How to tavern the Tea Tavern

• General Business Supplies
• Expectations of General Supplies
• List of Current Viable Suppliers
• Tea Packaging
• Shipping Supplies
• Remaining Areas of Consideration
• Expectations of Tea Supplies
• Reasoning and Prioritization Matrix: Does it taste good to people who enjoy high quality tea?
• Reasoning and Prioritization Matrix: Is the tea likely to be healthier?
• Expectations of Marketing Practices
• Marketing Agencies
• Methodologies
• Overarching Marketing Playbook
• Instagram Growth Strategy
• Important Marketing Acronyms + Terms
• Pinterest Strategy
• Expectations of Software Services

General Business Supplies

Expectations of General Supplies

For all products

Work with the financial team to determine how much of what products can be ordered.

For products without specific requirements

We can log in to their website using the corresponding credentials to make the order.

Vendor Prioritization

The Tea Tavern's order of priority for determining which product to purchase for the given purpose:

1. Eco-friendliness
   1. Can it be composted OR recycled (both)?
      
   2. If not, can it be composted?
   3. If not, can it be recyclable and made of recycled materials?
   4. If not, can it be recycled?
   5. Is it clear what is least damaging to the people we serve (including the environment they live in?)
   6. If the above is too unclear to make a determination, take the best, and move on to the next priority item.
2. Price/Effectiveness (Needs to be balanced)
   1. Does it get the product to our customers effectively?
      1. If it gets rained on, will the product be okay?
      2. If it gets crushed, is the product okay?
      3. If it gets hot, will it melt?
   2. Is it the cheapest we can find that fulfills our needs?
   3. To reduce shipping costs, can we get the same or similar things from the same vendor at the same time as other products?
3. Design
   1. Can it be customized?
   2. Does it look nice?
   3. Is the quality of the product higher than the others? (Do not spend too much time on this)
4. If all the above are ordered, and it comes down to more than one option, then take the relevant information and ask leadership to decide further priorities.

List of Current Viable Suppliers

• https://www.kraftpackagingstore.com/
• https://elevatepackaging.com/
• https://purelabels.com/
• https://www.ecoenclose.com/

Possible future options may have

• Some places are developing seaweed-based plastic replacement products.
  They are supposed to be "Restorative" rather than just "recyclable", "compostable", or "carbon-neutral".

Tea Packaging

The Tea Container

Currently, we use Kraft bags with an aluminum laminate inside (small sized), and the compostable pouch from Elevate Packaging (medium sizes). When the small bags are all used and done, they will become the same as Elevate Packagings.
There are many suppliers for what appears to be the exact same bag.
Is there a difference? (needs to be researched)

Based on Elevate Packaging's catalogue, they are compostable. Are they also Recyclable (ideal)?
Based on the Kraft Packaging Store's catalogue, they are aluminum foil (laminate?) within kraft paper.

Labels for Tea Containers

• PureLabels 2" Compastable Square Labels, Blank (also recyclable)
  • Uses the document template attachment in the wiki

Shipping Supplies

Shipping tape

We currently order compostable shipping tape from the following places:

• Elevate Packaging
• Pure Labels
• Arka

Reasoning for the above vendors:

• Elevate Packaging's Standards
• Pure Labels' Standards

Shipping Labels

Elevate packaging and pure labels' products are the same on this one.
Each are entirely compostable.
If something else is being ordered from one of these vendors, try to get these labels into the same order to save on shipping costs.

• Elevate Packaging Labels
• Pure label's Labels

Shipping Boxes

Cardboard boxes are compostable, making most of the work pretty simple. The concern is mostly the ink (toxticity?), and if the cardboard has a covering. 
If price allows (mostly killed by shipping costs), order from Arka.com. They help make sure the Ink is okay and can give a good description of what the price will be for a variety of boxes in bulk, and are the most likely to ship in an ecologically friendly way.

Current options:

• Arka: Blanks are cheapest, but shipping inflates price significantly. Can provide best appearance with custom print boxes
• UPS: Significantly able to reduce price, due to bulk. Cheaper to pick these up than ship from Arka
  
• USPS?
• Home Depot?
• Office Depot?

Stamp Ink 

Algae-based ink from EcoEnclosed.
https://www.ecoenclose.com/algae-stamp-ink/

Reason: non-toxticity for composting. 
For more information: https://www.ecoenclose.com/blog/how-algae-ink-is-changing-the-industry/

Remaining Areas of Consideration

Printer ink for printing tea bag labels

They are currently using general printer's ink. We don't know anything about it, besides that it is used in old HP printers.
Should someone find a solution, please email quests@tea-tavern.com.

