When a business operator finally decides they need someone focused on their marketing, and they resolve to hire for the position, it usually goes something like this:
 
“This position will be in charge of posting to our social media channels.”
 
But if that’s all you’re doing, you can put that in the hands of the nearest thirteen-year-old.
 
If you’re contemplating stepping up your business marketing, you need more than a scheduler. You need someone who understands the different kinds of marketing, your audience, and how to nurture prospects.
 

Successful marketing looks like this:
 ​

As you can see from the diagram, there’s a large area of information you want to share with your audience and there’s a large amount that they want to know or are curious about. But the area that overlaps between the two is considerably smaller. That means you must be deliberate and strategic in what content you choose to share. Too many topics or posts that aren’t of interest to your target audience, not only means a lack of engagement on their part, but also a drop in organic rankings and visibility on social media.
 
While the center of the Venn diagram is marketing gold, that does not mean you can’t share things that are important to you too but keep it at 80-90% of what your audience wants and 10-20% of what you think they need to know about your business.
 
So, how should you prioritize the smaller percentage about you and what you’d like to share?
 
Since most of what you share should be of interest to your audience, when you share the content you want to share, make sure it addresses your largest marketing challenge so you get the most return.
 
Addressing Your Largest Marketing Challenge

​To keep a good content balance, you want to ensure you’re not speaking about yourself too much. That also means using your most important content strategically on the rare times you talk about your business. Since you shouldn’t be monopolizing the conversation, you want to be sure that when you do post about yourself, the content tackles your largest marketing challenge.
 
Your largest marketing challenge is personal. What is a challenge for you and your business, may not be a challenge for others. You must address it individually. Plus, your marketing challenge today may not be the same a year from now. Choose one challenge and use content to solve for it.
 
Your marketing challenge may be one of restoring reputation damage or conversely, not being well known in your community. Ask yourself and your staff what is holding you back from achieving that next level of success.
 
I spoke with a business owner recently who does a strong business between 10 am and 5 pm. But even though he operates a wine tasting room, located in an ideal tourist area with great pedestrian tourism traffic, he struggles after 5. Why? Because this terrific location he has is surrounded by businesses that have closed before 5 for decades. It’s the type of place that makes a nice day trip but because of the history of early business closures, no one thinks to stay around for the nightlife.
 
His biggest marketing challenge is telling people he’s open late and convincing them to stay around or come to visit in the evenings. He has a lot of positives on his side when educating his audience. Things like no crowds, better parking, a laid-back atmosphere but he also must create top-of-mind awareness that his business is an evening establishment as well as a spot for day drinking.
 
Publishing his hours isn’t enough to get people to take notice. He’s going to create content that speaks to the fun things he’s doing at his wine store in the evenings. He’s going to incorporate some evening events and work with a few restaurants in the area (he doesn’t serve food) to act as overflow when the restaurants are on a 4-hour wait (yes, seriously. It happens.).
 
What are you doing to identify and address your greatest marketing challenge?
 
If you want to increase your marketing prowess, you need to solve for your greatest marketing challenge through content creation. After all, on the few times you post about yourself, you want it to be meaningful and help move you toward your business goals.
 
 
 
Christina Metcalf is a writer/ghostwriter who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She loves road trips, hates exclamation points, and believes the world would be a better place if we all had our own theme song that played when we entered the room. What would yours be?
_______________________________________
Twitter: @christinagsmith
Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking
LinkedIn: @christinagsmith
 

Effective January, 2019, all employers of 5 or more employees must provide 1 hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-managerial employees and 2 hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to managerial employees once every two years. Both managerial and non-managerial employees must have received training by January 1, 2020. After January 1, 2020, employees must be retrained once every two years. That means that all employees statewide must have been retrained by January 1, 2022.

The training and education required by California law shall include information and practical guidance regarding the federal and state statutory provisions concerning the prohibition against and the prevention and correction of sexual harassment and the remedies available to victims of sexual harassment in employment. Existing law also requires the trainings to include practical examples aimed at instructing supervisors in the prevention of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation and to be provided by trainers or educators with knowledge and expertise in those areas.

There is no requirement that the 5 employees or contractors work at the same location or that all work or reside in California. Under California law, the definition of “employee” includes full-time, part-time, and temporary employees.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing provides free online training courses on preventing sexual harassment and abusive conduct in the workplace that satisfy California’s legal training requirements. I also provide the requisite training, and I will come to your workplace to provide the training during the workday.

If you have any further questions about sexual harassment or need additional information, please visit my website at www.employment-law.net for more information or contact me for a FREE confidential consultation at (916) 333-4653 or Stephen_Fiegel_Esq@comcast.net.

​OSHA Unveils a Program to Protect Workers from Heat Hazards
By Stephen Fiegel Esq.
 
