About Sally Cooper Smith

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So far Sally Cooper Smith has created 39 blog entries.

Gain followers with Insta Pods

With gratitude to our friends at Hootsuite, we’re sharing their article on how to gain Instagram likes and comments through the use of friend groups. Since posts with more engagement get more reach, this “secret” technique can help you get in front of more people, and ultimately gain more followers.

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Gain followers with Insta Pods2020-03-03T17:32:32+00:00

Client Feature: IPERS

Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS) provides retirement benefits to city, state and other public sector employees. IPERS members include teachers, social workers, park maintenance staff, firefighters, police officers, and many others who keep Iowa communities strong and safe.

We’ve worked with IPERS since 2004 when they came to us for a rebrand, starting with their logo. We developed a brand mark that incorporated the state of Iowa shape and an oak leaf, representative of the state tree and longevity. We’ve since helped to integrate their brand into everything from the website and the State Fair booth to even the rugs in their lobby. We’ve also refreshed their print collateral, striving for more clarity on topics that can be confusing for many people.

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Client Feature: IPERS2020-03-03T17:33:27+00:00

Are you a “Slack-er”?

If your office is large, or working from multiple locations, you may already be “Slacking”.  Slack is a mobile and desktop text-message-style communication tool that has become commonplace for co-workers. It almost completely replaces inter-office email and serves as the new “water cooler” for social chit-chat among team members.

However, Slack isn’t appropriate in all situations. There are a few times where good old email may be the best communication tool:

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Are you a “Slack-er”?2020-03-03T17:35:03+00:00

Responding to Reviews

Our last blog post discussed the importance of customer reviews, with ideas for how you can ask for reviews without being pushy  Today, we’re sharing tips for responding to reviews:

  • Respond to All Reviews– Aim to respond to all reviews. Your customer took the time to post the review. Show the same courtesy and post a response to all reviews, negative and positive. Your response might be as simple as “Glad you had a great time, Sue. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!”
  • Be Prompt – People expect a quick response. Be sure to respond to reviews promptly, (within 24 hours if possible.)
  • Show Appreciation – Start the conversation by thanking your customer for taking the time to write a review.
  • Apologize – As mentioned in our previous post, people are most motivated to write a view when they have a complaint. Even if you & your team didn’t do anything wrong, the customer believes you did. But you don’t necessarily have to admit fault…you can say: “I’m sorry we fell short of delivering exceptional service” or “I’m sorry for the poor experience you had at our restaurant”.
  • Offer Solutions – For negative reviews, try to offer a solution to keep that person as a customer. Think through options to make the situation right. For example, if a customer complains there is no parking near your restaurant, you might respond with “You can park for free in the 10th & Walnut ramp, then bring your parking pass to the restaurant for validation. We’d love to have you come visit us again soon, and hope this parking tip makes your next visit more enjoyable!”

Above all else, make sure you’re using the right voice for your brand. If your company has a casual vibe, your response should be friendly and informal. If your company is a bit more buttoned up, respond accordingly.

 

 

Responding to Reviews2018-07-09T22:15:36+00:00

What Do Your Customers Trust Most?

You might have the most honest, sincere, genuine team on the planet, rooted in family values and always willing to go the extra mile, but at the end of the day, what do your customers trust, above all else? Reviews. More and more, customers turn to consumer reviews on Amazon, Google, Facebook, or Yelp for the unfiltered story of your company.

Sadly, most customers won’t take the time to write a review unless they’ve had a terrible experience with your company. This can mean you’ll wind up with a whole slew of horror stories in your reviews – detailing the rare occasions that your team falls below the mark of exceptional service – rather than the stories of the superior product or service you provide 99% of the time.

So how can you avoid ending up with a “1 Star” rating overall, and show that these poor service experiences are not the norm? Ask for reviews from happy customers! Here’s how:

Ask Via Email: Send an email shortly after a purchase or visit so the experience is fresh in the customer’s mind. Be sure to provide a direct link to leave a review on your desired platform to make the process easy.

Encourage Check-Ins: Encourage people to check-in at your business. Facebook will automatically send them a reminder to write a review for your business. In all likelihood, only people who like your business will want to check in, so you’ll get positive reviews. Pro tip: Be sure you have free wifi to make check-ins simple!

Add Physical Signs: Post signage at your location asking for reviews or Facebook check-ins.

Work the Ask into Your Sales Process: When your sales or customer service team talks to clients, this can be a very natural time to ask for a review. The team member can explain that reviews help other customers who are researching them, and give a genuine look at their products and services.

Begin to organically work these review requests into your processes, and you’ll see your “star” ranking increase over time.

What Do Your Customers Trust Most?2018-05-21T16:05:15+00:00

Cooper Smith & Company Brand Reboot

We recently shared the five key questions we ask clients who want to rebrand. From evaluating your market and market position to ensuring your logo is flexible enough to meet changing media demands, there are lots of factors to consider before confidently moving in the direction of a rebrand. And it’s not a decision to be made lightly! Hiring a professional agency to conduct an in-depth brand study, then guide you through the identity development process is an investment. Plus, you’ll need to nail the roll out of the new brand, which is another major cost. You’ll replace uniforms, building signage, print collateral, your website, and all other assets where your logo is present.

Clearly, we understand the magnitude of such a shift, and know the importance of a well-executed rebrand.

So, how did we know it was time to turn our attention to our OWN brand? This year marks our 25th anniversary, which is a natural time to pause, to evaluate what’s working well, and to make refinements. We certainly didn’t enter the branding process thinking “Our logo is horrible! We need something new!” But we did say “We’ve had the same look for quick awhile. Let’s do a persona study to make sure we’re projecting an image that matches our brand today.”

We ended up with an identity system that is the fresh, fun and modern, and lends itself to animation and movement. Our bright color palette speaks to the energy and creativity of our team. Overall, we are thrilled with our rebrand, and excited to continue to evolve as our business changes!

 

 

 

Cooper Smith & Company Brand Reboot2018-05-21T15:55:40+00:00
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