There currently exist considerations for prioritizing recyclability over compostability, due to requirements of certain compostable products. The desire is home compostability, but some products require composting facilities to compost within 8 (or more?) months.

 

Packaging Paper for Tea

Grass People Tree use a particular paper to wrap their tea, then stuff into bags, for the purposes of protection of tea and maintaining breathability.
This is something to look into, in the future, as it may be a worthy replacement or addition to box packaging

Expectations of Tea Supplies

Reasoning and Prioritization Matrix: Does it taste good to people who enjoy high quality tea?

The Tea Tavern understands that cultural and habitual changes take place over long expanses of time. As such, we recognize that sustainable practices are vital in ensuring this business is able to operate for a lengthy period.

To grow a community of tea drinkers, we must ensure our farmers are able to grow healthy teas for generations. 

As a result, we prefer to work with vendors that make an honest effort to adopt sustainable practices. We acknowledge the economic necessity of certain ultimately unavoidable practices that may not be ideal. Still, the Tea Tavern will attempt to support tea farmers who farm with an eye toward creating a sustainable environment for our community, the planet, and even their own plantations, understanding that these practices are the key to continued long-term growth.

Currently, when selecting tea inventory, the Tea Tavern makes decisions within the following context: 

•  For Americans, tea (Camellia Sinensis) is often perceived as a bitter, astringent, boiled leaf juice. Many believe tea has less caffeine than most other products that contain caffeine and/or other health benefits. 
• The Tea Tavern operates in areas where other beverages that are currently more popular are also harmful to one's health. These include:
  • Sugary beverages, such as sodas, synthetic fruit or vegetable juices that purport false health benefits, and boutique beverages, such as vitamin-enhanced water, are in reality little better than soda. 
    
  • Alcoholic beverages 
  • High-caffeine beverages such as energy drinks, bottled iced coffees, and others also usually contain unhealthy amounts of sugar or other detrimental substances.
• The Tea Tavern operates in areas where products, though not beneficial to the consumer, have a deep, embedded cultural familiarity and brand loyalty. 
  

The Tea Tavern aims to improve people's lives and encourage them to consume healthier beverages like Tea Tavern teas, so people must voluntarily change their habits. 

As numerous research studies have found, there a number of ways to help people create new, healthier habits using proven methods pulled from behavioral science. 

The current environment, coupled with the knowledge that to improve people's health and general well-being, drinking quality tea would have to become habitual, the Tea Tavern founders decided their starting point was high-quality teas. High-quality teas share many of the same aspects as alcoholic beverages and even soda: they come in a wide variety of flavors, have an established culture around them, and can be seen as an indulgence. This offers some degree of familiarity that opens the door to habit creation. 

This is true on a more granular level as well. Just as wines improve with age (and often increase in price as a result), or are demarcated by the year of their source crop or vineyard, teas also gain pedigree from these factors. Just as a red wine bottle of Pasa Robles 2020 may be coveted, so too is a Taiwanese oolong tea from 2017. 

Coffee lovers can be discerning about their roasts, possibly preferring a light roast over a dark roast, for example. Similarly, there are different methods used in tea processing that may also be preferred by discerning consumers, such as white teas or sheng pu-erh teas. 

Taste, of course, is the ultimate factor when most people are choosing what beverage to drink. Here, too, tea offers just as wide an array as other less healthy options. Just as some people prefer a sweet wine over a dry wine, or a lager rather than a stout, tea drinkers often prefer different amounts of various aspects, such as grassier teas, more flowery teas, or fruitier teas.

These aspects of tea culture help tea seem a bit familiar even to the uninitiated. Offering only the highest quality tea not only elevates the experience when someone enjoys it but also helps mitigate the potential negative impact of disliking a tea. For example, if someone tries a grassier tea but doesn't enjoy it, they can still be pointed to a fruitier tea with a completely different taste profile that they will enjoy. Thus a poor initial exposure to tea does not become a ruinous experience but instead becomes a starting point for discovery of personal preference. 

With low-quality teas, an uninitiated tea drinker may have a distasteful experience with all varieties and stop exploring the tea world altogether. They may even grudgingly decide that while they can see the appeal for other people, tea simply does not appeal to them. Higher quality teas offer a greater opportunity to generate interest in tea; instead of "all tea" not tasting good, a new tea drinker will have the opportunity to try, say, a dark fruit tea such as plum and realize there is more exploration to be done.

It is worth noting that the Tea Tavern can become so successful it eventually becomes a ubiquitous beverage product within a given area. However, the Tea Tavern needs to accept that change occurs over time and be willing to invest that time to continue the mission.

If it is discovered that other products on the market are, in fact, better in health benefits and quality than the Tea Tavern's products, then the Tea Tavern must adapt and embrace change to continue its mission. And, if Tea Tavern products do not better people's lives or somehow are causing more harm than improving health, then this business should not exist.

