Halfway There Rescue at halfwaythererescue@gmail.com.

 

As an adopter of Ziggy (or any one of our other #BWLuckyDog’s), you’ll also receive a special “Welcome Home” package including…

 

$30 of dog walking credit from @thewagglecompany

$35 in services @spayneutercharlotte 

$100 off a @keendogtraining package

A dog wash from @thedogsalon 

$35 in services from @vetwerx

A custom flag from @flagology

…And more!

Contact Halfway There Rescue now to get more info on this cute boy!

Follow the campaign on BW’s social channels, help us spread the word and get these babes into wonderful homes…

#BWLuckyDog: BeeTee

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Meet BeeTee!

Our #BWLuckyDog this week is BeeTee, from Carolina P.A.W.S.!

Meet BeeTee, a handsome little Labrador Retriever mix born around 2/16/17. BeeTee is an adventurous puppy seeking out that ever dangerous crinkly toy, or his favorite; a leaf! He and his siblings came to our rescue after Animal Control was called to a home to pick them up. Luckily we were able to get to them hours after they arrived at the shelter.

BeeTee is almost always the first puppy to greet his foster family and of course wants to be the first to be held. When he isn’t busy playing, he is super content just being held. Due to BeeTee’s age, a home where a family member is home more often than not, is best. When he is full grown we feel he will be around 40 to 45 pounds. His adoption donation will include his current vaccines, his future rabies, microchip, and his neuter.

 

For more information on or a chance to meet BeeTee, please e-mail Carolina P.A.W.S. at adopt@carolinapaws.com.

 

As an adopter of BeeTee (or any one of our other #BWLuckyDog’s), you’ll also receive a special “Welcome Home” package including…

 

$30 of dog walking credit from @thewagglecompany

$35 in services @spayneutercharlotte 

$100 off a @keendogtraining package

A dog wash from @thedogsalon 

$35 in services from @vetwerx

A custom flag from @flagology

…And more!

Contact Carolina P.A.W.S. now to get more info on this cute boy!

Follow the campaign on BW’s social channels, help us spread the word and get these babes into wonderful homes…

#BWLuckyDog: Kendal

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Meet Kendal!

Our #BWLuckyDog this week is Kendal, from Greater Charlotte SPCA!

Kendal is a 6 month old female Boston Terrier mix who weighs 23 pounds. She is a sweet, loving puppy who adores people, children and other dogs. She has an autoimmune disorder called Ischemic Dermatopathy. She will likely need to be on medication and a special food diet most of her life.  She will likely have some scarring from the rash on her face but she does not seem to be bothered by any of it. She acts like a normal happy puppy and doesn’t appear to have any pain. She loves to snuggle and hugs when you pick her up! Kendal would make a great addition to any home!​

 

For more information on or a chance to meet Kendal, please e-mail Greater Charlotte SPCA at daniellew@charlottespca.org or if you are interested in adopting Kendal please submit an inquiry directly with Greater Charlotte SPCA by visiting charlottespca.org/adopt.

 

As an adopter of Kendal (or any one of our other #BWLuckyDog’s), you’ll also receive a special “Welcome Home” package including…

 

$30 of dog walking credit from @thewagglecompany

$35 in services @spayneutercharlotte 

$100 off a @keendogtraining package

A dog wash from @thedogsalon 

$35 in services from @vetwerx

A custom flag from @flagology

…And more!

Contact Greater Charlotte SPCA now to get more info on this cute girl!

Follow the campaign on BW’s social channels, help us spread the word and get these babes into wonderful homes…

#BWLuckyDog: Who needs a home?

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Meet our #BWLuckyDog’s!

Each week throughout this campaign we introduced a new black pup who needs a good home (some weeks we even introduced 2!). Our #BWLuckyDog campaign is over, but we’re hustlin’ to get these babes into good homes…

Ziggy is about 10 months old and though it’s hard to tell what breeds he is, he is super handsome. He currently weigh 40 lbs and is going to be a medium sized dog. He was adopted when he was a tiny puppy, but his adopters decided he was too big and energetic so they returned him.  He is a super sweet and a smart puppy, and his foster mom says he’s a really good boy, he has a lot of energy! Contact Halfway There Rescue now to get more info on this cute boy!
BeeTee is a handsome little Labrador Retriever mix born around 2/16/17. BeeTee is an adventurous puppy seeking out that ever dangerous crinkly toy, or his favorite; a leaf! He and his siblings came to our rescue after Animal Control was called to a home to pick them up. Luckily we were able to get to them hours after they arrived at the shelter.