In April, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new national emphasis program to reduce “workplace heat-related illnesses and injuries”, and to immediately “improve enforcement and compliance efforts, while continuing long-term work to establish a heat illness prevention rule.” The program takes effect immediately.
In a press release, the Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh stated:
“Tragically, the three-year average of workplace deaths caused by heat has doubled since the early 1990s. These extreme heat hazards aren’t limited to outdoor occupations, the seasons or geography. From farm workers in California to construction workers in Texas and warehouse workers in Pennsylvania, heat illness–exacerbated by our climate’s rising temperatures–presents a growing hazard for millions of workers.”
OSHA plans to increase its enforcement of heat-related workplace safety. OSHA will “proactively initiate inspections in over 70 high-risk industries in indoor and outdoor work settings when the National Weather Service has issued a heat warning or advisory for a local area. On days when the heat index is 80 F or higher, OSHA inspectors and compliance assistance specialists will engage in proactive outreach and technical assistance to help stakeholders keep workers safe on the job. Inspectors will look for and address heat hazards during inspections, regardless of whether the industry is targeted in the [National Emphasis Program].”
These new steps taken by OSHA are designed to make sure that workers go home safe at the end of the day, so employers should be ready to work with OSHA personnel to safeguard that workers do not suffer heat-related injury. Employers should pay special attention to new hires that have yet to become acclimated to workplace heat and workers over sixty, who are generally less able to handle heat. However, all workers that are subject to heat in the workplace should be monitored for heat-related illness.
 
OSHA has published warnings on heat exposure that emphasize keeping an eye out for heat-related problems before they become serious Some of the heaviest types of work include:

• Any activity done at near maximum pace
• Climbing stairs, ladder, or ramp
• Using an ax
• Intense shoveling or digging
• Sledgehammer use
• Stacking concrete
• Brick or stone masonry
• Firefighting
• Rapid marching or physical fitness training

These types of work can involve farm or factory work, welding, roofing, working with hot tar, or working in a bakery or metal shop. It can also involve carrying heavy loads indoors or out. Work that elevates a worker’s heart and respiration rates through exertion is work that can lead to heat-related injury. Workers exposed to such conditions should be given rest breaks, work during the cooler parts of the day, and frequent water breaks. According to OSHA, when temperatures are above 77°F (25°C), there is a high risk of heat-related illness with strenuous work.
Symptoms of Heat-Related Illness
OSHA lists the symptoms of heat-related illness as “thirst, irritability, a rash, cramping, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.” Signs of heatstroke include “unconsciousness, confusion, disorientation, or slurred speech.” Other symptoms include a very high body temperature and a rapid heart rate. If a worker suffers from heatstroke, cool him or her down immediately and call 911.
Heat exhaustion is just what it sounds like, a worker can no longer work because he or she is too tired from the heat to continue working. A worker suffering from heat exhaustion may experience nausea or vomiting, as well as a higher than normal body temperature and a high heart rate. Allow the worker to rest, give water, and cool him or her down. For the other symptoms, the remedy is to cool the worker down, give water, and allow him or her to rest. Provide water to workers in hot environments so they may maintain a healthy electrolyte balance.
Conclusion
By working together, OSHA’s program will ensure that workers know their rights and employers meet their obligations in order to protect workers from the growing dangers of extreme heat. Because OSHA plans to step up enforcement efforts with this new program, employers should make sure that their employees are protected from heat-related illnesses in the workplace.
If you have any questions regarding OSHA’s new program to reduce workplace heat-related illnesses and injuries, or if you need additional information about this program, please check out my website at www.employment-law.net or contact me for a FREE confidential consultation at (916) 333-4653 or Stephen_Fiegel_Esq@comcast.net.    

Are you on TikTok? Maybe you’re just figuring out video and livestreaming and you have written off TikTok as a site for kids.
 
While you aren’t wrong about that (32.5% of users are between 10 and 19, while 41 percent of TikTok users are between 16 and 24 years old), the TikTok adult audience has grown at a rate of about 5.5 times in just 18 months.
 
The app now boasts 1 billion active users. TikTok videos are becoming a way to pass time for many people and the average user spends about 52 minutes per day on the app. It also has huge reach. 167 million TikTok videos are watched in a minute on average.
 
So, if you’re looking to reach an under 35 audience in your business, TikTok might be the avenue for you. Here’s what you need to know as a beginning user:
 
TikTok Basics for BusinessIf you’re new to TikTok or are considering it for your business, it’s a little different than other social media platforms.
 
PremiseTikTok is a video platform. Some people lip sync, act, create short video blogs, or showcase their products. Humor is a popular driver for likes on this platform.
 
Before creating anything, think about visuals and short, punchy ideas. This is not the place for a long diatribe. The audience is constantly swiping and liking. Comments will tend to be shorter and emoticon driven.
 