TLDR: The Tea Tavern's highest priority when determining if to sell tea is if the tea tastes good.

Reasoning and Prioritization Matrix: Is the tea likely to be healthier?

Assessing the relative healthiness of a tea is made within the following context: 

• Different farming methods can impact the healthfulness of a tea. Key farming considerations include: 
  • Use of pesticides to prevent insect infestation of the tea plants
  • Use of fertilizers to improve the growth speed or volume of the plants in various areas
  • Indiscriminate pruning to increase the volume of harvestable tea leaves
    
  • The elevation of the tea farm
• Tea is not always good for people
  
  • Improperly stored tea can contain toxic or harmful growths
  • A person's tolerance for tea byproducts or chemicals is highly individual 
  • Tea can make some people ill for a variety of reasons
• Many widely-held beliefs about tea's health benefits need more research to be verified 
  • (Needs link to evidence) Some benefits of drinking tea, such as using it as a digestive aid, are proven and are true 
  • Tea can have as much, if not more, caffeine than coffee; this makes it a potentially unhealthy option for some people 

In light of the above and the vast array of various tea varieties that exist, how does the Tea Tavern determine whether tea is the best, healthiest possible choice for both the tavern's patrons and the community as a whole?

The Farming Process

As the tea plant (Camellia Sinensis) ages, some people describe the flavor of the prepared leaves to have a different, more complex flavor, than the younger plants do. The Tea Tavern hasn't been able to find the the oldest tea plant nor an estimated life span but did find that some, still living plants, have an age estimate of over 1000 years old.  As a result, if we aim to ensure that tea trees live healthy lives for as long as possible, it is essential to avoid practices that harm their ability to thrive. An example of this may be draining nutrients from the soil, a practice employed by (QUEST: find research) wheat or cacao farms.

Pesticides

Using pesticides means there is a proven risk that those pesticides may be transferred to the tea and, ultimately, ingested by the tea drinker. It is a deeply studied and well-recorded fact that the ingestion of excess pesticides harms human health.

Additionally, the chemical composition of what we eat can have a strong impact on how it tastes.

This is why the use of pesticides in tea farming is believed to cause tea drinkers to become ill from drinking the tea. The tea plant absorbs the pesticides, which can not be removed from the leaves after harvesting and remain in the tea leaves. Brewing subsequently releases the pesticides into the beverage when the tea is brewed.  Not only do the pesticides impact the taste of the tea, but they also increase the risk of harm to our tavern patrons.

To remove this risk and also maintain the highest possible standards for taste, the Tea Tavern does not purchase teas that are grown on farms that use pesticides.

Fertilizers

The excess use of fertilizers in tea production has long been an issue researchers and tea farmers have struggled to address. Many studies have been conducted to find safer ways to fertilize tea crops. While many organic fertilizing methods appear to be decreasing the harm to the environment and potential risk of chemical ingestion by tea drinkers, the risks of excess fertilization in tea from around the world remain.

Additionally, excess fertilization alters the chemical makeup of the tea plant itself, adding chemicals that would not be present in an organic plant. This is not inherently problematic, but it is nearly impossible to assess the specific fertilizer being used or its full impact on the tea plant itself. For example, if a plant is provided additional nutrients to foster increased or faster growth, and it does grow more, this will likely change the amount of "healthy" chemicals a plant would normally produce or use. And, the more of the plant there is -- i.e., plant biomass -- the more resources are needed to maintain the plant, meaning the amount of healthy chemicals a plant can organically produce is literally spread thinner. This can result in a tea that is not only "different," but less potent.

Aggressive Pruning 

In line with the concept of decreased potency from the plants, another harvesting practice used to accumulate more leaves is pruning tea plants in such a way the volume of tea leaves produced increases. An example of this is called "tipping". Tipping is the removal of the terminal bud and the top few leaves of a shoot. This method encourages the growth of lateral branches, increasing the bush's leaf production capacity. There are, however, several methods of pruning tea plants, each with various benefits and drawbacks. For tea pruning to be beneficial to the plant, the correct method should be employed. As a result, the farmed teas that have low amounts of harvesting practices used, we will add "low intervention" into the name or description.

Even when a correct pruning method is selected, however, in large-scale operations where volume is prioritized over general plant health, it is safe to assume that the resulting tea will be less potent. Instead of energy being expended on the complex chemical processes that give tea leaves their flavor, the tea plant is required to almost constantly produce new growth and expend its chemical resources over a larger volume of leaves. 

Given the large impact of each of these farming variables on the resulting tea product, the Tea Tavern always attempts to learn as much as possible about the farming methods used by source tea plantations.   