BeeTee is almost always the first puppy to greet his foster family and of course wants to be the first to be held. When he isn’t busy playing, he is super content just being held. Due to BeeTee’s age, a home where a family member is home more often than not, is best. When he is full grown we feel he will be around 40 to 45 pounds. His adoption donation will include his current vaccines, his future rabies, microchip, and his neuter.

For more information on or a chance to meet BeeTee, please e-mail Carolina P.A.W.S. at adopt@carolinapaws.com.

Daisy is about 4 months old and is heart worm negative. She hasn’t had the easiest journey, coming from a multiple dog household where there was suspicions of abuse and neglect. Although she was previously underweight, Daisy is now bulked up to 40lbs even, which earned vet approval for her frame.
Daisy is doing well with crate training now in an airline style crate (plastic enclosed), and is improving her basic obedience skills. She still gets nervous, but with her human’s trust and affection, Daisy can be introduced to new things and other dogs.

For more information on or a chance to meet Daisy, please email Greater Charlotte SPCA at daniellew@charlottespca.org.

Darling is an adorable little diva who came to South of the Bully as a stray. She lacked early puppy socialization, so now her foster mom is working hard to show her the sights and sounds of the world. When offered structure and guidance, Darling does well, but let her get away with it and she’ll run her naughty flag up the pole for all to see (she’s a teenager in dog years)! This gorgeous gal loves adventure, is an enthusiastic playmate and she’d make a great running partner. Darling needs a family who will set boundaries and ground rules for her to follow. With these, she is an excellent companion who keeps her foster mom laughing on a daily basis. She’s housebroken, crate trained, and does well on her leash. Part bluff, part monkey, and a double dose of cuddles!

For more information on or a chance to meet Darling, please email South of the Bully at sotb.adoptions@gmail.com.

Portia is a beautiful 3 year old lab/boxer mix. She is a super sweet girl that would do well in a home with older children. She is interested in cats, but learns boundaries quickly. Portia can be very active. She LOVES swimming, running, hiking and playing ball. At the end of a day, she just wants to cuddle up with you and her stuffed animals for some quality snuggle time. Portia is heartworm negative, spayed, microchipped, and up to date on vaccines.

For more information on or a chance to meet Portia, please email Catering to Cats & Dogs Rescue at gdslove23@gmail.com.

Cher is the happiest gal with the perfect personality! She was found running around all alone after a bad storm as a pup, but when nobody came to claim her SOTB took her in. How lucky we were to get such a sweetie pie! SOTB couldn’t be more proud of the great, gorgeous dog she’s become. She is a bit over a year old and just the right size at 45lb. She is house, leash and crate trained, and knows all the basic commands. She’s groovy with other dogs and children and she’s even learning how fun it can be to get out and about with her family! This girl is a smarty pants who would love to learn more commands and tricks if you are interested in teaching her. At night, she loves to snuggle with her fosters, so she would be down for some Netflix and chill after a good walk or playtime!

For more information on or a chance to meet Cher, please email South of the Bully at sotb.adoptions@gmail.com.

Rocky is a lab-mix stray that was rescued from a very small shelter in SC. He is only about a year old and is still very much a puppy!  Rocky is fully house trained and loves to play.  He gets along with his foster lab sister and all the furry friends at doggy day care.  Rocky needs a family that will love him and give him lots of attention.  He is very smart and needs to be kept busy, either playing with another dog his age or with an active human that will take him for walks everyday or the doggy park, or even to work with you!  Rocky goes in the crate during the day when we leave, but not at night.  He loves to be with his people when they are home and will snuggle beside you on the couch or by your feet at night. As active as Rocky is during the day, he is just as ready to sleep at night – and sleeps straight thru the night! Rocky will be an awesome dog for a family willing to take the time to play with him.