There are lots of editing options in app, but some people still prefer to use other programs (like Canva) to create videos and then upload them to TikTok. Going viral on this platform seems a little easier than Facebook or YouTube.
 
Business AccountsLike most social media platforms, you can—and should—create a business account, instead of a personal one. The main reason for this is that it will keep you out of trouble. A creator account is a copyright infringement waiting to happen because the app allows users to attach music (and not the safe royalty-free kind either) to their videos. While Kenny Chesney may not sue a parent for adding his latest song to the background of a video of their kid’s first step, you can be certain he’s not going to want people associating his music with their product (not that he has anything against your product, of course. It’s just that he—and any other music creator—is going to want to be compensated for his music. While I don’t speak for Kenny, proving me wrong about how he feels regarding your product by using his music without permission could be quite costly for your business). It's just too easy to get yourself in copyright troubles with a creator or personal account.
 
Business accounts have music available as well but none of it will get you in trouble with rights holders. The music available on the business side is royalty-free. A business account also has analytics that personal accounts don’t.
 
LinksLike Instagram, website links are a bit of a challenge at first. TikTok doesn’t let you have a link in your bio until you reach 1,000 followers. It used to allow businesses to add a link before the 1,000-follower mark but that changed in January. These days, you must meet the follower threshold for links and the ability to go live.
 
HashtagsTikTok is another hashtag driven site. There are very specific hashtags used here. For instance, for writers there’s #BookTok, #writertok, and #authorsoftiktok. There are hashtags for business like #biztock and #smallbiztok. Take some time to research these. They are very specific but will help you find your ideal audience.
 
Filters and Film-Ready FaceIf you’re like me, you may have some hesitancy being in front of the camera. Heck, most of us barely make it out of pajamas these days, let alone put on makeup or look presentable on camera. To this challenge, there are several solutions:
 

1. You don’t have to show your face. People do a lot of things with babies, pets, products, etc and subtitles.
2. Use a filter. You can alter the way you look using filters. I understand there’s even a perfect skin and makeup filter (I’m still looking for that one.).
3. Record your videos on “shower day.” You can make yourself camera ready and record several at once.

 
Sponsored ToksTikTok, like other apps and social media platforms, allows for sponsored videos. They appear in a user’s stream marked as sponsored but they blend in quite well. Most businesses that pursue this option also use either influencers to record the video or create their own. This is not the place for a formal commercial. You want to think about fun entertainment, not a salesy pitch.
 
VideoThe best way to figure out TikTok is to go in and start playing around. (Here are the app’s directions for video creation.) If you’re older than 40, you may feel like you’re crashing a kid’s party at Chuck E Cheese at first. But stick with it. Scroll through until you find a video you like. When you do, you can use the same effects they use by clicking on the links in the video.
 
On TikTok, imitation is the sincerest compliment. No one thinks anything of copying someone else’s Tok (unless that someone else is your competitor. You might want to avoid that.)
 
You can create, like, and share content on this platform. If you entertain and are true to yourself and your business, you’ll quickly amass followers and likes (they are counted separately as are your video views). Keep in mind the social rules you use on other platforms should be used here too. When people comment on your Tok, respond back. Don’t simply publish. Like other people’s work and comment on their posts as well.
 
If you want to learn more about using TikTok for your business, check out TikTok’s business page.
 
 
Christina R. Metcalf (formerly Green) is a marketer who enjoys using the power of story and refuses to believe meaningful copy can be written by bots. She helps chamber and small business professionals find the right words when they don’t have the time or interest to do so. 
Christina hates exclamation points and loves road trips. Say hi on Twitter or reach out on Facebook.

Holiday Leave: Are Employees Entitled to Paid or Unpaid Holiday Leave?
​
With another holiday approaching and more to follow, some private-sector employers may believe they are required by law to provide their employees with either paid or unpaid holiday pay. Well, they are not. No California or federal law mandates that an employer must close its business on any particular day, if at all. Every employer may select which days, if any, it chooses to be open and closed for business. If an employer closes its business on holidays and gives its employees time off from work with pay, it is done so simply as a result of (1) a company policy or practice, (2) the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, or (3) the terms of an employment agreement between the employer and employee.
Moreover, if the employer does stay open on a holiday and schedules its employees to work that day, the employer is not obligated to pay the employees anything but their regular pay and any overtime premium for all overtime hours worked. For example, if an employee works 8 hours on the Memorial Day holiday, and then works a total of 40 hours during that workweek, the employer is not required to pay the employee a special premium for working the holiday. Accordingly, if you give your employees holidays off with pay, they should be grateful for this discretionary and generous benefit.
If you have any questions regarding holiday leave or need additional information, please check out my website at www.employment-law.net or contact me for a FREE confidential consultation at (916) 333-4653 or Stephen_Fiegel_Esq@comcast.net.