Alternately, as exemplified by our wild-grown plant offerings and low intervention offerings, we may source some teas that have not been exposed to pesticides, fertilization, or aggressive pruning at all. 

Heavy Metals 

To Be Researched. If you want to help tavern keepers research this aspect, email quests (a) tea-tavern.com

Widely Held Beliefs About Tea Health Benefits 

Tea and Caffeine

Similarly, there is always caffeine in tea (camelia sinensis) unless it is chemically removed.

So, any chemical health benefits tea offers will always be offset by an increase in caffeine consumption. In this way, tea becomes similar to medicine in that one should always ask whether the "benefits" of drinking tea are significant enough to accept any possible negative impacts. 

Ultimately, this is up to the individual to decide, but the Tea Tavern is focused on improving people's health and well being. 

If the trade-off between increased caffeine consumption and health benefits associated with that particular tea is not clearly better for a person, it should not be portrayed as a "healthier choice." With this said, some people may have truly experienced the benefits of the tea in question firsthand and have deemed it worth any potential negative impacts. In that case, we can make recommendations based on that foundation of knowledge. 

For individuals who have a serious concern about or reason to avoid caffeine, it's important to note that a healthier tea may have more caffeine than other comparable, less healthy teas. They should not be offered the caffeinated tea option in this case, even if it is, in some ways, healthier. It's quite possible that, for these individuals, true tea (camellia sinensis) is not a better beverage.

This is why the Tea Tavern also offers beverages made from other plants such as camellia crassicolumna, a cousin to the tea species that has not been found to contain caffeine, or Roobios, leaves from a red bush in Africa that have many healthy benefits but are also naturally caffeine free.  

Green Tea and Longevity 

Some research, much touted in the media, indicates that green tea may increase a person's longevity due to its ability to reduce the risk of often terminal conditions. It is worth noting, however, that in many of these studies, an unreasonably large amount of green tea has to be consumed daily to receive the potential health benefits. 

For this reason, the Tea Tavern does not encourage consuming green tea to obtain its oft-cited health benefits.

TLDR: The Tea Tavern prioritizes products that are comparatively more healthy than other options that may be more widely available or that simply possess fewer health benefits. 

Expectations of Marketing Practices

Marketing Agencies

Methodologies

Health Benefits

If health benefits are referenced in marketing, then the Tea Tavern must be able to provide an easily accessible place to obtain the referenced research proving that the health benefits are real and obtainable with the consumption of the specified tea or type of tea in quantities that are at normal/average levels.

We can mention what people say and believe about tea, but if there is no evidence that we can reference proving a particular benefit, then the marketing piece must specify this in some way, such as by writing "Patrons tell us..." or "People believe that...".

Overarching Marketing Playbook

1. BRAND IDENTITY

• Brand Story

• Mission/Vision: Clarify what your brand stands for and the long term goals

• Sustainability: if applicable highlight how your brand incorporates eco-friendliness or supports social causes

• Brand Aesthetic: Cohesive visual identity

• Logo + brand colors (choose 3-5 colors, incorporate into backdrops, props and branding elements), font (must be consistent throughout all marketing materials)

• Ensure consistent voice/tone and color palette across all channels

• Packaging

2. TARGET CUSTOMER + COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

• Targeting/Segmentation

  • Demographics (age, gender, income, education and occupation)

  • Psychographics (lifestyle, values, attitude and behaviors)

  • Geographic (regional or national)

  • Behavioral (purchasing habits, brand loyalty and product usage

• Buyer Personas

  • Identify your ideal customers & create buyer personas with their preferences, challenges and motivations (create 2-3 personas)

• Cultural Trends Analyze how cultural shifts (e.g., health consciousness, minimalism) influence customer behaviors in your category

• Understand Your Market / Competitors
  

  • Analyze competitors for strengths, weaknesses, pricing and marketing strategies

  • identify market gaps, pain points and key motivators for purchasing

3. MARKETING CHANNELS + CONTENT STRATEGY/ONLINE PRESENCE

• Digital Marketing

  • Website: must have beautiful and consistent imagery, detailed product descriptions, "about me" page to share story/ethos, mobile friendly!!!

  • Social Media: create accounts on IG, FB and Pinterest: post a mix of educational, entertaining and promotional content

    • TikTok and Emerging Platforms: Explore newer platforms with high engagement for your niche, especially for short-form video and trends
    • Video Content Beyond Instagram: Consider platforms like YouTube for longer-form content, such as tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks, or brand stories.