For more information on or a chance to meet Rocky, please email Lucky Labs Rescue at llradoptions@gmail.com or llrcharlotte@gmail.com.

Gidget is the perfect combination of silly and sweet all rolled up into one. Gidget is a boxer/pit bull mix who is approximately 2 years old, smaller in size at only 35 pounds and still looking for her forever home. She is completely house broken, crate trained and 100% love bug! She is either entertaining her foster parents with her silly antics or curled up in a ball cuddling. Gidget spends most of her day playing with her four legged foster brothers. She does great with other dogs of all sizes and cats, once given an opportunity to learn they don’t want to hurt her. Gidget was rescued from a shelter after being held as evidence in an animal cruelty case. When she came into rescue she was a scared little girl who has blossomed and discovered it is ok to trust, love and have fun. Now all Gidget needs is the happily ever after she deserves.

For more information on or a chance to meet Gidget, please email Carolina Big Hearts Big Barks at carolinabigheartsbigbarks@gmail.com.

 

As an adopter of one of our pups, you’ll also receive a special “Welcome Home” package including…

 

$30 of dog walking credit from @thewagglecompany

$35 in services @spayneutercharlotte 

$100 off a @keendogtraining package

A dog wash from @thedogsalon 

$35 in services from @vetwerx

A custom flag from @flagology

…And more!

#BWLuckyDog: Darling

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Meet Darling!

Our #BWLuckyDog this week is Darling, from South of the Bully!

Darling is an adorable little diva who came to South of the Bully as a stray. She lacked early puppy socialization, so now her foster mom is working hard to show her the sights and sounds of the world. When offered structure and guidance, Darling does well, but let her get away with it and she’ll run her naughty flag up the pole for all to see (she’s a teenager in dog years)! This gorgeous gal loves adventure, is an enthusiastic playmate and she’d make a great running partner. Darling needs a family who will set boundaries and ground rules for her to follow. With these, she is an excellent companion who keeps her foster mom laughing on a daily basis. She’s housebroken, crate trained, and does well on her leash. Part bluff, part monkey, and a double dose of cuddles!

 

For more information on or a chance to meet Darling, please email South of the Bully at sotb.adoptions@gmail.com.

 

As an adopter of Darling (or any one of our other #BWLuckyDog’s), you’ll also receive a special “Welcome Home” package including…

 

$30 of dog walking credit from @thewagglecompany

$35 in services @spayneutercharlotte 

$100 off a @keendogtraining package

A dog wash from @thedogsalon 

$35 in services from @vetwerx

A custom flag from @flagology

…And more!

Contact South of the Bully   now to get more info on this cute girl!

Follow the campaign on BW’s social channels, help us spread the word and get these babes into wonderful homes…

#BWLuckyDog: Daisy

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Meet Daisy!

Our #BWLuckyDog this week is Daisy, from Greater Charlotte SPCA!

 

Daisy is about 4 years old and is heart worm negative. She hasn’t had the easiest journey, coming from a multiple dog household where there was suspicions of abuse and neglect. Although she was previously underweight, Daisy is now bulked up to 40lbs even, which earned vet approval for her frame.
Daisy is doing well with crate training now in an airline style crate (plastic enclosed), and is improving her basic obedience skills. She still gets nervous, but with her human’s trust and affection, Daisy can be introduced to new things and other dogs.

 

For more information on or a chance to meet Daisy, please email Greater Charlotte SPCA at daniellew@charlottespca.org.

 

As an adopter of Daisy (or any one of our other #BWLuckyDog’s), you’ll also receive a special “Welcome Home” package including…

$30 of dog walking credit from @thewagglecompany

$35 in services @spayneutercharlotte 

$100 off a @keendogtraining package

A dog wash from @thedogsalon 

$35 in services from @vetwerx

A custom flag from @flagology

…And more!

Contact Greater Charlotte SPCA  now to get more info on this cute girl!

Follow the campaign on BW’s social channels, help us spread the word and get these babes into wonderful homes…