  • Email Marketing: use to create email database, build segments and send newsletters (campaigns for promotions, launches or loyalty rewards)

• Content Marketing

  • Instagram: 

    • IG Reels: (short form video that is educational or entertaining), Recommend 15-30 seconds

    • IG Stories: short, engaging pieces of content that disappear after 24 hours, can connect with your audience in real time and to stay top of mind as stories appear at the top of the instagram app

    • IG In Feed: permanent post and contribute to profile's overall aesthetic

    • BEST PRACTICES: Use tools to plan posts in advance/preview your feed, alternate between product shots, lifestyle photos, and Reels to maintain variety, use consistent editing styles (same filter or editing preset), use a mix of close ups, flat lays and lifestyle shots

    • Content Mix for Feed

      • Product Images (30%-40% of Posts) : Use clean, minimal backgrounds or settings that reflect your brand’s vibe

      • Lifestyle Shots (40%-50% of Posts) : show how product fits into people's daily lives

      • Educational/Entertaining Reels (20%-30% of Posts) : how to videos, benefits of product, fun trends

      • Seasonal or thematic content (10%-15% of Posts) : holidays, seasons or special occasions

  • Use tutorials and user generated content to build trust and show authentication 

  • Photography: high quality images to be used for website, social media and ads

  • Social Content: lifestyle photos, product images, behind the scenes

  • Blog/SEO: write blog posts using key words to improve search ranking and attract organic traffic

• Paid Advertising

  • FB ads, IG ads, google ads

5. LAUNCHING A MARKETING CAMPAIGN

• Define Campaign Goals
  • SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
    • Measuring brand awareness, engagement, conversions, ROI
    • Tools to Use: google analytics (for web traffic and conversions), IG insights (for social engagement) and email platforms (to track open rates and click throughs)
• Select Marketing Channels: social, email, paid ads, influencer marketing, content marketing
• Set a Budget and Timeline (budget allocation to paid ads, influencer collabs, content creation, tools, etc.)

• Pre Launch:

  • Teasers: "coming soon", early access and sneak peeks, teasers on social

• Product Launch: Go live with a coordinated push across all chosen channels, i.e. e-blast, social posts, sms

• Launch Activities:

  • launch event, limited time promotions (giveaways), implement paid advertising

• Post Launch:  Outline how to sustain momentum after the launch (i.e., follow-up campaigns, new collaborations, or additional content)

• Types of Campaigns: Seasonal campaigns, loyalty programs, referral programs, co-branding, product launch, sales or discount

6. INFLUENCER MARKETING AND PARTNERSHIPS

• Partner with micro influencers

  • (1K-50K) that relate to your specific niche (to create product reviews, unboxing, how they integrate the product into their daily lives)

  • often have highly engaged audiences, which lead to better conversions

  • Provide free product to said influencers in exchange for content

  • KPIs for Influencer Campaigns: Specify metrics like engagement rates, clicks, sales, or follower growth to evaluate success
  • Content Repurposing: Plan to reuse influencer-generated content for ads, email campaigns, or social media to maximize its value.

• Affiliate programs

  • you pay influencers only when they drive sales (low risk investment)
  • ideal for small business with limited marketing budgets
  • unique affiliate codes or links make it easy to track sales
  • Reputable Affiliate Platforms: Rakuten, Awin, ShareASale
    

• Brand Partnerships

  • Collaborate with brands in complementary niches for cross promotion that have overlapping target audiences 

• Tips: influencer and brand partnerships provide a scalable way to market your product without the high costs of traditional advertising

7. CUSTOMER/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT + RETENTION

• Social Media Engagement: consistently respond to comments, DM's and mentions

• Discounts: first time buyers, bundle opportunities

• Loyalty Program: Reward repeat customers with points to use toward free product

• User Generated Content: Encourage customers to share photos of your product and to tag you on IG so that you can repost their content

• Polls and Q and A's? : Use IG stories to engage with followers

• Interactive Events: Host virtual educational sessions or live chats about benefits of product

• Customer Onboarding: Develop a welcome series for new customers to help them learn about your brand and products.
• Post-Purchase Engagement: Create campaigns to re-engage customers with cross-sells, usage tips, or customer appreciation initiatives.

8. EVENT MARKETING

• Host product launches, pop ups

  • Collaborative Events: Partner with complementary brands to co-host events, increasing reach and shared marketing responsibilities.
  • Virtual Pop-Ups or Experiences: Offer online-exclusive events for customers who can’t attend in person.
• What Do I need to Bring to A Physical Event?
  • Branding Materials
    • business cards
    • banner or table top sign (use acrylic stand) with logo and business name
    • price lists, product info, educational signage
  • Product
    • product range, product add ons or enhancements, samples, exclusive items (if applicable)
    • relevant decor, tablecloth, product display stands
    • payment (point of sale system), bags to carry product
  • Misc. Marketing
    • special offers, sign up sheet (to collect email addresses), social media qr code
• Social Strategy
  • Pre Event: post story reminders or countdown for event (include time, location, activities)
  • tag partners if applicable
  • Content Ideas at Event: share bts clips, product showcasing, interactive demos, customer interactions, testimonials, ambiance shots (location, signage, decor)
  • Post Event: reel or carousel on feed featuring highlights from event (end with a CTA), share UGC from customers

9. STRATEGIC GROWTH

• Expand into new distribution channels (retail, subscription boxes)

• Co branding/large scale partnerships

• Leverage PR to gain media coverage and industry recognition

10. MEASURE YOUR RESULTS

• Website Traffic: How many people visit your site and where they come from
• Social Media Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and clicks
• Sales and Conversion Rates: How well your marketing efforts are turning leads into customers
• Customer Feedback: Reviews and surveys to gauge satisfaction

Instagram Growth Strategy

• Define Target Audience
  • Demographics (age, gender, location)
  • Interests and Values
  • Pain Points
• Brand Identity
  • Brand Story (share why you started the business and what makes your product unique)
  • Visual Aesthetic (develop a cohesive feed with specific brand colors, fonts and imagery)
  • Consistent Brand Voice and Messaging
• Content Strategy
  • Visuals: Product photos (use natural lighting and clear backgrounds) vs. lifestyle shots (showing your product in real life settings)
  • Posting Plan (educational content, entertainment, inspiration, product highlights, lifestyle content, behind the scenes (how product is made or sourced), engaging posts (quizzes, polls)
  • Frequency: 5-7 posts per week with a mix of 3 static and 2 reels, post stories daily
    • Best Posting Time - Morning (7-9am), Afternoon (12-2pm), Evening (6-8pm)
  • Use hashtags relevant to niche
• Influencer Marketing
  • Micro influencers: partner with influencers in specific niche (their engaged audiences are likely to trust them)
    • offer free product in exchange for content
  • Affiliate Programs: provide influencers with unique discount codes or commission opportunities for sales they generate
• Engage Your Community
  • Comments and DM's (respond promptly)
  • UGC (stands for user generated content, encourage customers to post and tag your product so you can report)
  • Run Contests (to increase engagement and visibility)
  • Comment on Popular Posts
  • Follow Similar Accounts
• Strategic Partnerships
  • collab with complementary businesses for cross-promotions or joint events, host joint virtual giveaways
• Drive Traffic
  • SEO optimization (use keywords in IG bio)
  • Collaborations (host IG lives with experts)
  • Paid Ads (run targeted ads showcasing product to audiences based on interest)
• Paid Growth Strategies
  • great way to increase reach and attract new followers 
  • Run Targeted Ads (Ad Types)
    
    • Photos Ads: high quality static images
    • Video Ads: short, engaging clips
    • Carousel Ads: multiple images or videos highlighting product benefits or bundles
    • Story Ads: immersive ads appearing between user stories 
  • Key Strategies: retargeting ads, lookalike audiences, geo-targeting
    • Budget Tips: start with a small daily budget ($5-$15/day) to test audience response
    • Metrics: click-through rates (CTR), cost per click (CPC) and return on ad spend (ROAS)
  • Boost High Performing Organic Posts (high likes, comments or share)
    • click "boost post" and set targeting criteria based on: interests, demographics, behaviors 
      
• Leverage IG Shopping Feature (Focus on this when you are more established with imagery/content)
  • allows users to browse and purchase products directly through the app
  • convert profile to a business account, create product catalog, enable product tagging (tag products in stories, posts and reels)
  • Tap to shop option on feed, product stickers to be used on stories to make actionable and influencers can share shoppable posts that tag products
  • Benefits: reduces clicks, simplifying the buying process, encourages impulse purchases, increases product discoverability
• Tracking Performance
  • Key Metrics
    • Engagement metrics: likes, comments, shares, saves
    • Reach: the number of unique users who see your content and Impressions: total views of your content (can include repeat views)
    • Website Traffic and Conversions: use the "link clicks" metric to see how many people are visiting your site
      • Integrate UTM tracking codes for better data on versions
    • Follower Growth: track how audience size evolves, look for spikes after campaigns or collabs
    • Story Metrics: tap forward rate (users skipping ahead), drop off rate (users exiting stories), engagement (polls, questions and swipe ups)
  • BEST PRACTICES
    • low engagement? experiment with different content formats
    • Low Reach? use hash tags, collab with influencers or boost posts
    • High Drop off on Stories? shorten the length or add interactive elements

KEY FEATURES OF INSTAGRAM

1. Posts (In-Feed): permanent content that appears on your profile
   • Best for showcasing brand identity and products, announce launches
2. Stories: temporary content that disappears after 24 hours
   • best for behind the scenes or interactive content
3. Reels: short, engaging videos idea for storytelling, tutorials or trends
   • reels help increase visibility as IG promotes these to wider audiences
   • similar color palette and tone as photos, use overlays or consistent fonts, ensure the reel's cover aligns with your overall feed
4. Highlights: Saved stories organized into categories on your profile
   • Great for FAQ's, about us section, product tutorials, customer testimonials, highlighting events, partnerships or press features

BEST PRACTICES

• Optimize Bio
  • who you are, what you offer and strong CTA (call to action)
  • Use keywords specific to niche
  • link to website
• Use Strategic Hashtags (use a mix of high volume and low volume to reach a broader audience)
• Create content that specific niche will be looking for
• Community Engagement
  • like and comment on posts from similar accounts to get noticed by their audiences
  • follow and engage with bloggers or enthusiasts for specific niche
  • join and engage with FB groups or Reddit community
  • Attend events related to specific product (tag event and engage with attendees)
  • Host giveaways (require participants to follow account, like the post and tag friends)
• Plan Posts in Advance; check out Later, Planoly, or Hootsuite (to preview feed layout before posting)
  

Important Marketing Acronyms + Terms

 

 

General Marketing Acronyms + Terms

• Customer Journey: the process a customer goes through from learn about your product to making a purchase
  • stages: awareness -> consideration -> purchase -> retention
• Buyer Persona: a detailed description of your ideal customer
• B2B: Business to Business
  • marketing between 2 companies
• B2C: Business to Consumer
  • Marketing directly to customers
• KPI: Key Performance Indicator
  • metrics used to measure the success of a campaign (i.e. website visits, sales, engagement, follower growth)

Digital Marketing Acronyms + Terms

• Content Marketing: creating valuable content (blogs, videos) to attract and engage audience
• SEO: Search Engine Optimization
  • strategy to improve a websites visibility in search engines
• SEM: Search Engine Marketing
  • paid strategies to increase search visibility (i.e. google ads)
• CTR: Click Through Rate
  • % of people who click on your link after seeing it
  • Formula: clicks / impressions x 100
• CPC: Cost Per Click
  • the cost you pay for each click in a paid ad campaign
• PPC: Pay Per Click
  • advertising model when you pay only when someone clicks on your ad
• CPA: Cost Per Acquisition
  • cost of acquiring a new customer through an ad or campaign
• ROI: Return on Investment
  • measures profitability
  • Formula: net profit/cost of investment X 100
• ROAS: Return on Ad Spend
  • how much revenue you earn for every dollar spent on ads

Social Media Acronyms + Terms

• Engagement Rate: the % of people who interact with your social content
• Impressions: the number of times your content it displayed to users, regardless of if they interact with it
• UGC: User Generated Content
  • content created by customers or followers
• SMM: Social Media Marketing
  • using platforms like IG, TikTok and FB to promote brand
• DM: Direct Message
  • private communication between users on social platforms
• CTA: Call to Action
  • encourages users to take a specific action (i.e. shop now)

Email Marketing Acronyms + Terms

• Open Rate: % of recipients who open your email
• Drip Campaign: a series of automated emails sent based on user behavior or time
  • (i.e. sending a welcome email series to new subscribers)
    
• Segmentation: dividing your email list into smaller groups based on interests or behaviors
• Bounce Rate: the % of emails that could not be delivered
• CRM: Customer Relationship Management
  • tools to manage customer interactions (i.e. Salesforce, HubSpot)
• CTR: Click Through Rate
  • % of recipients who click on a link in your email
• CTO: Click to Open Rate
  • % of recipients who open the email and click on link
• ESP: Email Service Provider
  • platforms for email marketing (i.e. Mailchimp, Klaviyo)
• CMS: Content Management System
  • platforms to create and manage digital content (i.e. Wordpress, Shopify)

Analytics Acronyms + Terms

• Bounce Rate: the % of visitors who leave your site after viewing only 1 page
• Funnel: the steps a customer takes from learning about your product to purchasing it
• GA: Google Analytics
  • a free tool to track web traffic, user behavior and conversions
• LTV: Lifetime Value
  • the total revenue you can expect from a customer over their relationship with your brand
• CAC: Customer Acquisition Cost
  • the cost to acquire 1 customer
  • formula: total marketing costs/number of new customers
• AOV: Average Order Value
  • average amount spent per order
  • formula: total revenue/number of orders

E-Commerce Acronyms + Terms

• Conversion Rate: the % of users who complete a desired action, such as purchasing
• Cart Abandonment Rate: % of users who add product to their cart, but don't complete the purchase
• Upselling: encouraging customers to buy a higher priced product or add ons
• Cross Selling: promoting related products to customers
• SKU: Stock Keeping Unit
  • unique identifier for inventory management
• POS: Point of Sale
  • system for processing in store or online transactions
• CLV: Customer Lifetime Value
  • emphasizes long term customer profitability

A/B Test

• Method of comparing 2 versions of marketing assets to see which one performs better
• How it Works
  • create two variants: version A (original) and version B (modified version with 1 key change)
  • split the audience: divide audience into 2 groups randomly and evenly
  • run the test simultaneously: ensure the test runs at the same time to avoid external factors (i.e. time of day)
  • Measure performance: track a specific KPI
• Examples of Elements to Test
  • E-Blast: subject line, sender name, CTA text or placement, email layout
  • Website: headline, button colors or placement, product images, page layout
  • Ads: visuals, ad copy, target audience segmentation, ad placement (stories vs feed)
  • Social: caption style (short vs detailed), image types (lifestyle vs product focused), hashtag usage

 

Pinterest Strategy

1. Set Up a Business Account

• • gives you access to analytics, ads
  • special tools like Rich Pins (automatically pull extra details from your website (like price, availability, and descriptions) and display them on your Pinterest pins, keeping the information updated in real time) and a Shop tab (a storefront on your Pinterest profile where users can browse and shop your product catalog directly, with links leading to your website for easy purchases)
  • Optimize Your Profile: Use your logo as your profile picture, write a compelling bio with relevant keywords, and include a link to your website

2. Develop a Pin Strategy

• • Pin consistently: Aim to pin regularly (10–20 pins per day), mixing your original content with repins of related, high-quality pins
    • You can use a scheduling tool such as Tailwind
  • Use high quality images: visuals with consistent branding, incorporating your logo, product shots, and brand colors
  • Vertical pins: Use vertical images (2:3 aspect ratio) for better visibility. Pinterest recommends 1000 x 1500 pixels
  • Rich pins: Enable Rich Pins to automatically sync information like pricing, availability, and product descriptions from your website

3. Create Engaging Boards

• • Organize Boards Strategically: Group pins into themed boards (e.g., "Product Ideas," "DIY with [Product Name]," "Gift Ideas," "Seasonal Favorites").
  • Incorporate Keywords in Board Titles and Descriptions: This improves search visibility
  • Include User-Generated Content (UGC): Create a board to showcase how customers use your products

4. Focus On Content that Drives Engagement/Sales

• • Lifestyle Pins: how your product fits into everyday life or how it solves a problem for customers
  • How-To and Tutorials: Share practical uses for your products through step-by-step guides 
  • Seasonal and Trending Content: Create pins that tie into holidays, seasons, or trending topics to stay relevant
  • Infographics: Summarize key product benefits or ideas in a visually appealing infographic
  • Bundle Suggestions: Showcase complementary products in styled photos to encourage upselling

5. Leverage SEO

• • Use Keywords Strategically: Include relevant keywords in your pin titles, descriptions, and board names to make your content discoverable
  • Hashtags: Use a few relevant hashtags to enhance discoverability, but don’t overuse them
  • Alt Text for Pins: Add descriptive alt text to images to improve SEO and accessibility.

6. Link Back to Your Website

• • Clickable Pins: Ensure every pin links to a relevant product page or blog post on your website
  • Landing Pages: Create Pinterest-friendly landing pages optimized for conversions with clear calls-to-action (i.e., “Buy Now,” “Learn More”)

7. Utilize Pinterest Analytics

• • Track Performance: Use Pinterest Analytics to monitor which pins and boards drive the most engagement and traffic
  • Refine Strategy: Focus on creating more of the content that performs well and experiment with new approaches based on insights

8. Use Pinterest Ads for Amplification

• Promoted Pins: Boost your most popular pins to reach a larger audience
• Targeting: Use Pinterest’s ad targeting to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors
• Shopping Ads: Showcase your products directly to users with high purchase intent

9. Engage with Your Audience

• Collaborative Boards: Create boards where users can pin their own ideas or photos featuring your products
• Comment and Save: Engage with other users by commenting on and saving their pins to build relationships
• Respond to Followers: Reply to any comments or questions on your pins to foster community

10. General Marketing Strategies

• Integration: promote pins on social, include links to boards in email campaigns and add pinterest widgets to your site
• Influencer Collabs: pin partnerships (influencers showcasing your product), sponsored content (have influencers create tutorials or reviews)
• UGC (User Generated Content): create a branded hash tag and encourage customers to use it, pin reviews and testimonials

 

Expectations of Software Services